Folk tradition

- rooted strongly in Slovakia

- reflected in literature, music, dance and architecture

- the prime example - Slovak national anthem, "Nad Tatrou sa blýska" - based on a melody
from the "Kopala studienku" folk song

- manifestation of Slovak folklore culture - Východná Folklore Festival - the oldest and largest
nationwide festival with international participation, which takes place in Východná annually

- Slovakia represented by many groups but mainly by SĽUK - Slovak folk art collective - the
largest Slovak folk art group, trying to preserve the folklore tradition

- typical clothing - folk costume

- example of wooden folk architecture in Slovakia - well-preserved village of Vlkolínec -

UNESCO World Heritage

Traditional food

- traditional cuisine based mainly on pork, poultry, flour, potatoes, cabbage, and milk products

- traditional Slovak meals - bryndzové halušky, bryndzové pirohy and other meals with potato
dough and bryndza - salty cheese made of sheep milk, characterised by a strong taste and
aroma

- bryndzové halušky - considered as a national dish

- the milk is drunk fresh or sour and all milk products such cottage cheese, bryndza and
sheep cheese are very popular

- smoked or fresh sheep cheese products are sold in different forms and shapes and Slovaks love
them

- typical soup - sauerkraut soup called kapustnica

- specific meal – krvavnica - blood sausage made from any parts of a butchered pig

- wine and beer are also very popular

Festivals

Easter

- celebrated between March 22nd and April 25th after 40 days of fasting

- typical dish - potato salad with smoked ham, popular cake shaped like a lamb

- decorations - lambs, bunnies, and yellow chicks - symbol of life

- works of craftsmanship – kraslice - decorated eggs

- girls are symbolically whipped with canes made of willow branches – whipping, bathed in
water bathing – guaranteeing fertility and beauty, health

- boys rewarded for their efforts with hand-painted or chocolate eggs, sweets or money, whereas
adults are often given a drink of spirits

Christmas

- celebrated in the evening of December 24

- the celebration of Christmas continues on December 25 with the Feast of the Nativity Jesus

- advent - period of four weeks before Christmas, during which people prepare physically and
spiritually for the Christmas Holidays. – customs – advent wreath, calendar

- Christmas tree decoration, praying

- Christmas dinner – fish and potato salad, Christmas waffles with honey

- the infant Jesus brings presents, families unwrapping them together

- classical Christmas movies – Tri oriešky pre popolušku

- Christmas eve midnight mass

St. Nicholas´day

- celebrated on the 6th December

- Svätý Mikuláš comes on the evening of the 5th December and gives presents to good children

- young children place their shoes near the door, in the morning they are filled with sweets and
fruits
Burning od Morena

- two weeks before easter

- custom showing the desire to do away with the cold weather and to call the warm weather

- Morena symbolised the winter and so when people wanted the spring to come, they had to kill
her, drown her in a stream or burn her

Fašiangy

- between January 6 and the movable Tuesday before the Ash Wednesday

- most cheerful customs during the year associated with the turn of winter to spring

- masks, feasts and singing marches are typical