Kucios talk on traditional Lithuanian divinations at the time of the Eve of Winter Solstice

Lithuanian people practiced many, many divinations and the following is a collection.
On Kūčios, as during many other Lithuanian feasts, people practiced divinations and wedding themes are common. Many of these rituals involve the maidens in the house. The following is a list of some of the many divination customs, Lithuanians performed on the Eve of Winter Solstice. There are several rare marriage charms and some charms are very common:

* The windows are covered after the meal is completed, a rooster and hen are pulled out from under the stove, and their tails are tied together. If the rooster pulls the hen to the door, there will be a wedding and if he pulls the hen back under the stove, there will be no wedding.

* Three items are placed on the doorsill: a ring, a piece of chalk and a piece of bread. A hen is brought out. If the hen picks up the ring, the girl will marry. If the hen picks up the piece of chalk, the girl will die. The girl will live poorly if the hen picks up the bread.

* A pot of water is brought to a boil and then two pieces of coal are dropped into the water. If the coals come together, there will be a wedding.

* Every girl in the room lights a candle. All the candles are placed on the table's edge and blown out by the master of the house. The girl whose candle is not blown out will remain unmarried.

*A ring is dropped into a half filled glass of water by a maiden. The number of ripples shows the number of years before her wedding.

*At midnight, girls place two sacred candles and between them a glass filled with water, birch ashes and drop a wedding band inside. Looking through the glass, they will either see their chosen male or a coffin.

* Three whole herring, without breading should be eaten by a maiden before going to bed. A towel should be placed on two wooden rods, set over a bowl filled with water by their bed. They will dream of their future male while sleeping.

* Quietly tie up even knots, putting into each one money, a piece of coal, a lump of earth, a piece of clay from the stove, grain or seeds, and a small rag. All these knotted pieces are placed in a tub, next to the girl's bed, so that they can be touched without leaving the bed. The meanings of the different knots are: the ring represents a wedding, money represents riches, coal represents fire, earth represents death, rag represents children, seeds or grains represent a good harvest.

* That night, two needles are dropped into a plate filled with water. If the needles come together, there will be a wedding.

On Christmas Eve a greater attention was given to animals. This was to assure their health, fertility and breeding success:

* Hay from the supper table was later fed to the animals.

* If one sewed on Christmas Eve, sheep will bear motley lambs.

* To assure that animals do not scatter in the summer, the entire family must eat the Kūčios supper together.

* To keep the animal herds together in summer, tie up the cutlery after supper with the whip, broom and shepherd.

* No need to lock barn doors on this night, place a cross or another sign on the doors so that harmful spirits are ineffective.

* Those who sprinkle a mixture of wheat and peas in the barn, will have good animals the following year.

* After supper the mistress of the house should take all milk pots outside and place all around the farmstead so that next year the cows will give much milk.

* After supper the mistress of the house takes the butter churn and walks around the fields churning it, so that there will be an abundance of butter.

* No spinning should be done on this day because it will cause calf abortions and animals to slobber.

* After milking the cow, milk should be poured three times over the cow so that the witches do not drain the cow on the feast day of Saint John.

* On this day stroke the cows, so that they will be fat and have no pustules.

* Several Christmas wafers are saved and fed to cows, to keep the milk from spoiling.

* To make your horses look good, steal manure from your neighbor and feed it to your horses.

* So that no one can bewitch the horses, the master of the house feeds them ears of rye.

* Sheep should be sheared on this day so that new born lambs have curly fleece.

* To keep wolves from carrying away animals, mention wolves while eating.

* Carry a sieve, a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material, around the fields to prevent the killing of colts by wolves.

* Wash windows, door handles, and all the corners of the house. Give the wash water to the animals to drink; it will keep evil eyes away from the animals.