Word of President of Slovak Garden

Christmas Dinner on December 10, 2016

Slovak Day in March 2017

Slovak President Michal Kovac dies

News from Slovakia

Slovak Recipes , Healthy Tips, Sport

FLORIDIAN SLOVAK

FLORIDSKÝ SLOVÁK Established in March 1952 www.slovak-garden.com Winter issue 2016

Winter 2016

It’s Christmas Time

Merry Christmas

Everybody

2

Floridian Slovak

President’s Corner

The warm days of

early fall are being

replaced by the cool

temperatures leading

into winter.

The grass has stopped growing so fast, the air

conditioners are silent and our attention is now

on the coming holidays and a new year.

Thanksgiving day has passed and the left over

turkey is finally gone also and we look forward

to Christmas. The traditional Christmas Eve

Dinner will be observed on December 10, 2016

from 2 to 6 P.M in the small social hall.

I am pleased to announce that the dinner will be

prepared by our resident, Jaroslava Slavikova

who also prepared the October Fest dinner. Jara

demonstrated her cooking and baking talents

much to the pleasure of those in attendance.

Thank you Jara for the finest dinner we have

had in a long time.

I must emphasize the importance of calling and

making reservations for our dinners. Unfortu-

nately, we were unable to accommodate several

members who arrived without reservations.

Please call in reservations for the Christmas

dinner.

The Officers and Board of Directors of the

Slovak Garden extend wishes to our mem-

bers for a Merry Christmas and a Happy

New Year

Chladnejšie dni prichádzajúcej zimy nahradili

príjemné teplé dni jesene.

Tráva prestala rásť, airconditioners utíchli a

naša pozornosť je teraz namierená na prichádza-

júce sviatky a nový rok.

Deň vďaky vzdania ktorý poznáme pod menom

Thanksgiving Day uz prešiel, zbytky morky sú

dojedené a teraz sa začíname tešiť na Vianoce.

Každoročný tradičný vianočný obed sa bude

konať 10. decembra 2016 v malej spoločenskej

hale.

S potešením oznamujem, že obed pripraví naša

rezidentka Jaroslava Sláviková, ktorá pripravila

Octoberfest obed. Jarka mala možnosť ukázať

jej vlohy a nadanie vo varení aj v pečení, ktoré

ocenili všetci prítomní.

Srdečná vďaka Jarka za pripravenie skutočne

chutného obeda, snáď najchutnejšieho za

posledné roky.

Musím upozorniť na doležitosť volania vopred a

rezervácie každého obeda. Bohužial, naposledy

sme neboli schopní podať obed všetkým ktorí

prišli na obed bez rezervácie.

Prosíme každého kto plánuje prísť na Christ-

mas dinner, aby zavolal office a rezervoval si

Vianočný obed.

CELÉ VEDENIE SLOVENSKEJ ZÁ-

HRADY ŽELÁ NAŠÍM ČLENOM VESELÉ

VIANOCE A ŠŤASTNÝ NOVÝ ROK!

Preložila Maria Krupa

President’s Corner

3

Floridian Slovak

Slovak Christmas Traditions

Slovakia is a country of fascinating traditions. It’s sur-

prising how many variations you can find within such a

small country. I would say our habits don’t vary based

only on the regions, but every family has its special way

of celebrating the Christmas. What’s common for all the

people is that the whole family meets behind one table

and enjoy this special day together.

You would say that Christmas starts on 24/25 Dec. But

that’s not entirely true for Slovakia. Because most of the

Slovaks are Christians, our Christmas starts 4 weeks ago,

to be more exact 4 Sundays before the actual Christmas

eve. This period is called Advent. Advent is a season ob-

served in many Western Christian churches as a time of

expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of

the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version

of the Latin word meaning “coming”.

During this period we prepare various Christmas decora-

tions we will use later, bake gingerbread and other types

of pastry, deep-clean houses (traditional period of clean-

ing windows and curtains :p ) and if you are a true Chris-

tian believer you also go to church to get confession, so

you can welcome baby Jesus with a clean soul. All the

parties, weddings, big celebrations are postponed during

this expectation period. There are of course some excep-

tions to this rule. Very typical for this period is so-called

Advent calendar or Advent wreath. Most of the time it is

a wreath decorated with 4 candles. Every Sunday prior to

the Xmas Eve, for the period of the 4 following Sundays,

one candle is burned.

It’s also the time when cities and towns start to prepare

for Christmas. They put on decoration, Christmas light-

ing and organize Christmas markets. December is a very

cold month and you need some mulled wine and warm

punch to keep yourself fit. It also gets dark pretty early,

so nice afternoon walk through the Christmas market

with all those lights and some nice booze will set you

into the mood for some Xmas shopping.

