 In
Poland, Christmas Eve is a very quiet time and has a twenty- four hour
fast which ends with a huge feast. The feast can’t start until the first
star appears at night. The feast contains twelve courses and is completely
free of red meat. It contains fish, cabbage, dumplings, potatoes and a
type of thin bread that is like holy bread. The fish that is used is
usually herring, carp or pike. For the Polish people their twelve courses
can also consist of fish soup.
A tradition in Poland, that is not taken seriously is one where old
people predict the next year’s weather on what they see outside on
January the sixth. In Poland the climate is very icy and it almost always
snows on Christmas Day.
 Some
Polish people believe that if Christmas sees no snow, then Easter
certainly will, or if the Christmas tree sinks in water then an egg will
roll on ice. Other beliefs include that the star that shines on Christmas
Eve will make the hens lay more eggs. Some Polish girls believe that if
they blindfold each other and touch fence pickets a straight smooth picket
would portend a resourceful husband while a crooked and rough one was an
indication of a clumsy and awkward husband.
There are three types of Polish carols - religious, legendary and
imaginative. The religious carols are among the most profound and
beautiful of all Polish hymns. The legendary ones are based on the book of
the Apocrypha containing many legends and details for which strict
historical truth can’t be assumed. The third kind owe their life to
people of humble birth, who in relating the story of the nativity used
familiar surroundings taken from their own homes.
Click
here to go back
|
