Christmas in Slovenia- from Slovenj Gradec

There are so many customs, beliefs, superstitions, traditions and magic related to Christmas in Slovenia that they would barely fit into a thick book. Christmas is the most popular religious and family holiday, its celebration having a long tradition. Slovenians are still keen makers of Christmas decorations. Archaic decorations include the marking of "god's corner" and the hanging of green wreaths (made of evergreens, box tree, ivy and mistletoe), branches or paper wreaths from ceilings or walls. Crafted doves hang from the ceiling to represent the Holy Ghost, as well as crowns and "chandeliers" made of paper and straw. Later, the hugely popular nativity scenes appeared. In Ljubljana and elsewhere, exhibitions of the most beautiful nativity scenes are staged each year. In the Postojna Caves, one of the most famous karst caves in the world, we have a live nativity scene accompanied by baroque music.Not only are Christmas decorations - and naturally the Christmas tree -characteristic of Christmas in Slovenia, food is very important too. Pigs are typically slaughtered before Christmas, so pork dishes are often on the table. There are also special Christmas breads and pies, with many different fillings, forms and names. One cannot but mention the most typical of Slovenian dishes, the potica. This nut roll can be sweet or salty, round with a hole in the middle like in the old days, or a single long roll. There are over 50 different types of classical potica, but people's imagination has increased their number so there are currently about 110 kinds of potica. The Christmas and New Year’s holiday season is a time that everyone awaits with special joy: children, because of the presents they expect to receive, and because they know they will not have to go to school for at least a week; adults, because they know they will bring people joy with their gifts, for giving is indeed a rewarding experience.