A Christmas treat in Poland. Christmas traditions. Poland. Human hearts rejoice

Museums tell about the past of the country, the color of the nation shows its talents in educational institutions, and the family reveals the soul of the people. If you want to get to know the Poles more deeply, to look into the innermost depths of their mysterious essence, then come to them on Christmas holidays, when the first trembling and such long-awaited star flashes in the velvet Polish sky, indicating the way to the Wonderful Baby Three Kings from a distant country.

The most important star in the world

What is usually called Christmas Eve in the Russian tradition, is called Vigil in the Polish tradition. On the night before Christmas, different generations of the same family try to gather around the festive table, driven by the desire to remember in a solemn atmosphere about the Son of God, who was born in the stable. To begin their meal, Poles are waiting for the first star, which is considered the star of the Three Kings, to appear. Children gaze into the sky with special impatience, because as soon as the “main Christmas lantern” lights up, the Spirit of Magic descends into the house, which never comes without gifts ...

If earlier the Vigil meant the liturgy in the church, now this name has passed to the designation of a festive dinner on Christmas Eve. Gathering at the table for such a joyful event is another reason to forget about old grievances and enter the new year with a pure heart, revived for a new life. The ancient Romans called the night guards - the guards - vigili. There were four changes of the guard in total from sunset to sunrise. Following the example of the legionnaires, Catholics stay awake all night before Christmas.

Paytek - a symbol of sacrifice

The vigil supper, which they sit down to immediately after returning from the church, draws the line under Great Lent: exclusively lenten dishes are on the festive table for the last time. Poles do not touch food until they break the paycheck (Opłatek) - a thin unleavened bread made of wheat flour, which in an allegorical form depicts the desire of each of those present to give the most precious thing he has for the good of others, as God did. who entrusted his Son into the hands of people.

As the main Christmas dish, the payment always lies in the center of the table, some believers put a bunch of hay or straw under it. The owner of the house or the eldest son begins the meal by eating unleavened bread: the first piece is broken off by the man on whom the household is held, for the one who sits next to him, then the paychecks are passed on in a circle, breaking it for his neighbor on the table. Refraction of the wafer is accompanied by mutual good wishes.

According to the number of apostles

Today's vigil dinner often consists of twelve courses, although the custom allows for both 5 and 7, as long as the number is odd. The only exception was made for the number 12, which indicates the number of disciples of Jesus Christ and therefore is considered acceptable. The duration of Christmastide is also twelve days - from December 25 to January 6.

Dinner on Christmas Eve is called "fasting" and implies a ban on light meals, but in any case, the Christmas table is not complete without fish, and most often carp is a welcome guest for baking. The head of a traditional fish is given to the head of the house - as the owner and main breadwinner. The custom obliges to taste every dish.

On the eve of the vigil dinner, preparations for the festive feast are in full swing, even for men there is work - to rub poppy seeds for kutya and noble Polish zavivans. The children love grated poppy, but only boys are allowed to lick the pestle, because according to legend, if a girl licks the macogon, then her husband will have a bald head.

But the number of those invited to the feast must certainly be even. If the number of relatives is not enough for the required figure, then they invite a guest from the outside. And there is always an extra device on the table for an unexpected visitor, as a symbol of hospitality and cordiality. Indeed, on the night of Christmas, various miracles happen, and who knows, it may happen that the Savior himself wishes to look at the festive light ...

The tree on which treats grow

Although the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree at Christmas was revered by the Catholic Church for a pagan rite rooted in the period when the Poles hung the top of a coniferous tree under the ceiling to protect the house from evil spirits, but over time it took root and became Christianized.

Today Christmas is unthinkable without the resinous smell that fills every corner of the Polish home on this winter holiday, and believers recognize the Christmas tree as a symbol of the tree of paradise “the knowledge of good and evil,” therefore apples are one of the obligatory attributes for decoration. Even the communists could not refuse the Christmas star: both in the troubled times of socialism and in the current time of European freedoms, Gwiazdka still takes its place of honor - the topmost branch of the green beauty from the forest. The Christmas tree is removed before the day of Orthodox Christmas Eve, for the holiday of the Three Kings.

