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Poland: habits and traditions of Christmas Eve

12-course dinner, tree decorations go up early in the morning

22 December, 19:20

(ANSA) - WARSAW, DECEMBER 22 - (by Adam Hanzelewicz) Christmas Eve in the Polish tradition is one of the most important days of the year: families gather to savour every moment of a real liturgy, according to the habits passed down from generation to generation, Christmas tree decorations usually go up in the early morning, waiting for the arrival of the first star, which marks the opening of the long party.

Dinner in the current period of Polish history strictly consists of 12 courses (number of apostles and months of the year), based on fish, soups and vegetables, no meat. Among the rituals related to the setting of the table, is a free place left for the traveler in sign of hospitality, or to remember someone who has passed away or a distant family member.

Usually, before sitting down at the table, the head of the family reads one of the passages of the Gospel that speaks of the Nativity and then gives green light to the exchange of greetings and oplatek, a white blessed wafer, featuring Christmas figures and very similar to the host, a symbol of brotherhood and reconciliation, which is mutually broken and eaten.

Under the white tablecloth we will find some hay, which is pulled out at the end of the evening, to know what kind of life awaits us: fishing a straight stem we will be lucky, catching a bent one, we will be facing a winding path. The dinner differs a lot from various regions of Poland: there are, however, some very traditional courses which all Poles have in common.

The starter dish is usually the broth of red turnips with tortellini (barszcz czerwony z uszkami), which can be followed by the porcini mushroom soup (zupa grzybowa), or chickpea soup (grochowka wigilijna) with homemade pasta similar to noodles.

Among the main courses, some of them very popular among tourists, are ravioli stuffed with white cabbage, porcini mushrooms and butter (pierogi z kapusta). As for the second course, the menu includes carp cooked according to Jewish tradition and served cold with natural jelly of the same fish, marinated herrings (marynowane sledzie) with vinegar and onion, often accompanied by a small glass of vodka.

Among the drinks is the kompot, a home made fruit and spice tea, to be enjoyed hot or cold. Typical cake of the Vigilia is Makowiec, a roll filled with poppy seeds, honey, walnuts and raisins, whereas another delight is kutia, a rich and sweet dessert, prepared with cooked wheat, poppy seeds, walnuts, orange peel, honey, raisins, almonds, dried fruit and milk. At the end of the dinner, all the tablemates start to sing together the traditional Christmas songs (koledy) - the first song in Poland was composed in 1424 - within a repertoire rich of over 500 existing pieces. And after food and music, you cannot miss the midnight mass to end the evening, a liturgical moment which is eagerly awaited by the faithful. (ANSA).

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