Slovak Christmas lasts three days. We celebrate from

24th until 26th . We also receive our presents at 24th, on

the Christmas Eve after the dinner. Tradition is that we

build up our Christmas tree on 23th Dec, but these days

everybody is busy and people build up the tree usually

the weekend before Christmas Eve. Some families with

small kids build up their trees on the night from 23rd to

24th. So when the children wake up in the morning they

have a special surprise from Baby Jesus. And yeah, our

gifts get delivered by the baby Jesus, not by the Santa

Claus And yes, none of the kids ever questioned the fact

how can a baby deliver the presents. It’s all just part of

the Christmas magic.

There is one more thing you can’t forget before the

Christmas Eve. Buy a carp. Carp is a traditional fish we

eat on Christmas. But it’s a tradition, not an obligation. A

lot of people end up eating a different kind of fish. Before

Christmas, you can buy live carp in a lot of supermarkets

and on open door markets. You bring this poor thing

home and keep it in your bath until the dinner time. Your

kids get excited from new fish and they name little

“Nemo”. They take baths together, feed it until one day

little Nemo gets cooked and served

24th

December – Christmas Eve: It’s my most favorite

day of the whole year. Since morning mums are busy in

the kitchen cooking Christmas soup – kapustnica and

making the mayonnaise potato salad. There are many

variations to the soup. Some people make mushroom

soup other make sour lentil soup. Rest of the family ei-

ther help or just fool around and try to find something

yummy to eat. You are not supposed to eat the whole

day, so you can enjoy the Christmas dinner (See the gold-

en pig). But with all that cooking you usually grab little

something to eat anyway. TV is full of Christmas movies

and radio plays Christmas songs all day long. Christmas

4

Floridian Slovak

Eve is celebrated together with the family. Parents,

grandparents, kids, uncles, cousins will sit behind one

table and enjoy this special feast.

Generally, our Christmas dinner consists of some starter,

soup made of cabbage and mushroom and fish with a

mayonnaise potato salad. It’s food that gets cooked only

once a year and everyone looks forward to it. These din-

ners and recipes have many variations, depends on the

region and family traditions.

Some of the families set one extra plate on the table for

all the loved who are not among us anymore. Some put

coins under the plates on the table, to have prosperous

next year. Other families cut and share an apple, so they

can meet in like this again. Some families pray, some

don’t.

Back in the days, people were more superstitious and fol-

lowed more traditions. On Christmas night, you could

predict who will die or if someone in the family gets mar-

ried. Also, the dinner looked differently. In the poorer

regions, it consisted of the simple soup, richer people also

got fish on their tables. Only the kids in the richest fami-

lies received gifts.

After the dinner head of the family (usually the father/

grandfather) goes to the living room where it’s the Christ-

mas tree. Everyone else waits until the head of the family

puts the gifts under the tree. Then he rings the bell and

the rest of the family is allowed to enter the room as well.

Then we open our presents. People with older kids who

grew up from the baby Jesus phenomena arrange the gifts

under the tree before the dinner, so they have less work

later.

Rest of the evening we spend talking, having deserts,

watching TV and just enjoying each other company. Kids

spend their evening playing with new toys. Some people

go to the church at midnight so they can sing together

beautiful Christmas songs.

25th

December – Christmas Day: Everybody gets up

late after the night full of digesting that yummy food

from last night dinner. Nobody hurries up. Today it’s the

day you visit your families and friends, come together an

wish each other Merry Christmas.

In villages, groups of youngsters get together, dress up in

folk costumes and walk around the village and sing

Christmas songs and wishes. They stop in every village

house where they get treated with pastry, lot of food and

tapas and of course alcohol. Many people also go to

church again. They pray together and celebrate that Baby

Jesus got born.

26th

December – Second Christmas Day: The second

Christmas Day is very familiar to the first one. We most-

ly spend it with families and friends, finishing all the

food from the Christmas Eve. The biggest difference is,

that the ban of the parties is lifted. In many cities and vil-

lages, St. Stephan parties are organized.

Personal experience: Since I live abroad, I don’t get to

see my family that often as I would like to. That’s why

are these traditions and moments with loved ones so pre-

cious to me. On 24th Dec my parents cook together the

Christmas dinner. We have cabbage soup with forest

mushroom and pork sausage. We don’t eat carp, rather

have fillets. It’s my job to prepare the Christmas table, we

always use special dishes, napkins, etc. I hide coins under

each plate to make sure we all be rich next year (never

works, but it’s a cute tradition). Dinner starts with a pray-

er, after which we all eat a piece of garlic that is sup-

posed to keep us a healthy whole year. After that, we

have special round wafers with honey. That one is fol-

lowed by the soup and then fish with the salad.

