Polish traditions related to Christmas

Advent It’s the time of waiting for the coming of Jesus; lasts four weeks; every day people go to early morning masses; every week one candle more in the advent wreath is lit.

Carols Singing songs that tell about Jesus is very popular at Christmas time. We sing them in churches, at homes, in the streets. There are lots of carols, some of them are very, very old.

Christmas Eve On 24th December, when the first star in the sky appears, families sit around the table (under the cloth you can find hay remembering the barn where Jesus was born) to eat a traditional supper. It consists of 12 dishes (remembering the apostles) full of fish, cabbage, mushrooms, beets, bread, nuts, poppy, honey. Then we open presents, sing carols, go to church (at midnight) and celebrate Christmas :)

Christmas food Many dishes are prepared just this one time in a year, so we have to wait to taste our favorites very long… We eat beet soup with mushroom-filled dumplings, sour cabbage with mushrooms, fried fish, pasta with poppy and nuts, gingerbread and drink dry fruit compote. All dishes are vegetarian – at Christmas we do not eat meat.

Christmas tree Traditionally, Christmas tree is an alive tree – a spruce, a spine, a fir. In the past, it was brought from the forest, now we buy it in a Christmas fair. At Christmas Eve, all family gathers and decorates the tree with lights, glass bulbs, apples, candies, paper chains. We put presents under the Christmas tree.

Christmas wafer This is a kind of bread – very thin and crispy, made of white flour and water – that we share at the beginning of the Christmas Eve supper with all the family and tell wishes. We bring it from the church. It symbolizes forgiveness, friendship and love. We share wafer also with animals that we live with.

Christmas wishes One of the most important Christmas traditions in Poland. In December we are smiling a lot, tell lots of wishes to all people, send postcards to our families and friends, make many phonecalls and send hundreds of texts. This is the way we make Christmas atmosphere.

Fish’s scale Fish (a carp) is a traditional Polish food at Christmas Eve. We believe that if you keep its scale in your purse or wallet, money will stay with you all year long ;)

Midnight mass It’s the first Christmas mass, conducted at midnight on 25th December. It remembers shepherds’ prayers while going to Betlehem.

Santa Claus Father Christmas comes with presents not only on 24th December, but also on 6th December. That day in churches we remember Saint Nicholas, the bishop of Mira; and all children – if they were not naughty during the year – get little presents that are put into the shoe or under the cushion.

Thank you Thank you Merry Christmas!