The Christmas fast

Before Christmas, it was customary for people to fast, eating pea soup, “šklojci” (dried fruit), potatoes, buckwheat porridge, “posolanka” cheesecake with poppy seeds and honey, and white turnip “pogača” cake.

A glass of palinka

They didn't drink wine, rather they enjoyed a glass of palinka.

Mandatory sauerkraut

For Christmas time, people would cook all the delicacies they had available, including poultry, with sauerkraut being a mandatory dish on every table.

Breakfast in the dark

On Old Year's Day, everything would be cleaned and tidied, and all the leftovers from the previous day were eaten. Breakfast was eaten in the dark on December 31, as this meant that we would be "bright", i.e. smart, for the whole of the coming year.

Poultry no, pork yes

Poultry was avoided, believing that "chickens always kick their claws back”, which meant the economy could collapse. That's why people preferred eating pork, specifically a pig's head with cabbage for lunch, because "the pig’s snout is always ploughing forward", which meant the economy would keep developing.

“Krispan” for healthy water

Also interesting is the very old New Year’s Eve custom of decorating a spruce branch, which was called a “korina” or “krispan”, with colourful pieces of paper, and hanging it over the well. This was a way to pay tribute to water, or rather ensure a healthy water supply in the coming year.