Christmas in Slovakia

Introduction:

Christmas is coming soon, and I have learned a lot about how they celebrate in Slovakia! I will share what I found the same and what is different.

What tradition did I learn about?:

I learned about Christmas, which is a holiday we celebrate in the U.S., too! Slovaks begin decorating soon after Halloween, since they do not celebrate Thanksgiving. On December 6th, they celebrate St. Nicholas Day, where kids clean their boots and put them by the window. Nikolaus comes to each house with an angel and a devil and will fill the boots with candies and gifts, if they are good. The Chrismas season ends on Christmas Eve, December 24th, with a family dinner (usually fish and cabbage soup called Kapustnica) and gifts in the evening. They take December 25th to relax!

Why does the community have this tradition?:

Slovakia is a very religious country, so holidays like St. Nicholas Day and Christmas are very important for them. Slovaks have had passed these traditions down through many generations, and it helps them to spend time together. The community feels connected while celebrating their history and culture!

Is this tradition connected to its environment? How?:

Fish is a popular dish for Christmas because long ago, most people did not have refrigerators, so it was easy to keep fish fresh during the winter.

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