After the dinner, my dad goes to the living room to open

the window for the baby Jesus and once the baby leaves

we can come in and open the presents. Following days,

we spend visiting families and friends and celebrating

together. I always get like 5 extra kg from all the “super

healthy” food, but I would never change a thing!

Merry Christmas everybody!

5

Floridian Slovak

The Board of Directors

of The Slovak Garden Inc.

would like to invite you to the

CHRISTMAS DINNER December 10, 2016

2:00 PM Small Social Hall

Traditional Slovak Christmas dinner

Sourkraut soup, Fried fish, Potato salad,

Bobalky, Slovak kolače

$15.00 per person

For reservation call: 4076776894

slovakgarden@centurylink.net

6

Floridian Slovak

Vianoce na Slovensku

Vianoce sú výnimočné sviatky na Slovensku a ich

oslavovanie je spojené s mnohými tradíciami. Už

niekoľko týždňov pred Vianocami sú obchody, mes-

tá a dediny vyzdobené vianočnou výzdobou,

stromčekmi, rôznymi svetielkami a dekoráciami.

Obchody a obchodno - zábavné centrá lákajú zá-

kazníkov k nakupovaniu darčekov. Niekoľko dní

pred Vianocami sa vo viacerých mestách konajú vi-

anočné trhy, na ktorých sa predávajú vianočné

ozdoby, občerstvenie, vianočné oblátky, medovina,

rôzne drobnosti a výrobky domácich remeselníkov.

Svoje domácnosti si ľudia vyzdobujú niekoľko dní

pred Vianocami, v žiadnej domácnosti nechýba

počas sviatkov umelý alebo živý vianočný stromček.

Živé stromčeky sa dajú zakúpiť na mestských

trhoviskách. V predaji sú jedličky, smreky, bo-

rovice. Ľudia si stromčeky ozdobujú sladkosťami,

ozdobami a svetlami. Vianoce začínajú vždy 24.12.

Tento deň sa na Slovensku nazýva Štedrý deň.

Počas dňa sa pripravuje večera, dopekajú sa vi-

anočné koláčiky, dokončuje sa vianočná výzdoba.

Večer sa rodina stretáva pri večeri, ktorá je hlavným

bodom dňa. Kresťanské rodiny sa pred večerou

spoločne pomodlia, pretože Vianoce sú význam-

ným kresťanským sviatkom.

Na večeru sa podáva vianočná oblátka s medom, v

niektorých rodinách ju jedia aj s cesnakom, aby boli

celý rok zdraví. Zvykne sa podávať aj ovocie,

najčastejšie jablko rozdelené pre všetkých po kúsku.

Nasleduje polievka, v rôznych regiónoch sa podáva

iný druh, niekde je to hrachová polievka, niekde vi-

anočná kapustnica, niekde fazuľová či šošovicová

polievka alebo ich kombinácia. Ďalší chod svi-

atočnej vianočnej večere tvorí ryba a zemiakový

majonézový šalát. Ryba sa podáva väčšinou

vyprážaná alebo upečená, na stoloch bývajú filety z

rýb alebo kapor. Veľa domácností si kupuje pred

Vianocami živého kapra, ktorých predávajú

v obchodoch len v predvianočnom čase. Potom sa

podávajú opekance, niekde nazývané pupáčky,

s makom alebo tvarohom. Po večeri si členovia

rodiny rozbaľujú pod stromčekom darčeky, ktorými

sa vzájomne obdarovali. Najväčšiu radosť z tejto

časti Štedrého večera majú deti. Pokiaľ sú menšie,

myslia si, že darčeky nosí pod stromček Ježiško.

Keď sú väčšie, zistia, že ich obdarovávajú rodičia

a príbuzní, ale radosť z darčekov to nezmenší. Po

večeri rodina spoločne trávi čas, jedáva sa ovocie,

koláčiky a rôzne vianočné pečivo. Typický vianočný

koláč sa nazýva štedrák alebo skladaník, je to koláč,

ktorý sa skladá z makovej, orechovej, lekvárovej

a tvarohovej vrstvy.

Kresťania začínajú oslavovať vianočné sviatky

polnočnou svätou omšou alebo prichádzajú do

vyzdobených kostolov na druhý deň 25.12., ktorý sa

nazýva prvý sviatok vianočný. Druhý sviatok vi-

anočný je 26.12., rodina trávi čas spolu, navštevujú

sa rodiny, priatelia, veľa sa sleduje aj tele-

vízia, pretože sa vysiela bohatá ponuka vianočných

filmov, najmä rozprávok. Veľa ľudí na Slovensku

trávi Vianoce a najmä obdobie medzi Vianocami

a Novým rokom na horách, na chatách a v hoteloch.

