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I was talking to my British friend the other day about our families’ Christmas traditions. The number of unique dishes that traditionally have to be placed on the table during Christmas in Poland got a bit of a giggle, but it was the hay placed under the tablecloth that got her choking on her lunch. So, just in case, please no eating while reading.
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Christmas in Poland
1. The most important day is Christmas Eve. We actually do everything Christmas-y on that day – you’ll see. Christmas Day and the next day (which is also a holiday) are either to lie in bed, see friends, or meet with parts of the families that couldn’t sit at the same table with you on Christmas Eve. Oh, and Christmas Eve is not a holiday (though whoever can, takes at least half day off).
2. We don’t decorate the Christmas tree in November. We don’t even do it the first week in December. We, traditionally, decorate the tree on the morning of Christmas Eve. Some clever person decided we would have one day to decorate the tree, work, cook, and eat early dinner. Us Poles are very good at multitasking!
3. The most important meal of Christmas time – the Christmas Eve dinner – is actually a meal at a time between lunch and dinner. Traditionally, we are supposed to fast on that day, so over time, people realised it was hard to wait until 5pm (all the while working, decorating a tree, cooking… I can see you sense a theme here). Traditionally the meal should begin when the first star shines in the sky, so in some houses, it starts even earlier.
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Photo Credit: Flickr
4. Before we eat, everybody gets a piece of Christmas Wafer (yes, it’s a thing) to share with each of the other family members gathered together. We starve all day, and the first thing we get is a wafer – but it’s a great one! We take that second to wish everyone one of them a Merry Christmas and add a more personal greeting or wish. But the whole point is not to let them take too much of the wafer – it’s actually super delicious.
5. We add one additional seat (and plate) for a stray wanderer, to commemorate Holy Mary and Holy Joseph not being able to find a place to stay. To be honest, it’s always been quite funny as it’s not that we would actually let a stranger into our house (you never know which political party they support and all that).
6. At one corner of the table, there’s always a bit of hay under the tablecloth. Don’t ask me why. My British friend suggested it was for a stray reindeer (?) who came in with the stray wanderer. Those Brits have some imagination.
7. Exactly 12 dishes of food must be placed on the table, and while that may be easy to do with big families, a family of even 8 might struggle with eating so much. So, to ensure we are in line with tradition (because we Poles are big when it comes to traditions), we count everything (sauces, salads, etc.) to meet the final 12.
8. We start the meal with a soup (either a special Christmas version of borscht with mushrooms and special dumplings or mushroom soup) then dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms. Then the table is filled with all the kinds of fish; with the common Carp being the most common Christmas fish. (In my childhood they were bought alive at the market by my grandparents, and would be kept swimming in the bath for few hours or even a day before being cooked).
9. After the dinner, we try to drink tea, but kids are already anxious – Santa will be here any minute! Every family has a different trick to make the gifts suddenly appear under the tree.
10. The gifts arrive! We unwrap, we smile, we thank each other, and we carry all the packaging to the recycle bins- after all, despite what you’ve read above, we are a modern nation, not barbarians 😉
What are some of the things the rest of us may not know about your Christmas or holiday season? I’d love to know!
Related Posts:
How to Make Polish Gingerbread Cookies
Fun Facts About Poland for Kids
Welcome to our sixth annual Christmas in Different Lands series! Each participating blogger will share about Christmas in another culture or country. For even more glimpses of global Christmas celebrations, see our series from previous years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017) plus follow our Christmas board on Pinterest!
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Participating Blogs
December 3
Baby Devotions on Multicultural Kid Blogs: The Best Spanish Resources for Christmas
December 10
Crafty Moms Share: St. Lucia Day in Sweden
December 13
Genealogy for Children: What Does Christmas Look Like All Around the World?
December 17
Kids Spanish Book Club on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Christmas Music in Different Languages
December 18
Parentville Blog on Multicultural Kid Blogs: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Christmas in Poland
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Latest posts by Olga Sokolik (see all)
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What lovely traditions in Poland. I especially like the extra seat and plate for the stray wanderer. A visual symbol of all that was given up for us long ago. Blessings to you for a great holiday season!