Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Vasele Vianoce A Stastkivy Novy Rok"
Location: Central Europe
Tree Type: Traditional

Decorations:
- The colored ornaments represent the national colors of Slovakia

Traditions:
Traditionally, preparations for Christmas in the Slovak Republic begin with the baking of oplatky, or Christmas bread, on December 13th. The oplatky is a thin wafer imprinted with scenes of the nativity used to begin dinner on Christmas Eve. Entire villages used to share in the baking and later distributed wafers to each family.

In preparation for Christmas Eve, homes in the Slovak Republic are thoroughly cleaned. Straw is laid on the table and floor to remind people of Christ's birth in a manger. When the first star appears in the sky, the father declares the meal ready to begin.

The traditional meal for Christmas Eve is meatless in the Slovak Republic. The mother blesses the home with holy water, and families sit down to their meal, called stedry vecer. It begins with the breaking and sharing of the oplatky and continues with fish, potatoes, mushroom and sauerkraut soup, a raisin poppy seed bread called loke, pirohy (pastries filled with cabbage, prunes, potatoes, or cheese), and pagace (thin dough filled with sweet cabbage and mashed potatoes). For dessert, families eat fruit, nuts, and kolace, strudel-like rolls filled with poppy seed, prune butter, and walnuts.