Christmas traditions and beliefs

Christmas traditions and rituals are often rooted in local beliefs. One such tradition says that we can be visited by the dead. In the 19th century, it was believed that the apparitions of the dead from the previous year appear on Christmas Eve. All you needed to do to see them was to go to the entrance hall and peek into the dining room through a keyhole. You could see them by the table in the company of other diners.

Another belief said that defiling Christmas traditions spelled misfortune and unhappiness for the coming year. We still uphold this belief as we tend not to argue on Christmas Eve and prefer to show kindness instead. However, the belief is becoming increasingly rare, let alone the attempts to turn it into a reality.

An extra place setting

"I remember that we always took care to leave an extra place setting at the Christmas table. For an errant wanderer. My husband's family continue the traditions, but they say the place setting is for the nearest and dearest who are no longer alive. For their apparitions," says Monika, who is preparing her first Christmas Eve this year. "We are going to have an extra place setting as well of course," she adds.

It is very difficult to identify the origins of the tradition. According to ethnologists, this traditions is not very old because it is not mentioned by any of medieval chroniclers or historians.

Keep your door ajar for... the ghosts

"The belief in the souls of the dead returning on Christmas Eve dates back to Old Slavonic times. The doors and windows were kept ajar to help them enter the property," says ethnologist Katarzyna Jaskólska. They were offered the remnants from the dinner and crumbles of the Christmas wafer. Before dinner commenced, animals were often called for, as there was a belief that the souls of the dead could enter their bodies. With the presence of the dead, spitting, throwing away dishwater or weaving with a spinning wheel were forbidden," adds Katarzyna Jaskólska. "Sharp objects such as knives, scissors or needles were used only in an emergency. Why was that? In order not to hurt the ghosts."

Christmas spells the coming year

Everybody in Poland believed that Christmas Eve spells the coming year. In some regions, children were inured against disease by running three times around the house on the Christmas Eve morning. Silver coins were placed at the bottom of washbasins to preserve women's beauty.

"You were forbidden to lend anything on Christmas so as not to face any losses in the coming year," says Katarzyna Jaskólska. "An onion would be cut into 12 pieces to provide a weather forecast for the 12 coming months. If they got damp and mouldy, they predicted heavy rainfall for the month.

Happiness and prosperity

People used to believe that a boy visiting the house in the morning would bring good fortune for the coming year. They would also place a little coin in one of the ravioli swimming in Christmas beetroot soup. "The coin was reported to bring good fortune to the founder for the coming year," says the ethnologist.

You also had to be particularly careful not to get injured, bruised or ill. This spelled ill health for the coming year.

There were also other ways to secure good fortune and prosperity for the coming year. One such way was to taste all of the twelve Christmas Eve dishes. In so doing, you would make them available for the coming year. Some people would, and many still do, keep fish scales in their wallets to secure prosperity and good fortune.

The magic of Christmas wafer

The Polish name "opłatek" comes from the Latin oblatum, which means "offering". In its present form, Christmas wafer was introduced in the 10th century instead of consecrated bread.

Wafer was also believed to be invested in a number of magical and healing properties. When thrown into a well, wafer crumbles were reported to purify water to keep people and animals in good health. It was believed that those who break Christmas wafer on Christmas Eve will be secured against hunger throughout the years and will be able to share their bread with the poor.

In many regions, the host would break wafer in as many pieces as there were guests on Christmas Eve, dipped them in honey while saying the names of the guests and stick them to the window panes. The pieces that fell off the pane predicted death to their holders.

When we share Christmas greetings these days, we wish health and propitiousness to one another. We also wish their dreams come true. We wish you all these and much more for the coming Christmas.