Last week we kicked off December and the importance of Advent. This week is about Kūčios, the last day of Advent. For Kūčios families gather together for the evening on Christmas Eve. It is the combination of the new – Christian and old – Pagan traditions. The important point is that the pagan spirit of this feast does not confront with Christian philosophy.
You are not supposed to cook anything with meat or from animals except for fish. The meal includes 12different dishes, mainly made from different types of herring, potatoes, beets, and other vegetables. Herring (Silkė) is commonly cooked in different sauces.
The meal starts when the first stars can be seen in the night sky. If it’s cloudy, the head of the house decides when the meal will start! The wafers are offered to each person at the table for everyone to break off a piece. All of the wafers pieces must be eaten before the other dishes.
On December 7, vendors gathered at the Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore for the annual Christmas Bazaar where shoppers could buy essentials needed for (Kūčios) Including:
Kūčiukai- bite-sized hard biscuits pictured above
Kalėdaitis - wafers similar to those used in Catholic communion
Other food items were available for Christmas Day including:
Smoked meats
Viryta - traditional Lithuanian holiday drink
Sūris - fresh curd cheese
Šakotis - “branched tree,” resembling a pine tree with its iconic “branches” (spikes) and tree-ring layers inside
There were various other Lithuanian made and curated items including herbal products and candles, traditional straw ornaments, honey, and even a book by a Lithuanian Author.
So as we continue to count down the end of 2025, here are other December holidays you might want to celebrate:
December 8 - Bodhi Day, National Brownie Day, Winter Flowers Day
December 9 - International Anti-Corruption Day, International Day of Veterinary Medicine, National Pastry Day, Techno Day
December 10 - Dewey Decimal System Day, Human Rights Day, National Lager Day
December 11 - Have a Bagel Day, International Mountain Day, National Noodle Ring Day, National Tango Day
December 12 - Gingerbread House Day, Kanji-no-Hi, Miracle of the Roses, National Ambrosia Day, National Ding-a-Ling Day, Poinsettia Day, Yuletide Lads | Jólasveinar
December 13 - National Day Of The Horse, National Hot Cocoa Day | National Cocoa Day - National Popcorn String Day- National Violin Day, Santa Lucia Day | Little Yule
December 14 - Hug/Sock Day, Monkey Day | World Monkey Day, National Biscuits and Gravy Day, National Bouillabaisse Day, National Screwdriver Day, Roast Chestnuts Day
Let’s not forget
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Wonderfull look at how Kūčios blends Christian and pagan traditions! The detail about waiting for the first star to appear really captures how seasonal astronomy shaped pre-industrial meal timing. Funny coincidence that National Bouillabaisse Day (Dec 14) comes right after Kūčios because both traditions center around fish as the main protein.That same practicallity of seafood preservation drove coastal European food culture across different regions.
Wonderfull look at how Kūčios blends Christian and pagan traditions! The detail about waiting for the first star to appear really captures how seasonal astronomy shaped pre-industrial meal timing. Funny coincidence that National Bouillabaisse Day (Dec 14) comes right after Kūčios because both traditions center around fish as the main protein.That same practicallity of seafood preservation drove coastal European food culture across different regions.