Deti majú počas vianočných sviatkov prázdniny,

Vianoce sú na Slovensku štátnym sviatkom.

7

Floridian Slovak

The Board of Directors of The Slovak Garden Would Like to Invite you to the

65th Annual Slovak Day 65. Slovenský Deň

at The Slovak Garden Saturday, March 4th, 2017

Starting at 12:00 PM Slovak home made food will be served at 1:00 PM

Full Bar Available | Special Slivovica PLEASE MAKE EARLY RESERVATION

Entertainment—Live Music The Annual Convention will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2017. The Slovak Catholic Mass (Priest: Jozef

Krajnak) starts at 10 AM. The registration for the convention will start at 11 AM on the premises. All members who intend to vote will need to register between 11 and 12 PM. Meeting will start at 1 PM

Early Registration (Prepay by Feb 26th, 2016): $25.00 / At the Door: $30.00 Kids 10 and Under: $10.00

Ticket includes Entry, Main Meal, Entertainment For more information and reservations please contact Slovak Garden:

Telephone: 407-677-6894 Email: slovakgarden@centurylink.net

or www.slovak-garden.com

8

Floridian Slovak

The Slovak Garden

A HOME FOR AMERICAN SLOVAKS

3110 Howell Branch Rd. # 100

Winter Park, FL 32792

* For regular and life membership Phone: (407) 677-6894 Receipt #____________

proof of Slovak descent required

** For life membership, 2 consecutive years of regular membership required Card #____________

Please enroll me as a _________________member. My check for $ ______________________is enclosed.

*[] Regular member - $ 15.00 [] Associate member - $ 15.00

[] Corporate member - $ 20.00 **[] Life member - $150.00

[] Corporate life $120.00 [] Youth member - $ 1.00

My name is : ____________________________ Maiden name :_____________ Age :_____

Address _______________________________________________________________________________ STREET AND NUMBER CITY STATE ZIP CODE

Home phone:___________________________Name of Slovak parent/grandparent: ________________

Occupation:________________________________ Knowledge of Slovak language in %______________

Date:______________________ ___________________________________________ SIGNATURE

Apartments for rent at

the Slovak Garden

One bedroom apartments $433.00 per month

Two bedroom, one bath apar tments, pool-side

$526.00 per month

Two bedroom, one and half baths apartments

$644.00 per month

A minimum lease of twelve months is required.

*Water and electricity are not included*

For additional information please call or log on our

web page.

Tel: (407) 677 - 6894 Fax: (407) 677 - 8442

slovakgarden@centurylink.net

www.slovak-garden.com

Aplicants must be Slovaks

and at least 55 years old

Slovak Garden Annual Scholarship Award

A scholarship fund of $1000 will be distributed among

three winning candidates. Those eligible to participate

must be high school or college students. The applicants

must be members or have parents who are members of

the Slovak Garden. To be eligible, the applicant must

submit an essay of approximately 760-1000 words,

double spaced, typewritten, single sheets of paper on

one of the following topics.

1 The History of Slovak Garden

2 Slovaks living in Florida

3 Slovak Immigration to the United States

The essay must contain a bibliography

The Authors name may appear only on the Cover sheet

The Author must submit the original and two copies of

the essay

The essay should be submitted before February 15,

2017 to:

The Slovak Garden, Inc. Scholarship committee

3110 Howell Branch Road, #100

Winter Park, FL 32792

9

Floridian Slovak

2016/2017 Slovak Garden’s

Social Events

December 10, 2016 (Saturday) 2-6 P.M.

Christmas Dinner

Let us celebrate Christmas. Traditional Slovak

Christmas food. Sauerkraut soup, fried fish,

bobalky. $15.00 per person. For reservation call

4076776894 or email to:

slovakgarden@centurylink.net

March 4, 2017 (Saturday), 12P.M.

65th Annual Slovak Day at The Slovak Gar-

den

Good Slovak home made food. Cultural pro-

gram, live music

Admission $30.00

March 5, 2017 (Sunday), 11:00A.M.

Membership meeting starting with Slovak Mass

May 13, 2017 (Saturday), 1-4 P.M

Mother’s and Father’s Day Lunch

We celebrate our Mothers and Fathers Slovak-American Food. Sodas, beer, wine available

All members and friends are invited

July 4, 2017 (Tuesday), 2-4 P.M.

