In the last book from the series titled “How celebrations were once held” by author Rastislava Stoličná, young readers will learn about holidays that were a natural part of people’s lives a hundred years ago. These holidays were not only related to significant life events like weddings or the birth of a child. A century ago, people’s lives in the countryside were much more connected to nature, as their livelihoods depended on it. Therefore, various customs were associated with different phases of agricultural and pastoral life, many of them linked to entertainment and celebrations. Winter was bid farewell by burning “Morena,” spring was welcomed by walking with a “letečko” (green decorated branch), May was celebrated by erecting Maypoles in front of the homes of their loved ones, fires were lit for St. John’s Day, harvest festivities were held to celebrate a bountiful harvest, and when winter came, many customs were associated with superstitions or tied to religious holidays. In the last part of the book, the author explores embroidery, lace making, jewelry making, and gingerbread baking.

Editorial supervision: Diana Némethová

Published by the Centre for Folk Art Production in Bratislava, a state-endowed organization established by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic in 2020.