Englishman Reacts to... All about Polish Christmas traditions! 🎄

How do Polish people celebrate Christmas?
Original: • All about Polish Chris...
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#poland #christmas #christmastraditions

[@RobReacts1]

If you are enjoying my reactions to all things Poland, make sure you go and watch out trips to Poland on our vlog channel and subscribe! We have vlogs from Gdansk, Kraków and Wrocław. kzbin.info/aero/PLw4JaWCFm7FeHG7Ad5PtaZzoYd1Vq5EXW

[@smiechuwarte-qt8pn]

This is what the Christmas mass at midnight on December 24/25 in the mountains looks like kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2OQnn1jbtJ9qbc

[@wladyslawbukowski]

Comparing and looking for the logic or lack thereof between Christmas in Poland and England is a bit like talking to a blind person about colors. That's how it is. Greetings and Merry Christmas to you and your entire family.

[@agakowalska6456]

Poszukałeś Panią ,która tlumaczy jak niepełnosprytnym,w sumie dla Ciebie ok

[@wuuemm]

I've seen. Verty addictive.

[@NecessaryDramaAddictionNDA]

I was in Gdansk in October and I absolutely love it. Went to sopot too but never made it to Gdynia unfortunately as Gdansk was just so big. I’m glad others love it as much as we do

[@bountytracker]

Actually we've had some people that came unexpected to us on Eve's dinner. So this empty place was used couple of times. It's not only because we've got used to it...

[@Vicky19463]

Same we had a man who lived in the same building as us but was spending it alone and with no money

[@mirouyo9785]

Actually, a lot of the christmas traditions come from old slavic pagans. The empty seat for example- it was meant for the ancestors.

[@anetasotys9334]

Almost all of the traditional christmas eve dishes is basically what would last till december quite some time ago

[@mirouyo9785]

@@andrzejkakol6909 maybe this causet the tradition to become more widespread but if you look up szczodre gody you will see that this tradition most likely has pagan roots, two things can be true at once you know

[@veroniicaa2000]

​@@andrzejkakol6909no its pagan tradition 😇

[@nastka011]

Basically just show up at any Polish family home at 24th and you need no invitation :D we always leave one place for a unexpected guest, so chances are, people will actually invite you in anyways :D

[@Wodzulol]

Yes, fish in the bathtub was a staple until recently :) People usually bought fish in the morning on Christmas Eve. Today it is less common because animal rights activists etc. so this is no longer common. But 20 years ago, by default, fish had to be in the bathtub.

[@AleksandraLexi]

Ja nie znam tego zwyczaju kąpania karpia w wannie mimo, że mam 27 lat, a mój dziadek był wędkarzem 🤔😜🙃

[@Wodzulol]

@@AleksandraLexi oj to życia nie znasz:p karp moczony mułem teoretyczne nie śmierdzi:p był to okropny zwyczaj ale dalej widzę że sprzedają karpie żywe:p więc jeszcze ktoś kupuje :p

[@marta1799]

In my area it was bught way earlier, it needed to swoim a little in bathtub to "clean-up" and it had to be killer at least 23rd since it has to be soaked in milk the day before preparing.

[@marta1799]

Sorry for mistakes in the comment, I can't edit it

[@PobortzaPl]

Karpia się kupowało kiedy był w sklepie, zwykle około tygodnia przed Świętami. Drań (albo dranie, gdy wieczerza była na 8 osób) sobie pływał, można go było trochę pozaczepiać, ale w końcu trzeba go było zabić, wypatroszyć i podzielić. U moich rodziców karo był dzielony na 5 porcji: 2 razy przednie żebra, 2 razy tylne, ogon. Łeb i wnętrzności były do wyrzucenia, razem z dużymi łuskami. Można było sobie pęknąć pęcherz karpia. Po małżeństwie przejąłem tradycję od teścia: karpiowi odcina się łeb, patroszy, skrobie a potem się go piecze na maśle.

[@mariaok8832]

Do domu moich rodziców przyszedł kiedyś samotny i jadł z nami w wigilię.

