FAMILY LIFE
Traditional Slovak families are close-knit. Many households include grandparents and other relatives. Children are taught to respect their elders and are expected to help out around the house. According to a Slovak proverb, "Who rears the first child well creates a treasure for the rest." Families socialize together regularly and attendance at family events is important.

 About 43% of the Slovak population is rural. In the countryside and in villages, most people live in a house with a garden. City dwellers usually live in apartments, but many families also have a small house in the country. They spend weekends and holidays there and use the land around the house to grow fruits and vegetables. Because of the sharp rise in housing costs, particularly in the major cities, many young couples live with their parents, trying to save enough money to buy their own home.

 Since the fall of the Communist system, religion has played a larger role in everyday life in Slovakia. Baptisms, confirmations and church weddings have become common. In a village, most of the neighbours are invited to weddings, and the celebrations may last up to three days.
 
 
  Did you know?
For special events, such as weddings and festivals, many Slovaks wear traditional clothing. There are more than 60 regional styles. Most feature white shirts and blouses with elaborate embroidery, sometimes in gold or silver thread.
In rural areas, women play a more traditional role than they do in cities. They are primarily mothers and housewives and they help with farm work. Urban women usually work outside the home. Life has changed for families in large cities since the fall of Communism. Most notably, the daycare system has been reduced, which makes life difficult for many families in which both parents work full-time. Women's groups are asking for more services such as daycares, women' shelters and telephone help lines. 
Slovakia's largest minority is the Hungarians. Most live near the border with Hungary. The second largest minority is the Roma (also known as Gypsies). The Roma are often poor, many are unemployed, and rates of illiteracy and disease among the Roma are above the average for the Slovak population. The government and several nongovernmental organizations are trying to improve life for the Roma.