The father would dip bread into honey and pass out to all present, before starting the meal. The fresh water fish carp plays an important role in the Christmas Eve dinner. In fact fishing for carp is a popular pastime in the days before Christmas. Earlier I mentioned that in much of East Europe Christmas celebrations start on December 6. The Czechs start even earlier with the feast of St. Barbara on December 4.
Wood carving is a national pastime in neighboring Slovakia.
The Nativity scenes depicted in this show of 18 slides illustrate the range of artistry from different villages. The 1998 Christmas program of the town of Kosice, Slovakia's second largest city, illustrates how important this holiday is to the people of Slovakia. In Hungary the preparations for the Christmas holiday start already on the first Sunday of Advent, when candles are lit and wreaths appear in offices, schools and homes. Before Christmas, groups of boys dressed in costume go from house to house carrying a plaque representing the Holy family. They perform a short skit with songs and poems.