Today I, DokuDoki, will tell you something about Slovak holidays, how we (usually) celebrate them, when they are, or which are the most important.

Tak teda začnime :3

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(note: from the January to the December)

EPIPHANY AND MASOPUST

EPIPHANY

6th January is known as the Three Kings (Traja králi). Eh, it's just a free day... no work and after this day it's over of the Christmas Holidays (Vianočné prázdniny) and kids must go back to school.

CARNIVAL

Known as Fašiangy. It's season between Epiphany and Easter. After this fourty day long fasting (pôst) begins, so generaly it used to be season of the carnivals, parties and eat-as-much-meat-as-you-can. Traditions are different between regions, for example in Liptov region used to be tradition eating scrambled eggs while in Hont region making the spirits.

Nowaday it's in towns usually parties season, however in villages are still normal noisy parades with masks of devils and eating sausages, bacon and all kinds of meat.

End of the Carnival period is known as Ash Wednesday (Popolcová streda).

EASTER

Every year it has different date, because it's always celebrated in first Sunday after first full moon after vernal.

After Ash Wednesday fourty day fasting begins. In these days you shouldn't eat meat, though nowaday people don't hold onto this tradition too much.

Easter starts with Green Thursday (Zelený štvrtok). Next days are called Great Friday (Veľký piatok), White Saturday (Biela sobota), Easter Sunday/Flower Sunday (Veľkonočná nedeľa/Kvetná nedeľa) and Easter Monday (Veľkonočný pondelok).

Easter Monday is the most important day of Slovak Easter. In Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary take tradition two events - šibačka and oblievačka.

Šibačka (lit. "whipping") - boys wander around houses of girls they know and whip them with Easter whip (korbáč) made from willow rods and ribbons. In past girl used to give him painted egg (kraslica) as a reward, today it's usually sweets for younger and money for older boys, full meal is not uncommon either. This tradition wasn't performed in Eastern Slovakia.

Oblievačka (lit. "pouring") - boys pour on girls water. In towns it's just little sprinkle, for example from cup or spray, or even just perfume, however in villages it can often escalate into an all-day water fight. This tradition wasn't performed in Western Slovakia.

BUILDING OF THE MAY TREES

Well, this isn't really holiday, but in Slovakia we have one old tradition, called Building of the May Trees(stavanie májov).
Máj is tree, mostly fir, birch or spruce with removed bark and branches except on the tip which's decorated with colorful ribbons. (note: it also means May in Slovak) Young boys used to place them in front of the house of girl they liked. Nowaday you can still see in fronts of some houses máje, but they're just decorations. Each village and town have one big máj, mostly placed nearby town hall or other important building in the settlement.
On the end of the month are máje removed.

ALL SAINT'S DAY

In 1st November people are going to the cemeteries to clean graves of their deceased beloved ones. They also put there flowers, wreaths and candles and pray for dead ones.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas, or in Slovak Vianoce are in Slovakia celebrated at 24th December. But there are more special days, so I'll write all of them.

FIRST ADVENT DAY
This day is always fourth Sunday before Christmas. Lot of Slovaks have in their homes Advent Wreath (adventný veniec). It has four candles and first one is lighted this day, and next always in Sunday until Christmas.

6TH DECEMBER
This day has nameday Mikuláš. All children in the evening before are cleaning their boots, because in the night man called Saint Nicholas (Svätý Mikuláš, or just Mikuláš) puts sweets and fruit inside them. But if they were bad, they'll get onion, coal or raw potatoes.

13TH DECEMBER
Nameday has Lucia. Girls used to wrap themself with white sheets and with the crosses and white feathers in their hands they entered all houses in village. Saint Lucy's Day (Deň svätej Lucie) was also known as Day of the Witch Meetings (Deň zlietavania bosoriek). There was lot and LOT of traditional customs, usually including love magic.

24TH DECEMBER
Known as The Lavish Day (Štedrý deň). Customs are different between regions AND families, so I'm going to tell you how average Lavish Evening dinner is like. This is the ONLY food that you can eat today - you can't eat anything until evening!