Independence Day BBQ

All tenants and members are invited.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas, beer, available

SLOVAKFEST 2016

10

Floridian Slovak

Michal Kovac, first president of independent

Slovakia, dies at 86

The first president of independent,

post-communist Slovakia, Michal

Kovac, died on Wednesday, Octo-

ber 5, 2016 aged 86 after suffering

from Parkinson's disease, Presi-

dent Andrej Kiska said. Kovac, an

economist and banker, was elected

by lawmakers after the amicable

break-up of Czechoslovakia in

1993, four years after the Velvet

Revolution toppled socialism. He

became a symbol of resistance to authoritarian Prime

Minister Vladimir Meciar. Under Meciar's rule Slovakia

rejected an initial invitation to join the EU and NATO

along with its central European post-communist neigh-

bors, and Madeleine Albright, then U.S. Secretary of

State, called the country "the black hole of Europe". The

animosity between Kovac and Meciar escalated in 1995

over the kidnapping of the president's son, at that time

subject to an international arrest warrant for financial

crimes, allegedly by the secret service that Meciar con-

trolled. The kidnapping of Kovac's son and his removal

to Austria was never fully investigated, as Meciar pro-

claimed an amnesty on all crimes linked to the event af-

ter taking over as acting president when Kovac's term

expired in 1998. A police investigation hinted at the se-

cret service's involvement in the case, but the probe was

interrupted when Meciar issued the amnesty. Kovac

spent the last few months of his presidency in sight of a

giant clock - installed by Meciar's party at a building

facing the presidential palace - counting down his re-

maining time in office. Meciar was only in power for a

few months. His party lost its majority in a 1998 election

and was ousted by a center-right, center-left coalition led

by Mikulas Dzurinda, putting the country back on track

to join the EU and NATO in 2004. "Kovac was a key

partner for foreign diplomats during Meciar's authoritari-

an rule so that they didn't completely shut Slovakia out.

He has always emphasized Slovakia's place in the EU,"

said Marian Lesko, a columnist at the Trend weekly.

"Kovac's presidency was a time when a ruthless and

brutal fight was being fought for the character and

future of Slovakia ... He helped keep Slovakia on the

path that eventually led to the European family of

free nations and states," President Andrej Kiska said

in a statement.

Slovensko sa rozlučilo s Michalom Kováčom

Slovensko sa vo štvrtok

13. oktobra rozlúčilo s

prvým prezidentom

Slovenskej republiky

Michalom Kováčom. V

Rytierskej sále

Bratislavského hradu

kondolovali pozostalým

rodinní hostia a štátnici. Vdove Emílii Kováčovej

kondolovali bývalí prezidenti SR Rudolf Schuster a Ivan

Gašparovič, bývalý a súčasný českí prezidenti Václav

Klaus a Miloš Zeman a najvyšší ústavní činitelia

Slovenska. Rakvu s pozostatkami viezli na lafete. Čestná

stráž sa s prezidentom rozlúčila so všetkými poctami:

zaznela hymna, minúta ticha aj salvy z nábrežia Dunaja.

Rakvu previezli do Dómu sv. Martina v civilnom

pohrebnom aute kde bola zádušná omša za zosnulého

prezidenta Kováča. Na Rudnayovom námestí, kde

niekoľko desiatok ľudí sledovalo prenos omše na

veľkoplošnej obrazovke, sa počas omše ľudia modlili a

podávali si ruky. Po príhovore prezidenta Andreja Kisku,

Kováčovho poradcu Pavla Demeša a Kováčovho

nevlastného brata Dušana Kováča ľudia tlieskali.

Prezident Andrej Kiska vystúpil s prejavom pred

smútiacimi hosťami. „Zišli sme sa tu, aby sme pánovi

prezidentovi vzdali úctu. Trúfam si povedať že v krátkej

histórii SR nemusel nikto robiť také ťažké rozhodnutia

ako Michal Kováč.“ Je pravdou, že zlo, s ktorým

bojoval, sme politicky porazili. Ako spoločnosť sme sa

s týmto zlom ale nedokázali vyrovnať. Únos

prezidentovho syna, vražda dôležitého svedka a mnohé

ďalšie zločiny, krivdy a neprávosti zostali nepotrestané,

pripomenul súčasný prezident. Prezident Kiska si myslí,

že naša povinnosť vyrovnať sa so zlom spred dvoch

desaťročí naďalej trvá. "Sme povinní vyrovnať sa s touto

kapitolou histórie Slovenskej republiky nielen preto,

lebo to dlhujeme prezidentovi Michalovi Kováčovi. Ale

preto, lebo to dlhujeme sami sebe, svojej krajine, našej

spoločnosti,“ vyzval prezident v príhovore. Pochovali ho

na Ondrejskom cintoríne v kruhu najbližšej rodiny.

11

Floridian Slovak

Bratislava Castle will host Christmas market too

The traditional Christmas markets in the city centre

will be open until December 18

In addition to Bratislava’s historical centre, a Christ-

mas market will be held at Bratislava Castle as well

this year, with the Parliament Office organizing an

event entitled Advent at the Castle for the first time.

