The most bizzare Slovak Christmas word is otiepka, the straw placed under the table. In some families, every member has to take one stalk and who gets the shortest one, will most probably die next year. Macabre!
In our family, to predict the future, only the cutting of an apple has been used.
See also: Hriatô
Michal Hvorecky 
Netter Artikel, ich werde wohlnun auch gleich mal weiter blättern hier. Bis dann.