What will the new year come with?

Carp for a vigil dinner is bought alive so that it predicts fate: the faster the fish swims, the more successful the year; the more scales on the back, the more wealth you can make.

As for Polish girls who dream of marriage, they are convinced that hay from the festive table, which is traditionally placed under the tablecloth, is also capable of guessing the future: if you pull out, without looking, a strong and green stalk - to be a wedding, but if you get a nondescript one - grooms will go around the house.

Even shoes on Christmas Eve acquire magical properties. If you collect the boots of all the girls in a row, and then rearrange the last one in advance and so on to the threshold, then in such a simple way you can find out which of the lucky women should prepare to meet matchmakers next year.

By the way, the Polish New Year for all Catholics begins with Bożego Narodzenia. And on the first day of Christmas, you can already pamper yourself with modest dishes, which replace the symbolic kutya of crushed wheat with honey, nuts, raisins and poppy seeds: the abundance of meat delicacies and pastries is truly impressive!

Poles take Christmas celebrations very seriously. Even alcohol is absent at the vigil dinner. Perhaps, sincere faith and family cohesion in the wonderful Christmastide days, which this people inherit from generation to generation, as well as the respect shown to the owner of the house, is the basis that gives strength to endure the trials and adversities that life presents. A candle on the Poles' Christmas table is lit on vigil night, but it warms the soul all year round ...

Poles are one of the most religious European nations, and they approach the celebration of Christmas very reverently, observing all traditions. In Poland, this is primarily a spiritual holiday, not an excuse to have fun.

Christmas is celebrated in Poland on December 25th, along with the rest of the Catholic world. At this time, even adults here believe in miracles, to the extent that God grants everyone extraordinary opportunities, even the ability to speak to animals.

Preparations for the big celebration begin on December 24th. From early morning, all family members participate in preparing the home for the celebration, decorate the Christmas tree, prepare holiday food, carry out general cleaning, and prepare gifts for each other.

Christmas market in Poland

Poles prepare the festive table in a very distinctive way. They have it divided into 2 parts: lean dishes - those that will be eaten until 24 hours, and Christmas dishes - that are eaten after Christmas. The first category traditionally includes at least 12 dishes. This is a mandatory kutia made from crushed wheat, seasoned with honey, nuts and raisins; borsch with mushrooms; fish dishes (carp cooked in various ways, herring served with onion rings and herbs). It also cannot do without potato dumplings with cabbage. Dessert is dried fruit compote and donuts. As for the dishes that fall after 24 hours, among them you can find jellied meat, familiar to everyone, various salads, traditional flacques (a dish made from cow's ventricles) and cabbage rolls. It should be noted that on Christmas Eve, the Poles do not eat either spritic or meat. The time for meat dishes and wine comes at Christmas dinner on the 25th.

Several other customs are associated with the festive table. For example, they put an empty extra plate on it in case an unexpected guest comes to the doorstep. Poles believe it could be Jesus himself. Several bundles of hay are placed under the table in memory of the Bethlehem cave.

Poles gather at the table for Christmas with the appearance of the first star. The meal begins with a prayer, the head of the family divides among all the payments - a cake made of baked dough, which was bought the day before in the church. The whole family exchanges pieces of this cookie, along the way apologize to each other for past grievances and say good wishes.

If there are children in the family, then at Christmas they prepare theatrical scenes on a Christmas theme. For this they receive sweets from adults.

As a rule, only the family gathers at the festive table: friends are visited already on December 25 and 26. But if the family has acquaintances who are threatened to spend Christmas night alone, then they are sure to be invited to their place. Poles have a belief that no one should feel forgotten on this magical night.

