Christmas Eve Dinner in Lithuania

The traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dinner is called “Kūčios” (Koo-chos) and it’s one of the most important holidays of the year.

The name Kūčios comes from the main dish of this celebration, which is intended for all family members and the souls of relatives. During the ritual evening dinner the first mouthful was dedicated to the souls and harvest gods. The kūčia dish was passed around the table and everybody had to taste it.

Kūčios dinner has to consist of 12 different dishes. They symbolise the 12 months of the year, and according to the Christian traditions the 12 Apostles of Jesus.

Dinner starts when the first star appears in the sky. The star leads the member of the family to the table for dinner. If it is a cloudy night, the evening meal begins when the head of the house announces it is time to eat. The meal usually begins between six and seven o’clock.

Before the meal starts, the family shares kalėdaitis. A plate with as many wafers as there are persons participating in the meal is placed in the center of the table.

The evening meal consists of very specific dishes. There can be no meat, dairy, or hot food. Typical dishes include fish, vegetables, and bread.

Silkė is a name for herring, a type of fish. The dish is served with different sauces. The sauces can be tomato, mushroom or onion based.

Other common dishes include boiled or baked potatoes, cranberry kissel, mushrooms, kūčiukai (bite-sized hard biscuits) with aguonpienis (a poppy seed “milk”), cranberry pudding, and multigrain breads with honey and margarine because butter is not allowed being a dairy product.

According to ethnologists, Kūčiukai is the archaic form of ritual bread, that is meant for the souls. They are so tiny because souls have no material bodies.

Leaving the table before everyone has finished eating is considered unlucky; the first to rise while another is still eating will be the first to die. The meal is eaten solemnly, there is little conversation or joking.

After the meal, everyone leaves the table to go to sleep or to the midnight mass, known as the Shepherds’ Mass. The food is left to stand overnight. It is believed that the spirits of deceased relatives or loved ones will visit the home during the night and the table set with food would make them feel welcome. It was believed that the baby Jesus allows the souls of all the departed to return to earth to visit their families.