December Newsletter

*This newsletter is very similar to my two blogs "My Slovak Christmas" parts 1 and 2, with a few adjustments and additions.*

Life in Koseca
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
December Newsletter

My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because I find it kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had a tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.

So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got received two Advent calendars with chocolate pieces in them. With everything combined, I think I had about a two month’s supply of chocolate. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.

I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I had a stocking in my window, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant Santa Claus door poster on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)

I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak) holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!

The high school I help teach at had a Christmas/end of the semester party. I went to the event not really knowing what to expect and found out that their "party" was sort of like a talent competition. Each class group had a chance to prepare some kind of skit, lip sync song & dance, or musical number. They competed against each other (all of the teachers were the judges) for the prize of one free day off from school! Not a bad prize :-) There was an interesting variety of things, everything from singing traditional Slovak Christmas carols, to playing scenes from the "Sister Act" movies, to imitating the Spice Girls and characters from Baywatch. I'm not really sure if Baywatch or the Spice Girls are very "Christmasy," but it was entertaining anyway. I got to put in a vote for the winner, and they made Mirka and I go up onto the stage and announce the winner! I think the students liked me more after I told them that they could have a free day off from school! Through the school I was also invited to the staff banquet. It turned out to be quite nice, and at a fancier restaurant, and the food was fantastic! I really enjoyed working with the teachers from Obchodna Akademia, even though I couldn't speak to most of them. I was taking Slovak language lessons from one of the lower-level English teachers, and she was enthusiastic about baking me Slovak Christmas cookies. She gave me a LARGE bag full, very sweet.

I also spent some time before Christmas with my friend Beata (the other English teacher I work with) and her family. Beata enjoys Christmas, but doesn't really care about decorating...SO I volunteered to decorate her Christmas tree for her and she agreed! I spent the evening decorating their tree with her older son Stanko (age 7), and we also decorated his little tree in the boys' room. Her younger son Marek (age 3) came back the next morning and we had tea and chocolate cakes together. I also spent time at Beata's sister's house. Edita and her family have also been really sweet and welcoming, so I was happy to celebrate with them too. I got in a little food preparation for their Christmas dinner, and of course we had a few glasses of plum brandy (Slivovica, traditional Slovak drink). We also watched "Home Alone" dubbed in Slovak, and I helped her two younger kids give the family dog (Roni) a bath. Not the first thing I imaginaed myself doing in Slovakia on Christmas, but it turned out to be pretty fun!

I spent Christmas Eve at the center with the residents and nurses. We had a special Christmas Eve service in the center before dinner. The chapel room was decorated with a big tree, loaded with gold tinsel. There was also a big nativity scene at the front, along with lit wooden window hangings in each window. Very pretty, and we sang "Silent Night" in Slovak! I sang part in English for tradition's sake, and attempted the rest in Slovak. After church we had a big dinner together. Almost all of the residents came down to the dining room to be together, even the ones who usually choose to stay in their rooms for meals. It is Slovak tradition to have fish for their Christmas meal, because they aren't supposed to eat meat at all on Christmas day. We also had special waffles with honey (not like ours, but crispy, thin and stiff with cream in the middle. We had warm grape juice and there were baskets of fruit everywhere! Potato salad (pretty similar to ours) is also a traditional Christmas food here. After dinner I said goodnight to the residents and went to visit a few of my favorites and spend some time with them. I visited the room of two sisters, Emilia and Judita, and they offered me many treats and cakes as I tried to have another Slovak conversation with them. These two are amazing, and I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing about their family. They asked if I liked the Christmas service earlier that night and I told them I did. Then Judita just randomly started singing "Silent Night" in Slovak, and Emilia joined in. It was really amazing, and I eventually joined in and sang along with them in English. I think this was my favorite thing I did this Christmas!

I eventually hung out with Zuza at the end of the night. We exchanged gifts we watched fairy tales (one similar to Cinderella that's really famous in Slovakia). Watching Christmas movies (either American or Czech usually), Slovak or Czech fairytales, and other random movies (Finding Nemo is popular for Christmas time) is a big Christmas tradition here. I didn't even realize how many different ways I celebrated Christmas this year until I started writing these blogs...all in all it was a pretty wonderful and unique holiday season!!

For our December newsletter, we were supposed to ask ourselves, “Where is God in the midst of the particularities of our communities?“ During Christmas time, a time of preparing, waiting, and hoping, I see God in the special energy of this holiday. Christmas is an exciting time of year, no matter who you are or what culture you’re from, and Slovakia is no exception. I see God in the happiness of Christmas decorating, the fellowship of the special Advent services, the children’s smiles from Mikulas chocolates, the readiness to watch Slovak fairytales, and the happiness in spending time with friends and family. I had a wonderful holiday season here, and I send you belated wishes for the same: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Vesely Vianoce a Stastny Novy Rok!

God Bless,
Ashley