1. Christmas in east Slovakia
Orthodox Christmas

2. Orthodox Christmas In Slovakia live more that 80 000 orthodox people
On 6. January they celebrate the orthodox Christmas or the birth of
Jesus
This is according to the
Julian calendar
The most of orthodox
people are „Rusini“-
people who live in east
of the Slovakia
Greeting after Christmas day:"Christos raždajetsja„(Christ is birthing) and "Slavime Jeho" (Celebrate him).

3. Fasting before Christmas
It is a tradition of the Eastern Christians to fast
Fasting is a spirutual preparation for Christmas
People fast for 40 days before Christmas
This time is refered to as Lent
It starts on 28. november
The significance of fasting is spiritual unity with God and preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Saviour
Lent was established so that
we are in repentance, fasting and
prayer, cleansed and pure of heart, so
we can embrace the Son of God

4. Why do people fast?
Real fasting cannot be done without prayer, repentance, people putting aside their hostility , without uprooting the evil in their lives.
Fasting is not our goal,
but is way to tame your
body, passions and
how to cleanse from
sin.
Fasting without prayer
and penance, becomes
only dieting

5. We cannot:
During Lent people cannot eat meat or people who are vegetarian abstain from something different - what they usually like to eat
We should fast from something
that we love e.g.:chocolate, coffee,
internet...
We cannot go to discos or dance
and sing at home
It is about restraint
The fast finishes after Christmas
day- 7.January

6. Confession Orthodox Christians have two very important confessions
before Christmas and
before Easter
It is important because
we get rid of the sins so
that we might enjoy the
birth of Jesus with
clean heart

7. The Christmas dinner On the table there usually is about
7- 8 types of food
All day is lent and people cannot
sample what they cooked
Before the dinner all the family must wash hands and face in the stream or well- it is called purgatory
By the table all the family must pray before they start to eat the dinner
It starts about 5 o clock

8. Traditional Dinner
We start to eat bread with salt or wafers with honey and garlic
After this we continue with : cabbage soup (without sausage),mushrooms,pies with potatoes,bobaľky with poppy,vegatarian salad,“pigeons“, and at the
end can be a fish
On the table must be a
lots of fruit and sweets
(gingerbread)

11. Presents We have St. Nicholas Day too but it is 19. december
Children put their shoes
on a window and in the
morning they have in their
shoes sweets and fruit from
St. Nicholas
On Christmas day is similar
only parents put gifts under
Christmas trees and early
morning you can open

12. Tradition
On the table is a candle and after dinner we blow out the candle and if the smoke rises straight
up nobody from this family will die this year
Before dinner girls draw on
their forehead crosses
with honey to have boys love
them
Cutting apples for healthy family
Under the tablecloth family
members place money so the family will have money in the future....and more

13. Holidays 13 January is christening of the Lord
People go to church to get Holy Water as this is the day the priest blesses it
It is to rememeber the chrtistening of Jesus in the river Jordan
It a very important day
14 january is the start of the
New year for orthodox
christians

14. Happy Christmas