tree is standing, lights the candles and rings a little bell. Then the children are allowed to go into the candlelit room. In many families it is still customary to sing Christmas songs around the tree before opening the presents. Some families attend a midnight church service, , after the evening meal and gift-giving. The culinary feast either takes place at supper on Christmas Eve or on the first day of Christmas. Traditions vary from region to region; carp is eaten in many parts of the country. Potato salad with frankfurter or wiener sausages is popular in some families. Another simple meal which some families favor, especially in regions where Christmas Eve still has the character of a fast day, is vegetable or pea soup. In some regions, especially in Schleswig-Holstein where Danish influence is noticeable, a roasted duck or goose filled with plums, apples and raisins is family tradition. In other regions, especially in Mecklenburg and Pomerania, many families prefer kale with boiled potatoes, special sausages and ham. Many families have developed new traditions for themselves and eat such meals as meat fondue or raclette. Many families in all parts of Germany bake a wide variety of Christmas cookies according to recipes typical for the family and the region. describes the hunting and forestry custom of providing a Christmas tree with food decorated for animals. Czech Republic and Slovakia Christmas Eve (December 24) is celebrated as /, which means 'Generous Day', and gifts are given in the evening. December 25 and 26 are public holidays in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, but / (Christmas) is most commonly associated with the 24th. According to tradition, gifts are brought by /, or 'Baby Jesus'. Fish soup and breaded roasted carp with special homemade potato salad are a traditional dish for the dinner. In Slovakia, before eating, everyone exchanges Christmas greetings with each other by sharing a piece of Christmas wafer () with honey and walnuts. The components of a traditional dinner depend on the region, but one common Christmas dinner is cabbage soup () or lentil soup and breaded roasted carp with homemade potato salad or handmade gnocchi with poppy (). The gifts are surreptitiously placed under the Christmas tree (usually a spruce or pine and lately fir), usually just before or during dinner. Children have to wait for the ringing of a Christmas bell, one of the decorations on