The event is aimed at creating a new tradition in the

capital. “Castles and squares in big cities around the

world are always vivid; they’re always filled not on-

ly with a rich cultural life but also a rich social life,”

wrote Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko in a

press release as cited by the TASR newswire. The

castle is administered by the Slovak parliament.

Danko said that he is glad that the castle and its

courtyard would be not empty during the pre-

Christmas period. The Speaker of Parliament will

ceremonially open the market on the first Sunday of

Advent, November 27, along with Parliament Office

head Daniel Guspan and Bratislava Mayor Ivo

Nesrovnal. The opening ceremony will feature the

lighting up of the Christmas tree in front of the par-

liamentary building. Advent at the Castle will in-

clude a live nativity scene, music, decorations, cul-

tural events and traditional Slovak Christmas food

and drinks. The event will run until December 18

The traditional Christmas markets at the Main and

Hviezdoslavovo squares will start on November 18

with the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas trees.

News from Slovakia

Slovakia is the second most corrupt coun-

try in Europe, a report shows

The World Economic Forum has published its annu-

al index of corruption as part of the report about

global competitiveness. The World Economic Forum

annually assesses the competitive landscape of 138

economies. While Slovakia ended 65th in the Glob-

al Competitiveness Index, up from 67th position one

year ago, it is the second most corrupt country in

Europe, the website of the Hospodárske Noviny dai-

ly points out. The conclusions of the Global Com-

petitiveness Report 2016-2017 are based on surveys

held among 15,000 leading managers from assessed

countries collected between February and June of

this year. The corruption index is based on answers

to questions related to areas of diversion of public

funds, public trust in politicians and irregular pay-

ments and bribes. In Europe, Slovakia

and the Ukraine share the second worst position in

the corruption index where they both have a score of

2.72. Only one European country had a worse score

– Moldova – 2.36. All other members of the Vise-

grad Group scored more: Hungary 3.16,

which secured it seventh position. The Czech Re-

public with a score of 3.33 shares the ninth place

with Albania. Poland is 14th with a score of 3.7. Fin-

land was first with a score of 6.3. The country report

for Slovakia shows that corruption, tax rates and in-

efficient government bureaucracy are the three most

problematic factors for doing business in Slovakia.

Christmas market at Main Square

12

Sport

Floridian Slovak

Neuveriteľný Sagan obhájil titul majstra sveta!

Majstrom sveta v cyklistických pretekoch s hromadným

štartom mužov sa v katarskej Dauhe stal Peter Sagan,

ktorý obhájil svoj titul z vlaňajšieho šampionátu v

americkom Richmonde. Skvelým finišom Sagan

predstihol všetkých papierových favoritov spomedzi

klasických šprintérov vrátane Brita Marka Cavendisha,

ktorý získal striebro. Tretí skončil Belgičan Tom

Boonen. Preteky mužskej kategórie elite, ktoré sa jazdili

v úmornej horúčave, napokon zostali v nezmenenej

dĺžke, čiže s poriadnou porciou 257,5 km. Sagan bol

súčasťou silnej 25-člennej skupiny, ktorá sa

vyprofilovala pri presune pelotónu z púštnej časti

pretekov do Dauhy. V najlepšej skupine nechýbal ani

ďalší slovenský reprezentant Michael Kolář, ktorý

napokon obsadil 19. priečku s odstupom 13 sekúnd. Juraj

Sagan prišiel

do cieľa

na

39. mieste s mankom 5:26 min.

„Stále som v šoku, nemôžem tomu uveriť. Som

mimoriadne šťastný. V pretekoch to vôbec nebolo

jednoduché, mal som namále. Bol som posledným, ktorý

chytil čelnú skupinu, čo bolo v konečnom dôsledku

rozhodujúce. V záverečnom šprinte som pocítil silný

protivietor a do poslednej chvíle som si hľadal pozíciu,

keďže bol predo mnou Talian Nizzolo. Napokon som sa

po pravej strane dostal pred neho, ale bolo to veľmi

Brilliant Cibulkova Stuns Kerber To Win

WTA Finals

Dominika Cibulkova wrote the final chapter of a fairytale

season, upsetting World No.1 Angelique Kerber to win

the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC

Global.

One week on from a painful opening night defeat to Ker-

ber, Cibulkova gained revenge in spectacular fash-

ion, powering to a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 16

minutes. "I have no words, coming here for the first time,

the biggest tournament of my life. I still don't know how I

won, I put the ball over the net and it went in; it's the hap-

piest moment of my life," Cibulkova said in her on-court

interview.

"It wasn't easy to go on the court after two losses but I

was mentally very strong and I knew I played well in the

first two matches, I was just a little bit unlucky. Then at

the end I was lucky!"

