Culture

=*Cultural Aspects of Slovakia*﻿ =
 * Beliefs:
 * **Marriage:**
 * **Slovaks believe in monogamy**
 * **Individuals are allowed to choose who they marry. However, marrying someone within the same religion is expected in most areas.**
 * **Religion: **
 * **Freedom of Religion **
 * **Abortion was legalized in 1986. **


 * Traditions:
 * **Christmas: **
 * **On Christmas Eve, families decorate their Christmas trees and then have dinner. **
 * **Before eating the main meal, families first break and share wafers. Dinner is then served, which usually consists of fish and other traditional Slovakian foods. **
 * **Baby Jesus places presents under the tree for the children on Christmas Eve. **
 * **In Slovakia, they do not have a Santa Claus. Instead, they have Father Frost. **
 * **On Christmas, which is the following two days, families spend time together. **
 * **Weddings: **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Before entering the reception, the bride and groom are greeted outside by all of their guests. The owner of the venue then breaks a plate and the bride and groom have to sweep up the pieces together to symbolize working together. The bride has to be careful because any pieces left over symbolize the children that her husband will have with a different woman.**
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Bridal Dance is a part of each reception. All of the guests stand in a circle around the bride and groom and take turns paying to dance with them. The money is placed in a pot that is covered so no one knows how much money is given. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**The Broom Dance occurs while a slow song is playing at the receptions. Couples are dancing and one man is dancing with a broom. When the music stops, the man must throw the broom to the floor, and each person must find a new dance partner. The person who ends up without a partner must dance with the broom.**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Societal Expectations:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Up until the second half of the 20th century, there was a division of labor by gender. Political, medical, religious, construction, architectural, engineering, managerial, and administrative jobs were for men. Women were allowed to teach, hold clerical positions, be nurses, work in sales, and have factory jobs. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Today, women are seen in almost every profession, but they are still expected to perform all of the child care in the home and basic maintenance of the home. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Children are expected to behave like miniature adults. They should be quiet, respectful, and attentive. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Children are given a substantial amount of chores as early as 7 years old.**
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">When talking, Slovaks stand 3 feet away from each other. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Upon greeting acquaintances or meeting someone new, both men and women shake right hands. When greeting or saying goodbye to a close friend or relative, both men and women kiss each other on both cheeks.**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Education:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The estimated adult literacy rate is 99%. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Students are enrolled in preschool and kindergarten from ages 3-6, but preschool is not required.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**From ages 6-15 children are in primary school.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**At age 15, students attend secondary school and are there until age 19.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Students then attend universities at age 19.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**There are a total of 13 universities in Slovakia.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**While in primary school, students go to school Monday through Friday and are off a few days for holidays throughout the year. Summer break begins around the 1st of July and lasts until August 31st.**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Language:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">As we previously learned, Slovak is the language spoken in Slovakia. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">You also saw the Slovak alphabet on a previous page. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Here are some common greeting words: **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dobry Den means good day **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dobre rano means good morning **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dobry vecer means good evening **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dovidenia means good-bye **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ajoh means hello **


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Religion:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">70-75 % of Slovaks are Christian, and 60.3% of these Slovaks are Roman Catholics. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Other religions include Lutheran, Orthodox Christian, and Judaism. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Slovaks that are affiliated with major religions worship in established churches or synagogues. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**Christians believe that the soul survives death and they bury the dead in cemetery plots, rather than cremating.**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">National Holidays:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Slovaks celebrate several holidays. Many of these holidays are associated with the Christian calendar and beliefs. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**January 1st: New Year's Day and Independence Day**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**January 6th: Epiphany**
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">A Christian holiday celebrated in most Catholic Communities. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**Boys dress up as the Magi and go in a procession from house to house.**
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">May 1st: Labor Day **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">May 8th: Slovak National Day **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">August 29th: National Uprising Day **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">December 24th: Christmas Eve **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">December 25th-26th: Christmas **


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Food:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Slovak food varies based on the region, but is usually based on soups, stewed and boiled vegetables, stewed fruits, smoked and roasted meats, and dairy dishes. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**One of the most popular Slovak dishes is called bryndzove halusky, which is sheep cheese with small dumplings**.
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">The most popular beverage is hot tea with sugar. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">In peasant households, 5 meals are eaten every day. One meal is eaten right after waking up, a snack is eaten around 10:00 A.M., another meal around noon, a snack around 4:00P.M., and supper is served later in the evening. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Hot soup is usually served first at the noon meal with meat dishes following. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**The evening meal is usually very light. Items such as bread, vegetables, and cheese are usually served.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**Bread is served with every meal.**
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Beer, wine, and carbonated water, and flavored sodas are usually served with meals.**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Music:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Modern Slovak music has drawn from both classical and folk styles. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Popular works in the 20th century come from Alexander Moyzes and the opera of Jan Cikker. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Today, music is a very important aspect of Slovakian culture. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**The Slovkian National Anthem is called Lightning Over the Tatras. Click here to listen: [|National Anthem]**


 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Sports:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In the summer, most people like to go to the lake to swim or sail boat. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In the winter, many people like to ski and snowboard. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Football is the most popular game in Slovakia. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Other popular games are ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, tennis, handball, and golf. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Slovakia has taken a part in the ice hockey world championship every year 1996 and have placed 3 different years. **

<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; overflow: hidden;">Art:
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Modra, in southwestern Slovakia, is a center for the production of ceramics that began in the 1600's and now exhibits folk-art form. **
 * **<span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">Painting, sculpting, wood carving, and glass making are popular. **
 * <span style="color: #db00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; overflow: hidden;">**A type of graphic art that involves wire and metal working was produced by Slovak tinkers.**
 * <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Information from: [|Slovakia Culture] **

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