It continues the Christmas celebrations. Its modernity still surprises many tourists. The breaking of symbolic wafers precedes the meal and everyone shares pieces of them. It's a time when people try to be peaceful and remember the real reason for Christmas. 1. [1], Among the special tasks carried out in private homes during Advent (a time of waiting for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus) is the baking of the Christmas piernik (gingerbread), and the making of Christmas decorations. The Polish Christmas tree can be decorated with shapes cut from gingerbread, colored wafers, cookies, fruit, candy, straw ornaments, decorations made from eggshells, or commercially produced ornaments. One of the most beautiful traditions in the world is just in a few days and all the world is ready for it! However, one of the more special desserts closely tied to celebrating the Christmas season in Poland is called kutia. Polish Christmas tree. Traditionally a day for consecrating grain crops, Holy Szczepan is now a day for church services, visiting with family, and singing kolędy, or Polish Christmas carols. The Christmas Spider is an old Eastern European story about a family who couldn't afford to decorate their Christmas tree, and then on Christmas morning, it was decorated in golden and silver strands from a spider's web. The flavourless wafer is made from flour and water and is a symbol of forgiveness, friendship and unity. Christmas in Poland. The meals must be meatless as a sign of fasting and twelve different dishes are made, thus symbolizing the Twelve Apostles. From the weird to the wonderful, get ready to add these customs to your festivities. With respect to Polish Christmas traditions, an empty seat is left at the dinner table for lord Jesus or a wanderer who has no shelter or a family. The early hymns sung in the Catholic church were brought to Poland by the Franciscan Brothers in the Middle Ages. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees came to Poland from Germany in the 18th century. There is no red meat served but fish, usually carp. December 26 is known as Holy Szczepan, or St. Stephen's Day. It is one of the most important religious holidays for Poles, who follow a somewhat strict tradit… Christmas Eve in Poland is the greatest holiday of the year. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and is a time of religious observances and prayer. Special church services mark this season, and some devout Catholics may give up a favorite food, drinking alcohol, or another vice during this time. The Polish Christmas Eve dinner consists of 12 dishes, one for each of the 12 apostles. The next day, the Christmas Day, is often spent visiting friends. Later influences include the mutual permeating of local traditions and various folk cultures. The festive atmosphere would not be complete without a Christmas tree. Before that, people would hang the top of a fir, a pine or a spruce from the roof, and place a … The highlight of the holiday is the most significant day, Christmas Eve on the 24 December. It's the most special and meaningful day of the year. Christmas traditions in Poland 2. Town squares and most homes are decorated with Christmas trees, and special holiday markets pop-up around the country selling typical foods, gifts, and souvenirs. They then share a piece with each family member. As each person shares pieces of the wafer with another, they are supposed to forgive each other any hurts that have occurred over the past year and wish them happiness in the coming year. Polskie ręcznie wytwarzane i zdobione bombki choinkowe, katalog. [2], On the night of Christmas Eve, so important is the appearance of the first star in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem, that it has been given an affectionate name of "the little star" or Gwiazdka (the female counterpart of St. Nicholas). At the top of each tree there is a star or a glittering tree topper. Some practice the superstition that an even number of people must be seated around the table. Christmas Eve in Poland (Wigilia), December 24 Christmas Eve Dinner – kolacja wigilijna – is the most important Christmas celebration in Poland. Christmas Celebrations in Poland Image Credit: Poland Unraveled Polish Christmas Traditions and Customs: Christmas Eve is also referred to as Wigilia in Poland. The remainder of the evening is given to stories and songs around the Christmas tree. Typically, people watch for the first star to appear in the night sky before sitting down to eat, because Christmas Eve is a day for fasting. Before that, people would hang the top of a fir, a pine or a spruce from the roof, and place a … One is that animals are able to speak on Christmas Eve. He visits good children in secret and leaves presents for them. Christmas Eve Supper, known as Wigilia, is one of the most longstanding and broadly treasured of Polish ceremonies. Another very popular Polish Christmas tradition is sharing thin pieces of wafer (‘opłatek’) with family members and friends, and wishing each other all the best in the New Year before sitting down to the Christmas Eve dinner. The night before is called ‘Wigilia’ and the three week period prior to the Christmas celebrations is called Advent. Notably, the song "God Is Born" (Bóg się rodzi) with lyrics written by Franciszek Karpiński in 1792 became the Christmas hymn of Poland already in the court of King Stefan Batory. In Poland, Advent is the beginning of Christmas Time. Spending Christmas in Poland is a real treat for