A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic.
Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness.
After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what was typically served.