The masterclass - which featured 28 winners and only 14

unforced errors - was a fitting end to a dramatic debut at

the WTA Finals. After falling in three sets to Kerber in

her opening round-robin match, she was roundly beaten

by Madison Keys to leave her hopes hanging by a thread.

However, victory over Simona Halep in her third outing

saw her sneak into the semifinals, where she then staged

a brilliant comeback against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Cibulkova is the second player in a row after Agnieszka

Radwanska to win the WTA Finals after only one victory

in the three round-robin games. She is also the first debu-

tante to lift the title at the season-ending showpiece since

Petra Kvitova in 2011, and the achievement will see her

climb to a career-high No.5 when the new rankings are

released.

World tennis

13

Floridian Slovak

Health tips

Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

The holidays are synonymous with an abundance of

rich foods and overindulgence. Finding the right bal-

ance of comfort food, decadent desserts and healthy

recipes for every family member’s palette can be a

challenge; especially for caregivers balancing meals

for seniors and other family members.

November 1 through the New Year suggests

“holiday mode,” often accompanied by overeating

and stress — especially for the caregiver trying to

accommodate so many people. But finding the bal-

ance of joy and healthy habits is also a possibility

during the holidays.

Most people are unaware that we lose our taste buds

as we age. It becomes harder to taste spices and the

elements of the foods that we recognize, which can

make eating less enjoyable — and even become a

chore.

As this happens, foods may begin to lose their ap-

peal, which is why many people tend to lose their

appetites. So on top of dietary restrictions that go

with medical conditions, it’s more difficult for sen-

iors to satisfy their taste buds with the foods they

once loved and get the recommended healthy caloric

intake they need to thrive.

This can be especially challenging for caregivers

who are cooking for every family member and try to

balance healthy cooking with tasty meals.

The good news? There are ways to awaken every-

one’s taste buds without loading dishes with sugar,

salt and fat. Here are a few nutrition and healthy eat-

ing tips to make your family’s favorite holiday reci-

pes healthier, according to A Place for Mom’s nutri-

tion experts:

1. Provide a ‘touch’ of sweetness with natural spices

and ingredients. Reducing sugar by half of what

the regular recipe calls for and supplementing the

sweetness with citrus, vanilla, cinnamon or nut-

meg — whatever works best with the recipe — is

a an effective healthy, yet tasty, cooking best

practice. Even honey and molasses can be used to

add a touch of healthier sweetness to a favorite

dessert or holiday beverage. And fresh or un-

sweetened frozen fruit is a great way to add a lit-

tle natural sweetness, not to mention, presentation

appeal.

2. Substitute the fat with healthy alternatives. When

baking, unsweetened applesauce, mashed bana-

nas and prune puree can make a surprisingly de-

lightful substitute for fatty ingredients; just sub-

stitute half the fat with the desired substitute. In-

stead of using whole milk, use skim milk in des-

sert and drink recipes. There’s even a healthy al-

ternative for gravy. Heat fat-free, low-sodium

broth— or drippings with the fat removed — and

slowly add a concoction of mixed flour and cold

skim milk to the broth until desired thickness is

achieved. Season to your family’s liking.

3. Slash the salt with lower-sodium options. Substi-

tute salt with fresh herbs and flavored vinegars.

When it comes to sodium-heavy condiments,

such as mustard, pickles and ketchup, try fresh

tomatoes, salsas or cucumber slices. Sometimes

even lower-sodium versions of condiments are

available — you just have to be diligent about

checking the nutrition label when shopping.

14

Floridian Slovak

Ski Resorts in Slovakia

Jasna Low Tatras

The ski resort Jasná Nízke Tatry – Chopok is lo-

cated in the Low Tatras (Slovakia) in the Liptov

region, close to Liptovský Mikuláš in Demänovská

Dolina. It is surrounded by beautiful nature. The ski

resort Jasná Nízke Tatry has got the longest ski

slopes in Slovakia in 5 areas: Záhradky, Jasná, Otup-

né, Srdiečko and Kosodrevina. This ski resort hosts

the largest ski events in Slovakia. The center offers

perfect accommodation in hotels, guest houses and

apartments. For skiing and snowboarding, there

are 44.5 km of slopes and 4.5 km of ski

routes available.27 lifts transport the guests. The

winter sports area is situated between the elevations

of 943 and 2,004 m. The Jasná Nízke Tatry ski resort

provides access to the slopes of the Chopok moun-

tain. The northern and southern sides of the ski re-

sort were connected by modern gondola lifts before

the 2012/2013 season. Thanks to this infrastructure

investment, this winter sports area has become a

leading ski destination in Slovakia and is also gain-

ing recognition within Europe. Slopes of all difficul-

ty levels are provided for skiing and snowboarding.

