An apple cut in half, walnuts in the corner, a carp scale under the table mat, or straw under the table. These are all Slovak Christmas customs and traditions observed on Christmas Eve (December 24th). You may have incorporated many of them into your family Christmas traditions. But do you know their meaning?
Christmas ritual begins even before the actual Christmas Eve dinner. Children are told that they will see a “Golden piglet” if they don’t eat all day. This promise was meant to help children endure the day-long fasting observed by Christians on this day. The Christmas Eve table’s preparation and “dressing” also had its prescribed rules. An empty seat is always left at the table for unexpected visitors or to remember a deceased relative. In the past, you could find a chain under the table, with family members resting their feet on it, symbolizing unity, and a heap of straw as a sign of humility and a reminder that Baby Jesus was born on straw. A carp scale is placed under the tablecloth or table mat to ensure the family has enough money throughout the year.
Once the festive table is set, we can prepare the traditional Christmas dishes. Christmas cannot be without thin wafer cookies served with honey and garlic. Honey is included in the Christmas menu to encourage people to be as sweet to each other as honey. Garlic, apples, and walnuts symbolize good health. Therefore, before the first meal, the oldest family member cuts an apple in half, and all family members eagerly observe the arrangement of the seeds. The family members will be healthy if a little star appears among the seeds. Another custom is to throw walnuts into the corners of the room before dinner, which is believed to bring prosperity and health to the family members.
During the dinner, which consists of several courses, no one must leave the table, not even the hostess. If someone does so, it is believed that they will die within a year. The flame of the candle had a similar significance. If it burns straight upwards, the family will meet in the same number the following year, but if the flame is crooked, leaning towards a particular person, that person will die within a year. Among the festive meals, soup should be present (cabbage soup is perhaps the most common).
These are just some of the Slovak Christmas customs and traditions associated with Christmas Eve. They add unique meaning and symbolism to the festive celebrations, creating a sense of unity, health, prosperity, and remembrance within the family.
