Christmas Eve in Lithuania
Lithuanian Christmas Eve tradition includes 'kucios' as well as the breaking of bread.
Christmas Eve is observed as a time for family gathering and observing long-standing traditions in Lithuania.
Christmas Eve, December 24th, is surrounded by very important holiday traditions in Lithuania. The oldest scholarly first-hand accounts for some of these traditions I have found is 1946, but these Lithuanian Christmas Eve traditions are much older. They are still in practice today, with some differences taking into consideration modern cultural practicalities, region, and individual family practices.
As the majority of Lithuanians practice Roman Catholicism, Christmas Eve and Christmas are celebrated according to the Western calendar (Eastern Orthodoxy celebrates Christmas in January). Christmas Eve, while not necessarily a religious holiday, is still observed as a solemn occasion and one for preparation for the Christmas.
Cleanliness is an important aspect of Christmas Eve in Lithuania. The house is cleaned thoroughly and clean clothes are worn for the special evening meal. During this preparation, food for the next two days is also prepared.
Setting the Table
Hay is distributed upon the dinner tabletop, then a clean tablecloth is placed upon the hay. This signifies Christ’s bed of hay. A plate with a candle marks the place setting of a family member recently deceased, or a glass of beer or kvas may be put in this place.
Food
Kucios are the special meatless dishes prepared for Christmas Eve. Twelve dishes represent the 12 Apostles. Winter dishes are typically served, including dried or cooked fish, pickled vegetables, and grains. Alcohol may or may not be served.
Unleavened bread (Dievo pyragas – “God’s cakes” or “Heavenly bread”) is also served. This is an important part of the Lithuanian Christmas Eve tradition as it is imbued with the promise of future luck or can equally represent bad luck. The bread is passed around the table to every person – each person breaks off the bread from another person. The one who breaks off the largest piece will have good luck for the coming year. Being missed in the passing of the bread signifies extreme future misfortune.
Superstitions
It is said in Lithuania that on Christmas Eve, animals speak and well water turns to wine. Straws are drawn to see which girl will get married in the next year (shorter straws meant a shorter “single” life). In some regions, the leftover food was left on the table so that dead souls would have a Christmas Eve feast after the living had taken leave of the table.
Various sources, both those from the internet as well as scholarly sources, specify regional distinctions for the Christmas Eve traditions in Lithuania. However, because most of these traditions have their beginnings when winter was a harsh, spare time for Lithuanian communities, the central themes of prosperity, honoring the dead, family unity, the importance of food preparation, and religious observances are steeped in centuries and illustrate an important aspect of Lithuanian cultural identity.
