Tuesday 2 December 2008

A short description of Christmas time in Slovenia

...the time around Christmas and New Year's is a magical time. Especially for children.
The children in Slovenia are probably amongst the happiest children of all during this time of year. And "Why?" you ask...it is beacuse they have more gift-bearers than the children in other countries. They get gifts from three good men: St. Nicholas, Santa Claus and Grandfather Frost.


In Slovenia, we celebrate Christmas just like in any other country. The preparations for celebrations begin in the first days of December. You can hear Christmas songs on the radio all the time, everything is being decorated, the bigger parks in the cities, the bigger towns and cities also and people make ornaments for their homes mostly by themselves.
We usually write and send Chrismas cards a few days before Christmas. Many people make and decorate the cards they send by themselves, so that they are more personal. We send best wishes to our relatives and friends. Merry Christmas-VESEL BOŽIČ and a Happy New Year-SREČNO NOVO LETO!
On the 24th of December mothers and grandmothers make potica's (a special cake made of wallnuts and nuts and raisins), children decorate the Christmas tree and set up the Christmas crib under the tree.
The Christmas tree can be artificial, or real/natural (you can buy them at different markets), and lately it doesn't even have to be a tree to decorate it. Many people decorate tree branches and it still looks great. After the tree is decorated with different ornaments (may they be homemade or bought), the families gather and prepare themselves to go to the Midnight Mass Service. In the countryside people used to walk at night with lamps or candles to the nearest church to pray and sing and celebrate Christmas time. There are places where this still exists. After the mass, people go home.

On the 25th of December, families gather for the Christmas lunch. Of course, children open the presents Father Christmas left under the Christmas tree as soon as they get up in the morning.
The Christmas lunch consists of soup, baked or roasted with onions and pork fat, potatoes, souerkraut, sausages, beans, žolca (specially made beef-jello with eggs and meat)and potica at the end as a dessert.


Christmas is a time of year when family gets together and friends visit each other...it is a time to share love and happiness!

SHARE JOY AND HAPPINES TO PEOPLE YOU CARE FOR and GET THE MOST OF THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS!!!

In Slovene: "VESEL BOŽIČ IN SREČNO NOVO LETO!"

GREETINGS from Slovenia across Europe!

I've added a short presentation of songs lyrics we sing during these holidays.

http://www.slideshare.net/alenkica/songs-we-sing-at-christmas-and-new-year-in-slovenia-presentation

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your blog. I loved reading and learning about Christmas in your Country! It sounds like a wonderful place to be. This is probably a stupid question but does it snow where you are? We only get a little snow here in Paradise, CA. Thanks for the wonderful blog! I'm looking forward to pictures if you can post some of Christmas in your area.