Kūčios

Kūčios is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania. It is important that the Christmas Eve dinner include no meat dishes because it would then no longer be called Kūčios but an ordinary meal prepared for any other evening. Traditionally, people abstain from meat for the entire day. The number of dishes on the table has to be twelve, because that's how many months are in a year. Typical dishes include fish, vegetables, and bread. 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.