The slopes on the Chopok are suitable for beginners

and families as well as for advanced skiers. With its

many marked freeride zones and a snow park, the

Jasná Nízke Tatry ski resort also offers something

for free riders and freestylers.

Tatranska Lomnica High Tatras

The ski resort Tatranská Lomnica is located in

the High Tatras (Slovakia). For skiing and snow-

boarding, there are 11.8 km of slopes and 0.4 km of ski

routes available. 8 liftstransport the guests. The winter

sports area is situated between the elevations of 888

and 2,190 m.The Tatranská Lomnica ski resort is locat-

ed in the High Tatras and offers beautiful slopes and

the most modern lifts. It is the highest ski resort in Slo-

vakia and includes a 6.5 km long slope from 2196 m

down to the base in Tatranská Lomnica. Families, chil-

dren and beginners will feel at home in Maxiland and

on the easy slopes. The Lomnický štít is the second

highest mountain in Slovakia (2634 m). A cable car

goes up from the ski resort, but there are no slopes

leading down from Lomnický štít.

Donovaly Dream Park

The ski resort Donovaly (Park Snow) is located in

the Banská Bystrica Region(Slovakia). For skiing

and snowboarding, there are 11 km of

slopes available. 16 liftstransport the guests. The win-

ter sports area is situated between the elevations of 914

and 1,361 m. PARK SNOW Donovaly - marvelously

beautiful! Gorgeous slopes, excellent snow conditions

and the highest level of service will satisfy your re-

quirements. Pure skiing enjoyment is provided with a

total of 11 km of runs groomed daily that also have

snow-making capabilities. How about an exciting ses-

sion of flood lit night skiing or paragliding? Don't miss

out on the beautiful bird's eye view of the snowy

mountain panorama. The Riders Park lures freeriding

and freestyle fans with lots of rails, jumps and obstacle

elements that will give all board fans an ultimate kick.

Experience fantastic tobogganing fun or an unforgetta-

ble tobogganing adventure on the toboggan run in Do-

15

Floridian Slovak

Floridský Slovák — Floridian Slovak

Established in March of 1952

Official Publication of the Slovak Garden, Inc.

Annual subscription included in membership.

Proprietor and Publisher

The Slovak Garden, Inc.

3110 Howell Branch Road #100

Winter Park, Florida 32792 USA

www.slovak-garden.com our official Slovak Garden web page

slovakgarden@centurylink.net official email address of

the Slovak Garden, Inc.

Tel: 407 677 6894 Fax: 407 677 8442

President: Thomas Kravets Editor: Marcel Pechan

Newspaper committee: Jerry Krupa, Maria Krupa corrector

Slovak recipes

Jam Turnovers

(Lekvárove Taštičky)

Ingredients: frozen puff pastry sheet, 1 yolk,

plum or blueberry jam

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Lekvárove taštičky means “ jam sachets” , but these

are basically identical to turnovers. This pastry is

amazingly simple to make, assuming you start off

with frozen puff pastry sheets. We made them from

the same frozen dough that was used for the salt

sticks.

Take the puff pastry (lístkové cesto) sheet and roll it

out on a floured surface until you have a sheet few

millimeters thick. Take a sharp a knife and first

lightly mark the squares you want to cut out. Then

cut out pieces about 2 by 2 inches. Then place about

a teaspoon of jam in each piece. You can use blue-

berry jam (čučoriedkový lekvár) but supposedly

plum jam (slivkový lekvár) works the best.

Then make the sachets, or “little bags”, taštičky.

Fold the square over to make a triangle and push

shut with your finger. Or, fold one third of the

square over and the fold over again to make the rec-

tangular pieces. Take a pastry brush, and brush on

whisked yolk onto each. You want to use just the

yolk, since the whites would dry up the dough. Bake

at 400F for 15-20 minute

Hardest thing about making these jam turnovers was

resisting the temptation to eat them all.

Slovakcooking

Gloria Kravets's SauerKraut salad

(Šalat z Kyslej Kapusty)

2 pounds sauerkraut (well drained)

1/2 Cup chopped green pepper

1/2 Cup chopped onion

2 Cups chopped celery

1/2 Small jar pimentos (optional)

1/4 Teaspoon celery seed

Salt and Pepper

Boil 1, 1/2 Cup sugar and I cup water

until sugar is well dissolved

Pour over all ingredients except celery.

After well chilled, add celery

BON APETIT

16

THE SLOVAK GARDEN

A HOME FOR AMERICAN SLOVAKS, INC.

3110 Howell Branch Rd. #100

Winter Park, Florida 32792

www.slovak-garden.com

Winter Wishes

Happy New Year 2017