Today we will explore what Christmas looks like in Poland and Russia!
In Poland, Christmas Time begins with Advent. People attend 'raraty' special masses held at dawn and dedicated to Mary.
The Polish celebrate "St. Nicoholas Day" on December 6th where children receive a small gift from St. Nicolas, in a shoe or near a fireplace.
A custom on Christmas Eve is for no food to be eaten until the first star is seen in the sky. So, children spend much of the evening outside looking for that star!
The Christmas meal consists of 12 dishes- that are meant to give good luck for each month of the next year. In more religious homes, the 12 dishes symbolizes Jesus 12 disciples. This meal is often meat free as a way to honor the animals in the manger with the Baby Jesus.
It is common to leave an empty seat at the table to offer an unexpected guest. The Polish believe everyone should have a place to go on Christmas so they symbolically leave an empty chair at the table in case someone needs a place to go.
At the start of the meal- a wafer biscuit is passed around- each person breaks off a piece and offers a Christmas greeting.
One of the main dishes is beetroot soup and it is obligatory to have it.
Get this- Carp can be the main dish of the meal and the fish is bought a few days earlier alive and it swims in a bath tub until the lady of the house kills it. Yikes!
In recent times, it is more common to buy a filet of carp. The fish scales are said to bring luck and fortune and some even keep some of the scales in their wallet to carry with them through the year!
Christmas in Russia is widely celebrated on January 7th. Why? Because the Russian Orthodox Church adheres to the Julian Calendar. January 1st is a more important holiday to the Russian people.
During much of the 20th century, under communist rule, Russia was banned from publicly celebrating Christmas. Thankfully this has changed and celebrating the holiday has continued to grow!
A white tablecloth is often laid out on tables to symbolize the clothes Jesus was swaddled in.
Kutya- a dish of grains, poppy seeds, and honey is served as one of the main dishes at the Christmas feast.
The Russian Santa Claus is called Father Frost and he places presents for children at New Year's. He is accompanied by a snow maiden who is his granddaughter.
Svyatki- Russian Christmastide- follows Christmas for a two week period and this is where you will see traditions such as caroling and fortune telling.
In Both Poland and Russia- hay often covers the kitchen floors and tables to represent the manger.
I hope you had fun reading about Christmas in Poland and Russia!
Comment here if you know of any other traditions in either of these countries!
In Poland, Christmas Time begins with Advent. People attend 'raraty' special masses held at dawn and dedicated to Mary.
The Polish celebrate "St. Nicoholas Day" on December 6th where children receive a small gift from St. Nicolas, in a shoe or near a fireplace.
A custom on Christmas Eve is for no food to be eaten until the first star is seen in the sky. So, children spend much of the evening outside looking for that star!
The Christmas meal consists of 12 dishes- that are meant to give good luck for each month of the next year. In more religious homes, the 12 dishes symbolizes Jesus 12 disciples. This meal is often meat free as a way to honor the animals in the manger with the Baby Jesus.
It is common to leave an empty seat at the table to offer an unexpected guest. The Polish believe everyone should have a place to go on Christmas so they symbolically leave an empty chair at the table in case someone needs a place to go.
At the start of the meal- a wafer biscuit is passed around- each person breaks off a piece and offers a Christmas greeting.
One of the main dishes is beetroot soup and it is obligatory to have it.
Get this- Carp can be the main dish of the meal and the fish is bought a few days earlier alive and it swims in a bath tub until the lady of the house kills it. Yikes!
In recent times, it is more common to buy a filet of carp. The fish scales are said to bring luck and fortune and some even keep some of the scales in their wallet to carry with them through the year!
Christmas in Russia is widely celebrated on January 7th. Why? Because the Russian Orthodox Church adheres to the Julian Calendar. January 1st is a more important holiday to the Russian people.
During much of the 20th century, under communist rule, Russia was banned from publicly celebrating Christmas. Thankfully this has changed and celebrating the holiday has continued to grow!
A white tablecloth is often laid out on tables to symbolize the clothes Jesus was swaddled in.
Kutya- a dish of grains, poppy seeds, and honey is served as one of the main dishes at the Christmas feast.
The Russian Santa Claus is called Father Frost and he places presents for children at New Year's. He is accompanied by a snow maiden who is his granddaughter.
Svyatki- Russian Christmastide- follows Christmas for a two week period and this is where you will see traditions such as caroling and fortune telling.
In Both Poland and Russia- hay often covers the kitchen floors and tables to represent the manger.
I hope you had fun reading about Christmas in Poland and Russia!
Comment here if you know of any other traditions in either of these countries!
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