At Christmas in Poland, special attention is paid to visiting a church - this is how Catholic churches are called. At Christmas, they have an atmosphere of magic and the approach of a miracle. As soon as you find yourself inside the temple, you begin to understand, feel the significance and spirituality of what is happening. Parsley, that is, the service on the night before Christmas, is traditionally visited by many Poles in order to be together and feel the presence of Jesus. The churches themselves are very beautiful during the Christmas period, there are Christmas trees decorated with garlands and toys, organ music is sure to sound.

12 dishes for Christmas in Poland: what is prepared for the holiday ______________________________________________________________________________ In Poland, Christmas is celebrated on December 25. Poles are one of the most religious European nations, and they take a very responsible approach to celebrating Christmas. In Poland, as in many European countries, Christmas is considered a more important holiday than New Year. Here, the main family feast and gifts accompany the celebration of Christmas, and the New Year is spent with friends or even on the street. Christmas Eve (Vigil) in Poland is traditionally associated with a decorated Christmas tree, gifts, a laid table and the aromas of delicious treats. The Polish Christmas scenario suggests that there should be 12 dishes on the table, according to the number of the apostles. And no meat, only fish - preferably carp. Indeed, in many Slavic countries, carp is a symbol of family happiness and well-being. The modern number - 12 - began to meet initially on the tables of the richest people. Sometimes there were so many treats that, for example, all fish dishes were counted as one. Each product on the Polish Christmas table has its own meaning: Bread is a symbol of well-being; Wheat is a symbol of life-giving power; Fish is a symbol of Christianity; Cabbage - meant the power that protected from diseases; Mushrooms - since pagan times have been associated with establishing contact with the souls of deceased ancestors; Poppy is a symbol of fertility and wealth; Honey - his presence on the table on Christmas Eve guaranteed help from the forces of nature; Apples and nuts - protected family members from diseases. All dishes are served in a strictly defined order, which, again, can vary depending on local customs. Most importantly, there are no alcoholic beverages on the vigil table. They will only appear during Christmas dinner. 12 dishes for Christmas in Poland Old Polish red borscht with ears ______________________________________________________________________________ Polish red borsch with ears, rightfully considered the pride of old Polish cuisine. It appeared in the 18th century. Today there is no home where it is not prepared for holy evening. * Borschak * is part of 12 lean dishes. Borscht can be served with small pies, with cabbage croquettes, with cabbage pancakes, or other lean, snack dishes. Borscht is cooked on a special beetroot kvass. Beet sourdough will take several days beforehand, but the effect is unsurpassed, as well as the taste and color of the borscht. Ingredients Beetroot (large) - 3 pcs; Bulb onions (large) - 2 pcs; Carrots (large) - 1 pc; Garlic - 2 teeth ; Parsley ((we have a dry root)) - 2 pcs; Celery ((we have a dry root)) - 1 pc; Wheat flour (premium grade) - 150 g; Water - 85 ml; Vegetable oil - 4 tablespoons; Salt (to taste); Pepper (to taste); Porcini mushrooms (dry); Water - 1.2 l; Dill - 0.5 bunch; Rye bread - 1 scrap; Bay leaf. ; First of all, we will deal with kvass. We will need 2 large beets. We wash them, clean them and cut them into thin circles, preferably on a shredder. Gently and tightly put in a liter jar, add 2 cloves of garlic, cut in half, ground hot pepper and allspice. Put a slice of rye bread on top, fill it with lukewarm boiled water, tie it with gauze, or cover it with a lid on the reverse side. We put the jar on a plate, in case the kvass * runs away *. We put in a warm place for fermentation. After 5 days, the kvass is ready. Remove the foam, if the kvass is not needed today, pour it into a bottle and place it in the refrigerator, where it is stored for several months. Wash dry porcini mushrooms and soak for 2 hours in cold water. Then put to boil in 1.2 liters of water. Boil until tender. Cool. Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add 1 beetroot, cut into thin slices, 1 onion, carrots, parsley, celery, 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cook until the roots are ready. Add pepper, salt, allspice and bay leaf 5 minutes before the end of cooking. In one saucepan, strain the mushroom broth, vegetable broth and beet kvass through a colander. Squeeze 2 cloves of garlic through a press, if desired, season with salt and pepper to taste. Knead the dough from flour, water, vegetable oil, put it covered for half an hour and rest. Roll out the dough and cut out circles or cut it into squares. This dough rolls out very thinly and does not tear. Sculpt small dumplings, pull the center a little, blind the corners together. You get ears. It remains only to boil them. We send boiled ears in 6-8 pieces per borsch. Be sure to cook, do not hesitate, your loved ones will remain full and satisfied. In our family, this borscht is always present for a holy evening and everyone is looking forward to it. Christmas carp recipe ______________________________________________________________________________ Carp 1kg. Bulb onions 2 pcs. Large carrots 1pc. Ghee butter 50g. Wheat flour 2 tablespoons 1/2 lemon juice 5pcs cloves Bay leaf 2 pcs. Salt and pepper to taste Dark beer 1.5 l. Almonds 1 tbsp Raisins 1 tbsp Gingerbread 1pc. Peel the carp, wash and cut into thick pieces. Peel the onion, cut into cubes. Peel the carrots, cut into thin slices. 1 tbsp. l. Heat oils in a frying pan, fry the onions and carrots for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add flour and fry until brown. Pour 1 liter. beer, add onions with carrots, salt and pepper, season with bay leaves, cloves and lemon juice. Simmer, covered with a lid, over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Strain the sauce through a hair sieve into a saucepan. If such a sieve is not available, then a regular plastic sieve with 2 layers of gauze can be used. Coarsely chop the almonds, chop the gingerbread, add the raisins. Add the mixture to the strained sauce. Bring to a boil and season to taste. Place the carp in a saucepan so that it is completely submerged in the sauce. Top up with beer if necessary. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Put the carp on a dish, pour well with the sauce. Serve with boiled potatoes. Cabbage with peas from Old Polish cuisine ______________________________________________________________________________ Ingredients: a liter can of sauerkraut (remove excess juice) a glass of dry peas (peeled) 2 dried mushroom caps a glass of milk a large onion vegetable oil a spoonful of flour salt pepper a sprig of dry savory bay leaf Method of preparation: Soaked and soaked boil dried mushrooms in milk (half to half) until soft, from time to time adding liquid that evaporates. Throw in a colander, cut into "noodles", set aside. Pour peas with water at room temperature, add a pinch of salt and a sprig of savory, we believe until soft over medium heat. Chop the cabbage, if necessary, fill it with plenty of water, bring to a boil, add the bay leaf, cook over low heat for 15 minutes, put it in a colander, take out the bay leaf. Fry finely chopped onion in vegetable oil, when it becomes transparent, sprinkle with flour, fry, stirring often, so that the onion acquires a golden color. We dilute with a decoction of mushrooms, mix well so that there are no lumps. Add cabbage, mushrooms and peas to the sauce (remove the savory). Mix the ingredients, keep on low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper if required. Serve with fried carp. Kutya for Christmas made of rice ______________________________________________________________________________ INGREDIENTS: ● rice 200 g ● poppy seeds 100 g ● walnuts 50 g ● raisins 50 g ● honey 100 g ● salt a pinch ● boiled water 200 ml PREPARATION: 1. Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds and leave for an hour. Then drain the liquid and grind the poppy seeds in a mortar. 2. Wash the raisins and pour boiling water over for half an hour. 3. Dry the nuts and chop finely. 4. Boil the rice in salted water, drain the liquid. 5. Stir rice, raisins, nuts, honey, salt to taste. Dilute with uzvar or boiled water. Serve immediately. Lean dumplings ______________________________________________________________________________ 50-60 pcs. 1/2 portion of choux pastry made with water and vegetable oil 100 ml vegetable oil 2 onions, peel, cut into half rings Salt to taste For cabbage filling: 300 grams of sauerkraut 2 onions, cut into cubes 50 ml vegetable oil Salt to taste For potato mushroom filling: 250 grams of potatoes, peel, cut into cubes 20 grams of dried mushrooms, best white 1 large onion, cut into cubes 50 ml of vegetable oil Salt to taste 1) Prepare the choux pastry in vegetable oil instead of butter. Cover the dough with a slightly damp towel and rest for an hour. 2) For the cabbage filling, place the sauerkraut in a small saucepan and cover with water to the top. Boil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Until soft. 3) Meanwhile, fry the onion in vegetable oil until soft. 4) Strain the cabbage well and add to the onion. Salt, if necessary, and fry, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes, so that the cabbage is slightly browned. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely. 5) For the filling of potatoes with mushrooms, place the dried mushrooms in a deep small saucepan and pour boiling water to the top. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked. 6) Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and crush. 