In much of Central Europe, Dec. 24 is a fasting day, broken with a festive Christmas Eve dinner. In Armenia, they sometimes fast for as long as three days. In some countries, children are told that if they hold the fast until dinnertime, they'll see a golden pig.
The food the fast is broken with varies from country to country. In the Czech Republic, the typical meal is fried carp with potato salad and fish soup. Some Central European countries serve porridge with mushrooms. Others serve lavish meals with as many as 12 dishes.
