Christmastraditionsin Poland.

EVEChristmas Eve in the Polish tradition is the most solemn and most poignant evening of the year. It has a very rich liturgies home. These rites and customs are an old tradition. Christmas Eve in general were already known in the Old Testament. Celebrated it before each ceremony, and even before every Sabbath. It was preparing to rest festive. The Israelites called it "evening". The word "Christmas Eve" comes from Latin and means waiting. This was formerly the custom in the Church, from the previous day before the larger celebrations in force post and faithful all night waiting for the ceremony, praying together.

BREAKING WAFERThis tradition comes from the ancient custom called „eulogiów” that survived the first centuries of Christianity. Christmas Eve refers to the feasts of the early Christians, organized to commemorate the Last Supper. This custom is also meant to sacrifice one for the other and learns that even divide the last piece of bread. We make a wish for prosperity and forgive injuries. The name "wafer" is derived from the Latin word „oblatum”, ie offering. Historically, human sacrifices to an unknown the forces - water, lightning bolts, winds, earthquakes, to protect ourselves from everything that might threaten him. Wafers, which we now know were the first to bake the monks of the Benedictine monastery in France. From there, the custom spread throughout Europe, and together with Christianity arrived well as Polish.

FREE SPACE AT THE TABLEThe well-known and widespread in Poland is now a habit of leaving space at the table Christmas Eve. This place is sometimes mainly intended for the casual visitor. Leaving a space at the table also express the memory of our loved ones who can not spend the Christmas with us. This space can also draw all our memory of the deceased family member.

FIRST STARIn Poland, Christmas Eve supper began when the sky appeared the first star. This was done probably in memory of the star of Bethlehem, which is by the Evangelist, St. Matthew, the Magi saw, also called the Kings Magi.

AFTER SUPPERHistorically, after supper, in addition to singing carols, in many parts of the Polish practiced different customs. And so, in the Warmia and Mazury, when revelers still sitting at the table, pulled the tablecloth out from under a straw. If you pulled the straw straight, the person who held out, waiting for a simple life, without the dangers. If the straw was contorted, it's a person waiting next year winding life. In Mazowsze, leftovers were given to animals. It was believed that at midnight, at least some of them, spoke with a human voice. This was especially cattle, because it was present at the birth of the Child and as a reward received the gift of speaking with a human voice on the night of Christmas Eve.

SHEPHERDESSIt ends on Christmas Eve. This the Mass celebrated in churches exactly at midnight. According to tradition, it commemorates the arrival in Bethlehem shepherds and submit their homage to the newborn the Child. The habit of exercising the Christmas Liturgy in the Church of the night was introduced in the second half of the fifth century.

CHRISTMAS CAROLAnother custom introduced by the Church, are visiting parishioners in the Christmas period made by the parish priest or priests. They bring good tidings, enjoying enormous and bless the house and its inhabitants, in return, receive a symbolic sacrifice formerly called carol. This tradition, known in the Middle Ages, remained in Poland to modern times.

NATIVITY SCENESIn Poland, the nativity scene appeared very early, probably already in the Middle Ages. Originally staged in churches cribs were extremely simple, it remained faithful to evangelical transfers. In the nineteenth century created various regional forms of Polish nativity cribs. The best known and most interesting are the cribs Cracow, whose architecture is inspired by the historic buildings of Krakow. Krakow Nativity scenes often became performances dolls, which on miniature scenes illuminated candles popping up all sorts of action figures. Today, Christmas cribs are built in all Polish churches.

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