Talking about oplatky yesterday got me wondering about our wonderful Christmas Eve traditions. Here is what I pulled up online:
The Slovak words for Christmas Eve are “bountiful eve” and the bounty of this sacred evening lies in the wide range of festive dishes. The traditional meal for Christmas Eve is meatless in the Slovak Republic.
The meal begins with the “oplatky” or unleavened wafers imprinted with scenes of the holy birth. Coming from the Latin, “oblata” (offering), these wafers are common to Slavs living in the Tatra Mountains. Both Poles and Slovaks, who live on either side of Europe’s second highest mountain range, forming the natural boundary between Slovakia and Poland, use these wafers at the Christmas Eve supper. Because of the snowbound conditions of the region, these blessed wafers were distributed to each family by the village priest so that this symbol of Christ and the Eucharist might serve as their Christmas Eve spiritual nourishment. Because of the often snowbound conditions in these villages, which prevented the villagers from traveling to church for the Midnight liturgy, these blessed wafers were enjoyed as a reminder of the Eucharist.
The “oplatky” are eaten with honey (to be good and healthy as the bees are) and reminded the family of the unleavened bread of the Passover supper of the Israelites. Family members and friends break off a small piece of the “oplatky” and give it to one another along with a blessing. The unleavened wafers are baked from pure wheat flour and water and often embossed with religious images. Breaking off, and exchanging part of the “oplatky” with someone is symbol of forgiveness between two people and is meant to remind participants of the importance of Christmas, God, and family. A sample blessing can take the form of “I wish you much health, happiness and the Lord’s bountiful blessings as well as the fulfillment of all your plans and everything you wish for yourself.” or just wishing good grades to a child and good health to your parents.
Following the “oplatky”, a soup of tart quality, usually made of sauerkraut brine and dried mushrooms, continues the exodus theme of recalling the bitterness of slavery; life without Christ.
Fish is traditionally served (their scales are said to bring wealth into the house), as Catholics in Eastern Europe observed a strict fast on the vigil of Christmas. Next come “opekance-pupacky-bobalky” which are sweet, raised dough or may be a biscuit type dough sweetened with honey and sprinkled with poppy seed. The use of poppy seed recalls a pagan tradition in which poppy seed was strewn at the portal in order that the evil spirits might be occupied with picking up each morsel and thus would not enter the house.
“Pirohy” are generally enjoyed at the Christmas Eve supper. They are dough pockets, pastry filled with fillings of sweet cabbage, sauerkraut, lekvar, prunes, or potatoes and cheese and boiled.
“Pagace” is also enjoyed at the dinner, also called “Slovak Pizza.” It is thin raised dough baked either in a single or double layer filled with sweet cabbage or mashed potatoes. After baking, it is brushed with butter and cut in pie wedges. In addition, “lokse” a potato pancake type of specialty is also enjoyed.
Other foods eaten include dried prunes, apples, nuts, and St. John’s bread known as “Carob.” The meal concludes with the traditional Slovak pastry, known as “Kolace” or strudel-like rolls which are filled with walnuts, poppy seed, lekvar (prune butter) or cheese. Red wine completes the evening’s feasting.
In addition to a place for every member of the family at the table, a place is left vacant for the welcome traveler. In rural villages of Slovakia, a shepherd would call from house-to-house making his Christmas wish or “vins” to all in the household: “On this glorious feast of the birthday of Christ our Lord, I wish you from God, good health, happiness and abundant blessings. May it be yours to enjoy comfort from your children, salvation for your soul. The kingdom of heaven after death, and for the family’s welfare, may you have whatever you ask of God.”
“Vesele Vianoce a Stastlivy Novy Rok” or “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”
