Christmas in Poland is called Boże Narodzenie (God's Birth), but the main celebration, Christmas Eve on December 24th, is known as Wigilia, meaning "vigil," and is often referred to as Gwiazdka ("Little Star"). It's a deeply traditional time, with Wigilia being the most important part, featuring a special 12-dish supper after the first star appears.
The feast begins with saying grace, breaking the opłatek Christmas wafer to symbolize the gift of daily bread, and wishing each other blessings for the coming year.
The meals must be vegetarian (with the exception of fish) as a sign of fasting and twelve different dishes are prepared, thus symbolizing the Twelve Apostles. The celebration ends with the exchange of presents and a midnight mass in churches.
What two things should Polish people do when they eat oplatek?
And one last thing - before we start eating, we share opłatek. It is an unleavened wafer that everyone gets and shares with each other while kissing, hugging and wishing them the best. In the countryside there is even a tradition of sharing the wafer with the animals who are believed to speak on that very night!
Christmas Eve Dinner - A dinner on Christmas Eve is a Polish tradition that begins with the entire family praying together. It's a feast with 12 dishes to represent the 12 apostles. Before beginning to eat, the family breaks and shares oplatek, Christmas wafers.
The most basic form of greeting is a handshake. It is reserved for those who you meet for the first time and for business connections. Between friends, Poles go for one kiss on the cheek, usually the right one. Though men tend to stick to the handshakes between themselves.
Jaywalking, drinking in public places and smoking in non-designated areas are all generally frowned upon. Lateness is a sign of bad manners and carelessness in Poland. People are expected to be punctual in both professional and social situations. However, tardiness is still fairly common.
Think slow roast duck served with braised red cabbage, honey-glazed spiced roast goose with confit potatoes, or perhaps roast pork with apples, plenty of vegetables and potatoes, alongside a simple honey cake or a more decadent layered Piernik, a Polish gingerbread cake.
Why do Polish people leave an empty chair on Christmas Eve?
During this period, the empty chair tradition gained a new dimension. From the year of the uprising onwards, the empty place was not only left for ancestors or an unexpected guest but, first and foremost, in memory of those who had been deported east, in order to strengthen the hope of their fortunate return.
Famous Polish sayings cover life's wisdom, often with earthy humor, like "Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy" (Not my circus, not my monkeys) for "not my problem," "Mądry Polak po szkodzie" (A wise Pole after the damage) for learning from mistakes, and "Co z oczu, to z serca" (Out of sight, out of heart) for "out of sight, out of mind," reflecting themes of resilience, practicality, and human nature.
You don't want even know what "jaja" mean in Polish ;) But ok, it's a bit vulgar and means: balls, bollocks. There is also polite meaning of this word and means: eggs. Sometimes we say "ale jaja ! " and then it means : what a joke! Hmm, you must be careful using "jaja" in Poland :) 10 yrs.
So how are you - jak se máš Remember, literally how do you have yourself? And one response is simply mám se dobře - I am well, literally I have myself well. Perhaps a more frequent response in Czech is, I am badly - mám se špatně, I have myself poorly.