7) Strain the mushrooms, keeping 50 ml of liquid from the boil. Do not chop the mushrooms too finely. 8) Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the onion in it until soft. 9) Add the mushrooms and fry everything together, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, so that the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from heat. 10) Add mushrooms and onions until crushed potatoes. Pour in the stored liquid from the mushroom boil. Knead everything well, if necessary, salt to taste. Leave to cool completely. 11) Blind dumplings from the rested dough and the cooled filling, rolling out the dough thinly, cutting out circles with a glass, spreading about 1 tsp on each. with the top of the filling (or more or slightly less, depending on the size of the circles), carefully covering the edges. Spread the stuck together dumplings on a dish or board covered with a paper towel or sprinkled with flour. NB: Blind dumplings should be immediately covered with a barely damp clean kitchen towel or cling film to prevent drying out. 12) When all the dumplings are stuck together, prepare the roast to serve the dumplings. To do this, heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, salt to taste and fry until golden. 13) Boil the dumplings in a large amount of salted water, stirring often, especially after dipping the dumplings into boiling water and boiling the water again. 14) Strain the lean dumplings and immediately season with the prepared frying. Dried porcini mushroom gravy ______________________________________________________________________________ Fragrant gravy for a lean table Traditionally, this gravy is prepared in Poland for dumplings with potatoes on Christmas Eve. Dried porcini mushrooms 60 g Water 60 ml Onions 200 g Refined sunflower oil 4 tbsp. l. Wheat flour 2 tbsp. l. Ground black pepper 1 pinch Salt 1 tsp. To make a gravy of dried porcini mushrooms, we need dried porcini mushrooms, flour, water, onions, sunflower oil, salt, and black pepper. Peel the onion, cut into cubes and fry in sunflower oil until half cooked. Soak porcini mushrooms in water for 12-14 hours to swell. Boil the mushrooms until tender in the same water in which they were soaked (about 40 minutes). Pass the squeezed mushrooms through a meat grinder and add to the onion (save the mushroom broth). Cook everything together for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place flour in a dry frying pan. Fry the flour until creamy, stirring constantly. Pour boiling water (50-60 ml) into a frying pan with hot flour and stir until smooth. Add the onion-mushroom mixture to the flour mixture. Pour in the mushroom broth, adjusting the density of the gravy as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. Lean mushroom sauce from dried porcini mushrooms is ready. Stuffed cabbage rolls ______________________________________________________________________________ Stuffed cabbage rolls with potatoes - the most popular for holy evening, as a rule, are served with mushroom gravy, which can be lean (fired - seasoned with flour) or sour cream. Onions are sautéed into the potato filling, mushrooms and cracklings are added. For stuffed cabbage, you need to take a head of cabbage, cut the stump, boil it in salted water for 10-15 minutes. Disassemble into leaves, cut off the thickening. Or simply blanch the leaves in hot water until soft. Cabbage rolls are also prepared from sauerkraut; Leaves of cabbage, fermented with heads, are first boiled (it is necessary to reduce the sour taste), then they are cooked like ordinary cabbage rolls. Prepare the filling. Cabbage rolls with corn grits are prepared as follows: they take coarse grits and boil them separately, add sautéed onions and carrots, greaves and poured fat - the grits strongly absorb fat, salt, pepper. The filling is wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked like ordinary cabbage rolls. Served with sour cream. Cabbage rolls with potatoes: peel the potatoes and three on a coarse grater. We set aside the potatoes, for a while, laying it on a sieve - let the liquid drain. Cut the onion into cubes and sauté until golden brown in vegetable oil, cool and add to the grated potatoes. There is a little secret here. Add pre-cooked semolina to the potatoes, one to two tablespoons. We fold without pressing - it's easy. We also cook lean cabbage rolls with rice. Cut the onion into cubes, grate the carrots and sauté in vegetable oil, cool and add to the boiled rice. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, vegetables of your choice and imagination to the filling. We start stuffed cabbage rolls, put cabbage leaves in a saucepan on the bottom, if not post - pork skin, carefully put stuffed cabbage rolls. Pour a third with salted water, mushroom broth, slightly salted sour cream, diluted in half with water, tomato sauce. Cover the top with cabbage leaves and put in the oven under the lid, until cooked for an hour and a half. The most delicious stuffed cabbage rolls are with mushroom sauce. Serve cabbage rolls with sauce.

