Saturday, December 21, 2013

Advent Calendar

It's that time of the year when Jo of Serendipitous Stitching is hosting Advent Blog Hop.  At the beginning of December I started a lovely piece 'A Baby A Manger' and finished just on time for this post:
I was born and raised in Poland and my post is dedicated to Christmas traditions in Poland.

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia! That is the way to say "Merry Christmas" in Polish. Among Poles, wherever they are, the most beloved and beautiful of all traditional festivities is that of Christmas Eve. It is then that the Wigilia, or Christmas Eve Dinner is served. It is a solemnly celebrated occasion and arouses deep feelings of kinship among family members.

For days in advance, Poles prepare the traditional foods and everyone anxiously awaits the moment when the first star, known as the Gwiazdka, appears in the eastern sky. For that is when the feast to commemorate the birth of the Christ Child begins.

There is always a thin layer of hay under the white tablecloth in memory of the Godchild in the manger. Before sitting down at the table, everyone breaks the traditional wafer, or Oplatek and exchanges good wishes for health, wealth and happiness in the New Year. This is such a deeply moving moment that often tears of love and joy are evoked from the family members who are breaking this symbolic bread. The Oplatek is a thin, unleavened wafer similar to the altar bread in the Roman Catholic Church. It is stamped with the figures of the Godchild, the blessed Mary, and the holy angels. The wafer is known as the bread of love and is often sent by mail to the absent members of the family.

The dinner itself differs from other evening meals in that the number of courses is fixed at twelve. According to myth, in no case must there be an odd number of people at the table, otherwise it is said that some of the feasters would not live to see another Christmas. A lighted candle in the windows symbolizes the hope that the Godchild, in the form of a stranger, may come to share the Wigilia and an extra place is set at the table for the unexpected guest. This belief stems from the ancient Polish adage, "A guest in the home is God in the home."

The Wigilia is a meatless meal, no doubt the result of a long-time Church mandate that a strict fast and abstinence be observed on this day before Christmas. Although the Church laws have been revised and permit meat to be eaten on this day, the traditional meal remains meatless. Items that would normally be included in a traditional Wigilia menu include mushroom soup, boiled potatoes (kartofle), pickled herring (sledzie), fried fish, pierogi, beans and sauerkraut (groch i kapusta), a dried fruit compote, babka, platek, assorted pastries, nuts and candies.

After the meal the members of the family sing Polish Christmas Carols called the koledy while the children wait impatiently around the Christmas tree or choinka for the gifts to be exchanged.

Aside from the beautiful Wigilia, the Polish people have a number of other traditions that they practice throughout the Christmas season. Polish Christmas Carols or koledy are numerous and beautiful, especially when sung in Polish parishes at the Christmas Eve Mass. This Mass is called the Pasterka, which means the Shepherds Watch, and there is popular belief in Poland that while the congregation is praying, peace descends on the snow-clad, sleeping earth and that during that holy night, the humble companions of men - the domestic animals - assume voices. But only the innocent of heart may hear them.

Christmas Day itself is spent in rest, prayer, and visits to various members of the family. In Poland, from Christmas Day until the twelfth night, boys trudge from village to village with
an illuminated star and a ranting King Herod among them to sing carols. Sometimes, they penetrate the towns in expectation of more generous gifts. In some districts, the boys carry on puppet shows called shopki. These are built like a little house with two towers, open in the front where a small crib is set.

During the Christmas season, the theaters give special performances. On the feast of the Epiphany, the priest and the organist visit the homes, bless them and write over their doors the initials of the three wise men - KMB (Kasper, Melchior and Balthazar) - in the belief that this will spare the homes from misfortune.

The Christmas season closes on February 2, known as Candlemas Day. On that day, people carry candles to church and have them blessed for use in their homes during storms, sickness and death.
Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!
Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

26 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing you beautiful tradition. Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i Szcesliwego Nowego Roku.....as we say in Italian, Boun Natale.

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  2. Love your stitching ,and enjoyed your story about the polish Christmas just lovely.

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  3. Oh I so love this post. It is always so awesome to read about how others celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. :)

    Merry Christmas to you and yours sweet friend.

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  4. Your stitched manger piece looks beautiful, just perfect for this post. And very interesting to read about Christmas traditions in Poland.
    Have as Merry Christmas!

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  5. Really a special piece. Merry Christmas

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  6. Thank you so much for an amazing post. I have Polish friends and none have been able to explain their traditions as well as you have. Now I know why they keep a carp in the bath for Christmas and why it is fish and not meat. Thank you for an inspiring post which truly captures the heart of what Christmas is all about! Thank you!

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  7. What a beautiful stiching! Thank you for sharing the Polish Christmas traditions with us!

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  8. Beautifully stitched piece Evalina.
    I loved this post! We celebrated this way a few years ago with my daughter's classmates at school. The Oplatek, the table setting, all of it!! I am half Polish and speak only a handful of words, but I do know Wesołych Świąt!

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  9. Thank you, Evalina, for this beautiful post. My parents were both Polish and this brings back memories of our wonderful family Christmases. My favorite part was the visiting on Christmas Day, hugs, kisses, talking, laughing and, oh, the treats my aunts would serve! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  10. Thank you for sharing this lovely story! I love it...so peaceful and full of love! I wish this tradition was shared everywhere!

    Your finished piece is gorgeous. I have seen this pattern many times and I always pass it up. I will be putting it on my wish list.

    Take care, Wishing you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season!
    Hugs,
    Carolyn

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  11. Thanks for taking part. I remember you searching for this desifgn, I'm so pleased that you found it and stitched it in time (good thing you had a date later in the month!).

    Your Polish traditions are lovely, it all sounds very family and community orientated, a lovely time of year.

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  12. Thank you for sharing your wonderful traditions and lovely stitching. Merry Christmas!

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  13. Thank you for telling us about the traditional Polish Christmas. Once I went to a Russian Christmas dinner that was a bit like you describe. It feels so good when we connect through time and place.

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  14. Thanks for sharing. Lovely stitching and post. Merry Christmas!

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  15. I love your finish. It was so very interesting to read about the Polish traditions . Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Where is the chart available for this beautiful ornament?

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  17. Your A Baby, A Manger looks amazing! I am really hoping that Colin has got that for me for Christmas! Your Christmas traditions sound lovely and it is so lovely to hear about everyone else's Christmas celebration especially when it is from another country. Thank you for sharing it with us in such detail and Merry Christmas :)

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  18. La broderie est tres belle bravo Marie-Claire

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  19. A lovely ornament. So interesting to read about your traditions.

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  20. Joyeux Noel pour vous et la famille Marie-Claire

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  21. Wszelkiego błogosławieństwa od nowo narodzonej Dzieciny!
    Edyta

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  22. Hope your Christmas was special.

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  23. Beautiful finish, Evalina. I love those winter pictures from a few posts ago. :D

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  24. I love to hear about other traditions, thank you! A peaceful New Year to you!

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  25. I also love hearing about how everyone around the world celebrates...thank you for sharing!! What beautiful clothing they have on in that picture!

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  26. Wow, such wonderful traditions.

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Thank you for leaving your comments. They mean a world to me, keep me inspired and motivated.