travelers.The holiday season is packed with longstanding cultural traditions, an array of special culinary dishes and vibrant Christmas markets that brighten up the chill of winter. There are some traditions like decorating the tree, which are well known to people around the world, but some of the customs are typical for the eastern part of Europe. As things are already going to be different, let’s lean into it and celebrate in a new way. Image Credit: Lomit for Wikimedia. The last two customs are inspired by the traditional manger scenes or "Jasełka" (crib). The Day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December is the unofficial beginning of the festive season in Poland. Kerry Kubilius is a freelance writer who specializes in Eastern European history, culture, current events, language, and travel. Polish Christmas tree. In most of Polish families gifts are given to children by Saint Nicolaus, not by his vulgarized version of Santa Claus. Some of them sing carols; others recite verses or put on "szopki", or "herody" (nativity scenes). This is done to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a Bethlehem stable. When the Polish words and melodies started to become popular, including many new secular pastorals (pastoralka, or shepherd's songs), they were not written down originally, but rather taught among people by heart. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees came to Poland from Germany in the 18 th century. Many traditions and customs originate from Christianity. Old Christmas traditions 3. A tradition exists among some families to serve twelve different dishes at Wigilia symbolizing the Twelve Apostles, or perhaps, an odd number of dishes for good luck (usually five, seven, or nine). The primary Christmas traditions, however, start with the coming of Advent and culminate with celebrations on December 24, 25, and 26. Normally the Polish eat Pączki on this day. Sharing of the oplatek (pronounced opwatek) is the most ancient and beloved of all Polish Christmas traditions. Christmas celebration starts in Poland on 24th of December and most of the traditions are connected with Christmas Eve. In Poland, the 24th of December is probably the most important day of Christmas and therefore the most effort goes into the preparation of the Christmas Eve dinner. They are lit on Christmas Eve before Wigilia. The observance of Christmas developed gradually over the centuries, beginning in ancient times; combining old Polish pagan customs with the religious ones introduced after the Christianization of Poland by the Catholic Church. Often, there is a compote of dry fruits for a drink. There are so many other things that the Polish do on that day. This is a final chance to overindulge in tasty treats that shouldn’t really be consumed during the Christian Lent festival. December is full of holiday events in Poland, beginning with St. Nicholas Day on December 6 and stretching all the way into the new year with the Epiphany one month later. The early Christmas music was Latin in origin. The celebration ends with the exchange of gifts and a midnight mass in churches. We’ve looked at Christmas traditions around the world to find some fun new things to try at home this year. TransferWise. In some areas of the country, children are taught that "The Little Star" brings gifts. Explore Zakopane, Poland’s winter capital of ski hills and spas, and experience a traditional torch-lit sleigh ride through the mountain snow followed by a bonfire with roasted kielbasa and hot mulled wine. Mioduszewski [ca; eo; pl] in a book called Pastorałki i Kolędy z Melodiami (Pastorals and Carols with Melodies). Nowadays, opłatek is mostly shared with members of the family and immediate neighbors before the Christmas Eve supper (Wigilia in the Polish language). Oplatek is a thin wafer made of flour and water, similar in taste to the hosts that are used for communion during Mass. Poland emerged from the rubble of World War II and decades behind the Iron Curtain to become a prominent European nation. On the final Thursday before Lent each year, Polish people celebrate Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday). Poland's Christmas Eve (Wigilia) and Christmas Day, Traditional Polish Christmas Beliefs and Superstitions. Although gift-giving plays a major role in the rituals, the emphasis is placed more on the making of special foods and decorations. Carp provides a main component of the Christmas Eve meal across Poland; carp fillet, carp in aspic and gefilte fish. Christmas in Poland is a major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world. In Poland, the traditional Christmas feast occurs on Christmas Eve, or Wigilia, a day that holds equal importance with December 25. St. Nicholas does not play a major role on Christmas Day, but is celebrated on his Saint feast day of December 6. Later influences include the mutual permeating of local traditions and various folk cultures. Popular Christmas Traditions in the Poland Christmas is a magical time in Poland during which animals are said to speak and forgiveness is offered to those who have offended. Every country and every family have their own traditions. Another tradition is placing straw underneath the tablecloth during dinner, which can then be used for fortune-telling. Other trees are placed in most public areas and outside churches. The tradition says that there must be exactly 12 dishes (including desserts) on the table and everyone has to try every each of them. According to tradition, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger. Polish Christmas Traditions. Lista produktów kategorii Ozdoby Formowane. Christmas fairs selling handicrafts pop up in most Polish market squares as people indulge in home-cooked meals and strolls through snow-covered parks. Chrstmas in Poland is known for its 12 dishes. Spending traditional Christmas in Poland means that at the beginning you pray and share oplatek – the Polish Christmas wafer (little flat bread) with every member of the family. Only after it appears, the family members sit down to a dinner table.