Most Poles are Catholics. Therefore, they celebrate Christmas according to this Christian direction - December 25... The evening of the previous day is called Vigil (analogue of the Orthodox Christmas Eve) and that's when they gather at the table to celebrate the holiday.

How do Poles celebrate this weekend?

For most Poles, Christmas is a family holiday. Relatives and closest people get together. Many have attended the Christmas service in the church before.

Traditions at Boże Narodzenie in Poland

Many customs have come to modern times from ancient times, some are very few years old, but the Poles treat everyone equally carefully.

Do not prove to the Poles that this or that tradition they have not "from time immemorial", all the more there is no need to share with them knowledge about borrowing certain customs. It will not be possible to prove anything, but you can spoil the festive mood.

The main character of the Christmas interior is a spruce. But its installation and decoration is precisely the case when the tradition is very few years old. She came from Prussia, presumably in the 18th-19th centuries.

Before that, the Poles used food(not a Christmas tree, namely jodłka) - the top of any coniferous tree, suspended from the ceiling. It was believed that she drives away evil spirits. The church reacted ambiguously to the "new" trend - the installation of spruce, but eventually resigned itself, finding the traditions of the appropriate explanation.

According to the priests, spruce symbolizes the biblical tree of knowledge... Yes, the same one from which Eve ate the apple. Lest there be doubts, apples are one of the most common decorations on the Christmas tree.

It so happened, and there is no need to look for historical roughnesses and biological inconsistencies in this. A common joke about an aspen that will not give birth to oranges will also not be appropriate.

The top of the spruce is decorated with the Star of Bethlehem - a symbol of Christmas for all Christians... She has one of the main roles in Polish customs.

Nursery

According to biblical tradition, this is the birthplace of the Savior. Often, a small installation on this topic is assembled under the spruce. On a larger scale, sometimes accompanied by a theatrical performance, the birth of Christ is demonstrated in city squares.

Many houses have kept the tradition lay some hay(as a symbol of the manger) under the christmas tablecloth... She, by the way, should be snow-white.

Christmas carols or chodzenie z gwiazdą

The tradition of caroling or "Walking with a star" gradually goes into the field of historical reconstruction... However, in some Voivodeships, especially in rural areas, chodzenie z gwiazdą is still practiced. This is done, as a rule, by boys, visiting neighbors with a homemade star made from scrap materials.

In other areas Christmas carols in animal costumes are celebrated:

stork as a symbol of the coming new year;
bear, embodying the fury of the forces of nature, requiring pacification;
goats, which, according to folk legends, is a symbol of fertility.

