Slovenia

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CARNIVAL DOUGHNUTS (Krofi)

We make donuts during the carnival time. The silly carnival season marks the transition between winter and spring and depends on the moon and Easter. It lasts from Candlemas (February 2) to Shrove Tuesday, which occurs 47 days before Easter Sunday. The carnival tradition dates back to the pre-Christian era and even Christianity could not eradicate a natural pagan custom.

Although it is often associated with the arrival of spring, its name reveals a completely different meaning – the Shrovetide or the international term carnival means, “to let the meat out of someone’s diet”. With the Shrovetide, we drive away winter, hunger and evil demons and attract the energies of birth and fertility.

For the carnival, we put on different masks – from traditional ones (“koranti”) to those that reflect modern social life. The main events of the Shrovetide are concentrated in the period from the Maundy Thursday to the Ash Wednesday. Carnival characters take over the reins of power in some towns during this time. In some places, carnival masks visit residents, drive away evil spirits and bring joy and laughter. The highlight of the carnival event is represented by numerous carnival processions and carnival dances across Slovenia, and everything ends on the Ash Wednesday, when the carnival is condemned and buried.

In addition to Shrovetide prank and merrymaking, this is also a time for good food. A part of the carnival feast are blood sausages and roasted sausages, pork ribs, sauerkraut, pickled turnips and “matevž” (mash potatoes with beans), and of course the indispensable carnival donuts and “flancati” (a type of fried pastry).

THE BREAD BRAID (Pletenica)

We bake the bread braid during Easter time. Easter is a movable holiday, since the Easter Sunday occurs every year on the first Sunday after the full spring moon, that is, somewhere between March 22 and April 25.

It is basically a longer period and not just a one-day event. The week before Easter is called the Holy Week. It begins with the Palm Sunday – the last Sunday before Easter. At that time, believers bless olive branches or bundles in churches. On the Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with his apostles, the church bells fall silent and start ringing again on the Sunday morning, announcing Jesus’ resurrection. On the Good Friday, Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus, so the strictest fast is observed on this day. The Holy Saturday is the day when Catholics bless Easter treats in church. Dishes representing the symbolism of the Christian holiday are brought to the church in a basket decorated with flowers. Resurrection processions take place on the Easter Sunday. Morning mass is followed by the Easter breakfast. It is primarily a family day, where all members of the family gather for Easter delicacies. The Easter Monday is a day off from work and is intended for visiting friends and acquaintances.

Slovenian rolled cake (Potica)

Christmas is a traditional holiday in the church calendar, which is celebrated in Catholic and Protestant countries on December 25 as a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ. The celebration dates back to pre-Christian times, when many nations celebrated the onset of the winter solstice, when the day begins to lengthen again, thus symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

In the past about two days before Christmas, Slovene housewives baked walnut roll cake-potica (also made with poppy seeds or tarragon), and started preparing gingerbread and Christmas bread – poprtnik (today replaced by the fruit bread). Masters went to the forest to get trees. On the holy evening, families gathered, set up a nativity scene made of paper, decorated the tree with some homemade cookies, candies, nuts and small apples, lit the candles, knelt down and prayed.

The families went to the Midnight mass, where they also brought some Christmas bread. They dressed festively, took torches dipped in resin and set off singing Christmas carols.

The Christmas breakfast consisted of tea and potica, and for lunch the housewives served beef soup, meat (usually roasted), cabbage salad and pot fried potatoes. Dinner consisted of bread, meat and potica

Today, the home and the Christmas tree are still supposed to be decorated on December 24, but most families start decorating already at the beginning of December. In the evening, the whole family gathers for the Christmas dinner, which must not lack meat, be it beef, pork, veal or poultry, and as a dessert some sweet Christmas bread and the traditional Slovenian potica.