[2]. [9][10], Overview of the role of Christmas in Poland, Christmas markets are held in every major city, especially in, Nativity scene at the Catholic Church of Christ the King in, "UNESCO - Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow", "Christmas - Tłumacz - Onet.pl Portal wiedzy", "How Poles Celebrate Christmas (Recipes Included)", "Traditional Christmas Eve in Poland- Wigilia w Polsce- tradycje", "Pasterka przed północą... (Pasterka before midnight)". Many of the early Polish carols were collected in 1838 by Rev. The appearance of Santa Claus (Mikołaj) happens instead on the night of December 5, the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas. People will usually visit other family members and share another meal together. This Christmas tradition happens normally just before the main supper. On that evening, children watch the sky anxiously hoping to be the first to cry out, "The star has come!" Christmas Tradition In Poland. In most of the homes, both among adherents or non-devotees, a conventional feast is praised and served on the table. Without them, Christmas in Poland … During preparation, hay is spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Jesus Christ was born in a manger. [2], During Advent and all the way until Epiphany, or the baptism of Jesus (day of January 6), the "gwiazdory", or the star carriers walk through the villages. In the old days, people carried these wafers from house to house wishing their neighbors a Merry Christmas. Poland has strong bonds with Christian traditions (Catholic, to be specific), and in Catholicism, Christmas Eve is a day of fasting, when meat is not allowed. As presents are unwrapped, carollers may walk from house to house receiving treats along the way. Fat Thursday in Poland Do you know, what holiday is … Christmas Eve Dinner starts in the late afternoon or in the evening, depending on a family (some people visit 2 or even more families during Christmas Eve, having 2 or more dinners). As you might know, Poland is a very religious country. Christmas celebrations begin on the 24th with Wigilia. The former day of Christmas is the December of 26th. Upside-down Christmas tree, southern Poland The most important day is Wigilia: Christmas Eve, not the first day of Christmas. One of the typical Christmas traditions in Poland is putting bits of hay underneath the tablecloth at the Christmas Eve dinner. https://travelpolandtours.com/christmas-in-poland-traditions In Poland, it is called just ‘the second day of holidays’. Christmas trees are decorated and lit in family rooms on the day of Christmas Eve. Christmas in Poland [6], Christmas carols are not celebrated in Poland until during-and-after the Christmas Vigil Mass called "Pasterka" held between 24 and 25 of December. In Poland, the 24th of December is probably the most important day of Christmas and therefore the most effort goes into the preparation of the Christmas Eve dinner. When it comes to Christmas in Poland, it’s the season when pagan and Christian customs mingle. The main part of Wigilia is a solemn, family sup… Polish Christmas Traditions. It is covered with a white decorative spread. Santa Claus does not appear on Christmas Eve. One tradition unique to Poland is the sharing of the "opłatek", a thin wafer into which a holy picture is pressed. Spending Christmas in Poland is a real treat for travelers.The holiday season is packed with longstanding cultural traditions, an array of special culinary dishes and vibrant Christmas … Christmas tree. For Poles, Christmas Eve is a time of family gathering and reconciliation. Old Christmas traditions 4. Before that, people would hang the top of a fir, a pine or a spruce from the roof, and place a sheaf of corn in the corner. After dinner family sits near Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols and exchange gifts. Christmas Holidays commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. This day honours the first martyr who was belligerent for the Christians reliance, called Saint Szczepan. The custom of Christmas night liturgy was introduced in the Christian churches after the second half of the 5th century. Universal Polish Christmas foods are pierogi as well as some herring dishes, and for dessert, makowiec or noodles with poppy seed. Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. Almost 90% of Polish people identify as Roman Catholics, so Christmas is an especially important time in Poland. In many homes an empty place setting is symbolically left at the table for the Baby Jesus or, for a lonely wanderer who may be in need of food, or if a deceased relative should come and would like to share in the meal. The festive atmosphere would not be complete without a Christmas tree. Pierniks are made in a variety of shapes, including hearts, animals, and St. Nicholas figures. In Poland, they celebrate this day in a really delicious way!

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