There are other traditions on this subject, but their distribution is decreasing every year.

It is customary to exchange gifts at Christmas. Particular attention is paid to children. At this time, they are visited by ... well, of course, Santa Claus (St. Nicholas, Święty Mikołaj). Any child can easily answer this question.

But older people can remind that in childhood it was not the glorified saint, reduced by Hollywood to a comic fat man, who dropped in to them with gifts, but the good old Dziadek Mróz.

Nevertheless, it is the version of St. Nicholas that is now most widespread. By the way, he is forced to come to the Poles twice in December: on the 6th, when the day of this Saint is celebrated (analogous to the Orthodox St. Nicholas Zimny - 19.12) and on the night of December 25.

The eve of Christmas, or what many people used to call Christmas Eve, are called Wigilia in Poland. Initially, this is the name of the Christmas liturgy, in ancient times all-night vigil, the term eventually migrated to the home plane. Now Vigil is a warm family dinner.- a meeting of Christmas.

Dishes are prepared in advance, but food is not started until the first star appears in the festive firmament. This is another reference to the biblical legend of the Star of Bethlehem. Children watch the sky especially carefully in anticipation of gifts and delicious Christmas meals.

Polish food for Catholic Christmas

The holiday itself will come on December 25, but Christmas meal starts on the 24th... That is, this is the time when the religious restrictions on food are not yet over, so all dishes should be lean!

There are several beliefs regarding the Christmas table:

The number of guests must be even.
The dishes, on the other hand, are odd.
However, it is not possible to count specific recipes, but to use more general categories. For example, fried pike and baked carp can go collectively as a fish dish.

As you can see, the final point allows you to easily change the number of dishes, making it whatever you want.

Paytek is unleavened bread known to Christians of various traditions, denoting, according to the biblical teaching, the body of Christ. It is used in many religious ceremonies and is a must on the Christmas table.

Home Gospel readings are held, after which loved ones break Opłatek. This is how the festive meal begins.

Other dishes

Among the Christmas recipes, the most commonly used are:

lean soups: almond, mushroom, linseed, vegetable, fish;
bigos (stewed sauerkraut) with peas;
kutia (as a symbol of the connection between the living and the departed);
roll with poppy seeds;
fish dishes.

There can be up to 12 or more dishes, but it is believed that you need to try each, at least a small piece.

What to see at the Christmas market?

This type of shopping and entertainment events has become a part of the Polish cultural tradition. Special trading areas are being set up in city squares, where you can buy home decorations, ready-to-eat meals and other goods. Tourists are offered a large selection of souvenirs and food prepared in their presence.

There are also costume balls, masquerades, and theatrical performances. Christmas markets have become a favorite holiday destination for the Poles themselves and guests of the country.

Bożonarodzeniowe jarmarki is an interesting combination of practicality (you can make the necessary purchases) and solemnity.

Large shops and state-owned enterprises do not work December 25. Some extend the weekend to the 26th.

Christmas Eve is usually a short day - most close after lunch.

However, small shops, and even more so souvenir shops and entertainment establishments, can operate according to their own schedules. This also applies to the fairs already mentioned.

Christmas in Poland is an interesting and instructive sight. To replenish your cultural baggage, you should definitely look at it. Now you know about all the nuances of the celebration and you will not get into an unpleasant situation by breaking someone else's tradition. This means that the celebration will be fun, carefree and without prejudice to relations with the residents of the neighboring country.

