Boże Narodzenie w Polsce 

Christmas in Poland is truly magical! 🎄✨ From decorating the Christmas tree 🎁 to sharing a wafer before dinner, and enjoying 12 delicious dishes on Christmas Eve 🍲🐟. In this article you’ll learn about Polish Christmas traditions and customs (tradycje i zwyczaje Bożego Narodzenia w Polsce) and feel the Polish Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas! Wesołych Świąt!

 

 

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Święta Bożego Narodzenia, or shortly Święta in Poland are three important days. 

• 24th of December is Wigilia (Christmas Eve) 
• 25th is Boże Narodzenie (Christmas Day or Pierwszy Dzień Świąt (lit. the 1st day of Christmas) 
• 26th is Drugi Dzień Świąt (lit. the 2nd Christmas Day)

The 25th and 26th are for most people in Poland two days off.

Wigilia

 

The Wigilia begins when the pierwsza gwiazdka (first star) appears in the sky, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem. 

 

Before eating, everyone shares the opłatek (a wafer) as a symbol of forgiveness and unity, offering good wishes to one another. 

 

A puste miejsce (empty place) is always left at the table for an unexpected guest or to honor absent loved ones.

 

Families then sit down for the Wieczerza wigilijna (Wigilia Feast), which includes 12 tradycyjnych potraw (12 traditional dishes), each representing the 12 apostles or the 12 months of the year. According to the catholic tradition, Wigilia is a dzień postny (fasting day) all the dishes are made of veggies, fruits or fish (no chicken or red meat). 

The most popular dishes are:

1. Barszcz z uszkami – Beetroot soup with uszka
2. Karp – Carp
3. Śledzie – Herrings
4. Pierogi ruskie lub z kapustą i grzybami – Pierogies filled with potatoes and cheese or with sauerkraut and mushrooms
5. Kompot z suszu – A boiled drink made from dried fruits (like apples, pears, and plums)
6. Żurek – A sour rye soup
7. Sałatka jarzynowa – Potato salad
8. Zupa grzybowa – Mushroom soup
9. Kapusta z grochem – Cabbage with split peas
10. Kutia – Kutia – A sweet dish with poppy seeds, barley and dried fruits
11. Makowiec – Poppy seed cake
12. Sernik – Cheesecake

 

According to folklore, on this special night, zwierzęta mówią ludzkim głosem (animals speak humans’ voice). Maybe this year we’ll get a chance to chat with our piesek (doggy) or kicia (kitty). 😉

 

After Wigilia

 

After the Christmas eve dinner you can expect three more Polish Christmas traditions. First of all, what all the kids wait for the most – prezenty (presents). 🙂

 

A very important question is who brings the prezenty. Well, it’s not that easy. Depending on the region of Poland you can expect to catch by your choinka (Christmas tree):

1. Święty Mikołaj – Santa Claus
2. Gwiazdka – a Little Star
3. Gwiazdor – a Star Man
4. Dzieciątko Jezus – Baby Jesus
5. Aniołek – a Little Angel

 

Another beautiful tradition is singing together traditional polskie kolędy (Polish Christmas carols). And in the midnight Polish catholics go to church for pasterka (Midnight mass).