bratislava_christmas
Photo credit: www.visitbratislava.com

And like in other countries Christmas is time for family, friends, spending time at home, preparing delicious food, decorating the Christmas tree, baking, shopping for presents and spending time with relatives and friends.

decorating_christmas_tree
Photo credit: www.welcomebratislava.com

CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY

  • Štedrý deň // which is translated as the Generous day, Christmas day
  • Štedrý večer // translated as Generous evening, The actual Christmas Eve
  • Vianoce//Christmas season
  • Veselé Vianoce // Marry Christmas
  • Ježíško // baby Jesus
  • Dedo Mraz // Father Frost, Santa Clause
christmas_dinner
Photo credit: www.welcomebratislava.com

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Christmas meal traditionally consists of 12 dishes, the number symbolizes the number of Jesus’s disciples. But before the first dish, Christmas dinner begins with small bread wafers and a blessing called Oplatky. What is a must on the Christmas table, dressed in white cloth, on Christmas eve is:

  • Kapustnica: a thick cabbage soup for which the recipe varies from family to family
  • Carp: traditionally the carp is bought a few days before Christmas, and is killed and gutted on Christmas morning, and served for Christmas dinner. But today any kind of fish, taken from the freezer is also good enough.
  • Bobajky: small pieces of bread mixed with butter and sauerkraut or sweetened with honey and poppyseeds
  • Potatoe salad
  • Pirohy dumplings
  • Walnut rolls or cookies (the favourites include vanilla, poppy seeds, wallnuts, apricot…) – the more different types the better
christmas_dinner
Photo credit: www.visitbratislava.com

WHERE TO GO

In Bratislava streets and markets are transformed into Christmas markets – boasting colorful stands that offer local goodies, handmade crafts, homemade spirits, mulled wine, etc. You can read more about the Bratislava Christmas markets here.

And when in Bratislava on the New Year’s Eve here are some ideas about where to spend a memorable and spectacular last night of the year.

The beginning two days of the new year, families typically spend with friends and relatives, eating Christmas dinner left overs and resting before going back to reality.

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