Christmas in Poland

A couple of words about the typical Polish family Christmas, and the ways in which it differs from what we know here. Strange as it all may seem to the English, of course, it means a lot for Poles, as I suppose Christmas does for all people of Christian culture; childhood’s dreams are formed at this time of year, and they stay with us for our whole lives.

In common with other European cultures (there was a reference in the Times to the British Queen’s household doing the same, where it is described as a German custom), Poles ‘celebrate’ Christmas as we would understand it on the 24th. Traditionally the family assemble and begin their meal when the children of the house see the first star of night-time through the window, which depending on your latitude (it’s worth remembering that Poland is roughly one-third larger than the United Kingdom, while containing one-third fewer people) is some time between 3.30 and 4pm at that time of year.

The Polish Christmas table is laden with a variety of dishes, but two rules are strictly upheld; no meat is permitted, in the manner of a traditional Lenten fast, and there must be an odd number of dishes on the table. Also, a place is traditionally set on the table but left empty, in case a stranger should come by needing food and companionship, far from his own people, on this most important family holiday.

The absence of meat doesn’t deprive Poles of a wide range of dishes, but of all the most commonly encountered foods traditionally eaten at that time, pride of place is given to the carp. This will often have been bought at the local market or supermarket – still alive, sometimes, for the father of the household to decapitate in the bath – but in the countryside, it may well have come from a local pond or river. Other traditional Christmas dishes include broad beans, jellied fish, herring, mushrooms of various kinds, and a stewed-fruit compôte which has a distinctive smoky taste. Also various kinds of oatmeal and horseradish are found.

But before anyone tucks in, the oldest member of the household takes the communion wafers (distributed free at the local church for precisely this purpose) and says a prayer for the family’s health and happiness in the New Year. Then, each person present takes a piece of the communion wafer for themselves. Custom then requires each person to offer their wafer to their neighbour, who breaks a piece off for himself to eat, while exchanging good wishes. Everyone does this with all the other people present. When the wishes and communion wafers have been exchanged, then the feast commences.

The children’s favourite time, the opening of the presents, normally comes around when the meal has been completed, which would normally be between 6 and 7pm. It is important in Polish custom not to specify from whom each present came, as they are all deemed to have been brought by ‘Saint Nicholas’ (Mikołaj); this custom may have originated to spare the blushes of poorer family members being ‘outdone’ by richer ones.

In most families, if they have the stamina, the feasting and talking continues until everyone goes to the midnight mass (traditionally known as the ‘pasterka’, or shepherds’ meeting), where Polish carols are sung by candlelight. As in the English tradition, many of the carols preserve older, archaic forms of vocabulary and musical modes, which as it does for us, imparts some of the magic of former times to those present. Perhaps because Poland has suffered so many discontinuities and external threats in its history, the Polish church has no ‘modernising’ or ‘reforming’ movements in it, serving as it has done for centuries as a living link between today’s people and their ancestors. Poles return home from their midnight service at about 1am being very aware of having participated in this continuity of community.

The ‘First Day of Christmas’ (the 25th) sees more breakfast feasting (meat is permitted now, including the delicious ham and sausages which I would recommend to every visitor to Poland), and is traditionally the time for visiting and inviting other family members. The 26th is when people go to see their friends or more distant relatives; people may also go to cemeteries to say prayers by the graves of their deceased relatives on this day. The Polish nation is a society which extends in unbroken succession from the past until today, and the Christmas holiday is just one of the year’s occasions which reminds them of that.