lighted candle - its light helping the Wise Men to find their way to the crib
wafers - symbolizing the communion of all Christians
honey, nuts, little apples - gifts of nature securing health
garlic and onion - protection of every evil
fish scales - supposed to bring the family money and happiness
piece of bread and glass of water - everyday necessities of life
The little apples had a symbolic character. After dinner the father cut one up. If it was good, a peaceful year awaited the family. Everyone took a piece of the apple, so that in the following year they would always find a safe way home.
The Christmas Eve dinner is bountiful. Its bounty was reflected in the number of foods. All the fruits or produce of the soil they had grown during the year were brought to the table in turn. They had lentil or cabbage soup, baked pasta balls, with poppy seed, cakes and other local foods. Later they included fish in the Christmas Eve dinner. Today this is the most frequent Christmas Eve food.
Slovakian Christmas Traditions
Christmas is celebrated throughout the world by different peoples in a slightly different way. Slovaks around the world celebrate Christmas in their own special way, the difference only varying by religion, region or country. With over 1/3 of all Slovaks living outside of Slovak Republic, some of the traditions have taken on the face of their adopted country but they all still share in the common bond of their ancestors living in what today is called Slovakia.
The Christian celebration of Christmas is linked with the pagan feast of the winter solstice. Ancient Slovak forefathers ascribed magic powers to this special time of the year. They believed that the rites would serve to protect the crops and cattle from harmful demons, to ensure a good harvest, to bring happiness in love and in family life in the year to come. The rise of Christianity in Europe subordinated this feast to the church calendar of Christ being born on December 25, but some of the other Christmas customs were nevertheless taken over from pagan traditions and myths, and even determine the course and character of these celebrations of the eternal victory of life over death to this very day.
Some of the more famous pagan myths that today have a Christian twist are:
11th November, St.Martin's day, was the beginning of the winter solstice
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