Christmas traditions in Poland
In case you haven’t noticed yet… Christmas is coming… While not everybody celebrates this holiday, it’s become inescapable in recent years - no matter where in the world you are, December will be full of Christmas ornaments and Christmas songs. But despite the fact that over the last decades Christmas has lost some of its religious significance and feels a lot like a secular holiday, enjoyed by non-Christians too, many countries keep some of their Christmas traditions alive. In Poland, Christmas remains the most popular and important holiday of the year - like anywhere else in the world it is the time of family gatherings, exchanging gifts, eating seasonal food and celebrating some unique traditions.
A very important (if not the most important) day of the holidays is 24th December, known as Wigilia. On that day, families meet for a festive dinner. Traditionally, the dinner strictly doesn’t contain any meat but fish (mostly karp - carp fish), mushrooms (usually dried, collected during autumn) are also essential ingredients. Following the tradition, there are usually 12 different dishes, just like the number of the apostles. The menu, of course, may vary from region to region but in general you can expect some classics on the Christmas Eve table. An absolute must is karp w galarecie (jellied carp) - not everybody likes it but, it seems, there can be no Wigilia without this dish, just like without fried fish. Another important speciality is… yes, you’ve guessed it! Pierogi! These famous dumplings are usually served with mushroom and sauerkraut filling (pierogi z kapustą i grzybami). Enough about food!
Jellied carp [Source: przyslijprzepis.pl]
Pierogi, this time fried [Source: Wikimedia Commons]
Traditionally, the supper starts with the appearance of the first star in the evening sky (however, personally I don’t know anyone who follows this tradition! It just depends on how hungry everybody is!). Some families put a little bit of hay under the tablecloth in remembrance of the stable where Jesus was born. This tradition seemed to be dying out but in recent years it enjoyed some sort of revival. Some families would still draw a piece of hay from under the tablecloth – the one who draws the longest piece would enjoy prosperity and good health in the forthcoming year.
Nobody would dare to sit at the table without first sharing opłatek (Christmas wafer) - a tradition that seems to exist only in Poland. A white, rectangular, paper-thin piece of wafer (identical to the altar bread) is distributed among the family members while they exchange Christmas wishes. Only after breaking the wafer and eating it, everybody is allowed to start eating dinner. What distinguishes the Polish Christmas Eve table is that there’s an extra plate for an “unexpected guest”. There’s a strong belief that absolutely nobody should be alone on Christmas Eve, should a complete stranger knock on your door on that special evening, you must welcome them at your table like a family member.
Opłatek [Source: Wikimedia Commons]
After dinner, everybody can proceed with unpacking the presents (traditionally placed under the Christmas tree before). It is said that those who misbehaved in the past year would get a cane (rózga) from Santa Claus (Święty Mikołaj). Maybe that's why there's an old saying jakiś w Wigilię, takiś rok cały – roughly meaning that the way you behave on Christmas Eve will be the way you're going to behave in the forthcoming year! This is why Polish children are always reminded to behave nicely on the day of Wigilia and to at least try every dish.
As I said in the beginning, 24th December is the most important day of the holidays, this means that 25th December is far more relaxed, very often it is a chance to meet those we didn’t manage to see on Wigilia. On that day the families usually gather for lunch, this time meat is allowed and many enjoy traditional bigos. 25th December is usually known as pierwszy dzień świąt (the first day of holidays), while 26th December is often called drugi dzień świąt (the second day of holidays), this day is usually dedicated to the last family visits and taking rest after all the holiday chaos. What about you? Are there any Polish customs that resemble those of your country? Have you had a chance to spend Christmas in Poland? Have you heard of any other traditions or festive dishes I haven’t mentioned here? Let us know on the forums!