So, most of households start with Christmas wafers (oblátky), usually with honey and garlic. Next are usually opekance (note: something like little pieces of sweet bread) with poppy seeds. Soup is almost always sauerkraut soup (kapustnica), and main food fried carp with potato salad. Last are lokše (note: thin pancakes, they looks like tortillas).

During dinner nobody can't leave the table. There is at least one lighted candle. Sometimes are under tablecloth carp scales or coins, for wealth. After dinner head of the family will split the apple. If seeds looks like star, it means fortune. Only AFTER dinner everyone can open the presents under the Christmas tree.
Lot of families also go to the curch for the Midnight Mass.

25TH AND 26TH DECEMBER
Known as First Christmas Holiday and Second Christmas Holiday (Prvý sviatok vianočný a Druhý sviatok vianočný). In these days are in TV lot of "traditional Christmas movies", that are in TV only during Christmas, such as The Three Nuts for Cinderella (Tri oriešky pre Popolušku), The Feather Fairy (Perinbaba), Jack Frost (Mrázik), Home Alone (Sám doma), There Once Lived One King (Bol raz jeden kráľ), With You I Enjoy the World (S tebou ma baví svet), and many other.

31TH DECEMBER
Nameday has and known as Silvester. Last day of the year. In the midnight there are fireworks to farewell with old year and welcome the New Year.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Besides Easter, Christmas and other holidays above, there are national holidays (štátne sviatky) and religious holidays (cirkevné sviatky), from which are the most important:

1st January - Day of the Estabilishment of the Slovak Republic (Deň vzniku Slovenskej republiky)
6th January - Epiphany (Traja králi)
March, April - Good Friday (Veľký piatok)
March, April - Easter Monday (Veľkonočný pondelok)
1st May - International Worker's Day (Sviatok práce)
8th May - Day of victory over fascism (Deň víťazstva nad fašizmom)
5th July - St. Cyril and Methodius Day (Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda)
29th August - Slovak National Uprising anniversary (výročie Slovenského národného povstania)
1st September - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic (Deň ústavy Slovenskej republiky) (note: haha that's right, we don't go to the school in 1st, but earliest 2nd September! xD)
15th September - Day of Blessed Virgin Mary (Sedembolestná Panna Mária)
1st November - All Saint's Day (Sviatok všetkých svätých)
17th November - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day (Deň boja za slobodu a demokraciu)
24th December - Christmas Eve (Štedrý deň)
25th December - Christmas Day (Prvý sviatok vianočný)
26th december - St. Stephen's Day (Druhý sviatok vianočný)

REMEMBERENCE DAYS

25th March - Struggle for Human Rights Day (Deň zápasu za ľudské práva)
13th April - Unfairly Prosecuted Persons Day (Deň nespravodlivo stíhaných)
4th May - Anniversary of the Decease of Milan Rastislav Štefánik (Výročie úmrtia M. R. Štefánika)
7th June - Anniversary of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation (Výročie Memoranda národa slovenského)
5th July - Foreign Slovaks Day (Deň zahraničných Slovákov)
17th July - Indenpendence Day (Výročie deklarácie o zvrchovanosti SR)
4th August - Matica Slovenská Day (Deň Matice Slovenskej)
9th September - Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of racial violence (Deň obetí holokaustu a rasového násilia)
19th September - Day of the First Public Appearance of the Slovak National Council (Deň prvého verejného vystúpenia SNR)
6th October - Dukla Pass Victims Day (Deň obetí Dukly)
27th October - Černová Tragedy Day (Deň černovskej tragédie)
28th October - Day of the Establishment of an Independent Czecho-Slovak State (Deň vzniku samostatného česko-slovenského štátu)
29th October - Birth of Ľudovít Štúr Day (Deň narodenia Ľ. Štúra)
30th October - Anniversary of the Declaration of the Slovak Nation (Výročie Deklarácie slovenského národa)
31st October - Reformation Day (Deň reformácie)
30th December - Day of the Declaration of Slovakia as an Independent Ecclesiastic Province (Deň vyhlásenia Slovenska za samostatnú cirkevnú provinciu)

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