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Poles are very religious people, so Christmas for them is perhaps one of the most important holidays. is primarily a family holiday. This is the time of traditions that are observed in almost every family. Christmas in Poland is celebrated on December 25, but the most important celebration falls on the Vigil (Christmas Eve). The holiday itself begins by tradition with a solemn supper, dinner - after the first star appears in the sky. Only then does the family gather at the festive table, exchange wishes, treat themselves to wafers - special traditional unleavened bread with religious images.
By the way, the tradition of breaking the wafer and wishing each other all the best on Christmas Eve takes a special place. Poles claim that this is a truly Polish tradition that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

You can read more about the traditions of Christmas in Poland

As a rule, Poles prepare lean and meat menus for Christmas. This is due to the fact that on December 24 there is still fasting and there can be no meat on the table on Christmas Eve. Carp, red borscht, herring, stewed cabbage, dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms, poppy seed roll "Makovets" - there should be twelve dishes on the table in total. Traditionally, there is no alcohol on the table on Christmas Eve. But some remember the Polish proverb “Fish loves to swim” and drink a glass or two of vodka, snacking on herring. Traditionally, on Christmas Eve, one empty seat is left at the table for a random guest. If someone knocks on the door, the owner of the house must feed him. So, we present to your attention 12 main dishes on

Fried carp- classics of Polish culinary art. As early as December 23, you can see huge queues in stores for fresh carp. Carp is cooked in almost every Polish family. The traditional way of cooking is carp fried in batter. In many homes, it is served with a fragrant honey-almond sauce or simply stewed. A New Year's tradition in Poland is also associated with carp: it is believed that if you put in your wallet a scale of a carp that was eaten in the Vigil on New Year's Eve, it will bring financial success throughout the year.
Kutia... This dish is also one of the staples on the Christmas menu. It is with him that the meal begins not only for Catholics, but also for Orthodox. The tradition of cooking kutya dates back to antiquity, and each ingredient in the dish itself has a specific meaning. Basis for cooking: wheat, honey, nuts, poppy seeds and raisins.
Red borsch with ears- a classic Polish treat. Borscht is very popular in Poland and is served not only on special occasions. But it is on Christmas that they are especially careful when preparing it. About 5-6 days before Christmas, beetroot sourdough is prepared and allowed to brew. This makes the perfect soup base. Classic Polish borscht is impossible to imagine without dumplings - "ears". If time permits, it is better to cook them yourself. Then the dough will turn out to be thinner, more tender and the "ears" will simply melt in your mouth. But if there is not enough time for cooking, then these very "ears" can be easily bought in the store.
Borscht with mushrooms Is another traditional and favorite soup in Poland. Often in Polish families it is cooked for Christmas. As a rule, it is prepared two days before the Festival.
Herring in sour cream. The classic herring recipe was invented in Kashuby. The Kashubian population, for whom fishing has been the main activity for centuries, knows all the subtleties of proper preparation. There is far from one recipe, however, herring in sour cream has gained the greatest popularity on the festive table of Poles.
Herring in sunflower oil... In modern Poland, herring can be easily purchased at the store. Previously, the herring was prepared by themselves and the main importance was attached to the oil - it should be of the best quality: either linseed or rapeseed.
Cabbage with mushrooms. On this treat, the opinions of the Poles are divided into opposite ones. Someone likes it, but someone thinks this dish is quite heavy, so they don't really like it.
Dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms. Dumplings are prepared in different ways. And the downtime is boiled and fried. They can be served both as a separate dish and as an addition to borscht.
Noodles with poppy seeds- This dish is quite easy to prepare: pasta (often take sheets for lasagna), poppy seeds, honey and walnuts.
Fish in Greek... Despite the name, this fish has nothing to do with Greece, but is a classic Polish dish on the Christmas table. Greek fish can be served hot or cold.
Millet porridge with prunes and cinnamon... Children especially love this dish.
Dried fruits compote. This is not only the main drink on the table on Christmas night, but also the most favorite. In Polish families, they try to cook compote as much as possible. The more dried fruits you add: apples, pears, plums, apricots, the more aromatic it will turn out.

There are no secondary or main dishes on the Christmas menu in Poland. All dishes are traditional and important. Poles are very sensitive to the customs of their ancestors, so treats on the table on one of the most important holidays are an important attribute of Christmas in Poland for every family.