christmas in poland

CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS IN POLANDIN POLAND

MIKOLAJKI – SANTA CLAUS DAY

BEFORE CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS TREE

It is decorated with tinsels,

lights and glass balls. Gold,

silver gold and white chains resembling

long, silver and glittering hair is

also hung on the tree and a star is placed on the top.

EMPTY PLACE HAY

We put it under the white

table-cloth on the table where we have

Christmas supper. It is a symbol of a place

where Jesus was lying after his birth, a shed

and hay.

We also leave an an additional seat for any stranger that

would come to ask for shelter on that

day and commemorate the members of family who passed away.

FIRST STARIt is the symbol of the first star, which appeared when

Jesus was born.Thanks to it, the

shepherds and Three Kings could reach the place of

the saviours' birth.

We wait for the first star which will

appear in the sky at Christmas Eve.

When it shines, then, according to

tradition, we can sit down

at the Christmas table and share the

wafer. 

WAFERThis is just a thin piece of crunchy wheat flour and

water. There are Christmas

scenes on it.

The tradition of sharing bread derives from pagan

traditions.

Now it is a Christian custom, and we share the wafer before

the Christmas supper.

When we give wishes to each other, we shall

forgive all the faults, and sit at the table with clear

hearts.

CHRISTMAS FOOD• The traditional Christmas Eve supper consists of

twelve dishes representing the twelve months of the year. No meat is served during the

supper, only fish, usually herring, carp or pike.

Traditional dishes appearing on the table include:

PASTRY

PRESENTS• After the supper, children check the presents under the Christmas

tree.

•After the meal, the candles on the Christmas Tree are lit and

people eat, talk and sing carols.

Children sometimes dress up as characters from the Christmas

story and go carol singing.

Christmas Eve is finished by going to Church for a Midnight Mass called

PASTERKA (SHEPARDS’ MASS).

NATIVITY SCENES

NATIVITY PLAYS

SUPERSTITIONS• Animals are said to talk in a human voice and people have the power to

tell the future.

• "As goes Christmas Eve, goes the year." Hoping for a good 12 months, everyone was polite and generous to one another and forgave past

grievances.

• After dinner, young woman/girls leave the house, and the direction of the first dog bark points to where their future husband will come from.

• If the first person to enter a house on Christmas Eve was a woman, it was a bad omen. It was a good sign when a man was the first to cross

the threshold of the house.

NEW YEAR’S EVE