[@BarbaraSzydo-ei3nv]

Super!!❤❤❤

[@anuskas9244]

Do nas też. Kiedy byłam dzieckiem, przyszedł pan, który wracał do domu i zakopał się w śniegu, przyszedł pożyczyć łopatę (mieszkaliśmy w leśniczówce poza wsią, a on jeszcze dalej pod lasem, a śniegu było dużo, on był bez rodziny). Spędził z nami wigilię i został zaproszony na pierwrszy dzień świąt, a nas zaprosił w drugi. Nie znaliśmy go, bo mieszkał dopiero kilka tygodni, a terez ta przyjaźń trwa od jakichś 30 lat... Nawet ożenił się w wieku 50 lat z moją ciocią, którą poznał u nas w święta 😉

[@Krokmaniak]

About gifts it changes from region to region. For example here gifts are brought not by Santa (gifts from Santa are December 6), but Baby Jesus. Children go to different room looking for a star and adults place gifts under the tree. When star is up they ring a bell and kids run back. Then one person gives gifts, but after reading for whom that gift is you need to sing a carol to get it, so whole gift giving process can last a long time

[@klaudiaczarnecka5251]

In my home Angels brought gifts, in some houses it's Gwiazdor

[@grisznik]

Not exactly true if by "here" you mean the entirety of Poland. static.im-g.pl/im/1/25525/m25525901,Kto-przynosi-prezenty-pod-choinke-24-grudnia.png

[@aniaania3952]

Polish Christmas traditions are much richer than could be presented in this short film. Christmas Eve is a very festive time. After dinner we sing Christmas carols. I've never had carp in the bathtub in my house😊. My grandfather used to catch fish on Christmas Eve and then prepare them himself. Dinner, of course, without alcohol

[@ewaszot1243]

about the carp in the bathtub During the times of communism, live carp were imported to Poland earlier and since there was no place to keep the carp, it was simply left in the bathub, alsow many people in the countryside did not have refrigerators.

[@barbarabryndziak2300]

Jest jeszcze jeden powód trzymania ryb w czystej, bierzącej wodzie, ryba się oczyszcza, pozbywa się w ten sposób z mięsa smaku mułu.

[@JM-wj3pp]

To understand the custom of keeping fish in the bathtub, you need to go back to the times of communism in Poland. It was hard to buy fish for the holidays back then, so sometimes we bought it in advance (alive) and kept it in the bathtub to keep it fresh. It will be difficult to understand such a custom for someone from G.B. Not many do that anymore.

[@kopernik_elfka]

Today, we have regulations regarding penalties for animal cruelty, so it is difficult to buy a carp in advance and transport it home (unless someone goes shopping with an aquarium). We buy frozen fillets more and more often.

[@bernadetta1993]

3:00 yes, Wigilia is meatless and without alcohol. All dishes are mostly with fish, or mushrooms or some sweet dishes. 😊 5:00 it's about being sneaky to put presents under the tree 😂 6:30 this empty place is of course according to Bible. Some people say that we cannot say no if someone comes to us on Christmas Eve asking for help. Some people say it's for our family that died and their ghosts are with us.

[@veroniicaa2000]

Actually the tradition to keep empty place is a pagan prechristian tradition and its for the spirits of our ancestors 😇 actually most of christmas traditions in poland have roots in our old beliefs😇

[@barbaraibiel]

@bernadetta1993 Meatless? And what is a fish? A vegetable?

[@bernadetta1993]

@@barbaraibiel we consider fish as fish.

[@barbaraibiel]

@@bernadetta1993 Fish are animals. Fish belong to the animal kingdom.

[@bernadetta1993]

@@barbaraibiel whatever makes you sleep at night

[@WoTBlitzAddict]

Of course we had fish in the bath since it was typical in most if not all polish houses, especially during PRL period

[@wuuemm]

12 dishes is not a problem if you start some days earlier and all capable family members assist. Practically, the only dishes which should be done not earlier than on the Eve is fish and soup. Very often, if you host your parents, children, siblings or friends, they deliver what's needed, according to agreement done somewhat 1 mont earlier.

[@RobReacts1]

But yea... A lot of food is involved!

[@wuuemm]

@@RobReacts1 Really, some poorer families who don't afford dinners like that all the year save some money to make this evening exceptional. You must add the cost of a Christmas Tree (c.a. 150 - 200 PLN) and some illumination (the latter can be used for years, of course, even the tree, if is artificial). I've got no idea why this video has focused mainly on food, albeit the not mentioned Tree is a real symbol of this time. Moreover, in many strictly catholic families (quite a number in Poland) an appropriate fragment of the Bible is read first, before the waffle ritual, following a short prayer.

[@karmacharger1370]

Przed zniesieniem postu, nie jadło się mięsa w wigilię, teraz to już wszystko zależy od zwyczaju jaki panuje w rodzinie. Z alkoholem wygląda zapewnię podobnie, jednak u mnie zawsze było mało alkoholu, może dzięki temu nigdy nie było kłótni przy wigilijnym stole.

[@kopernik_elfka]

U mnie w rodzinie nigdy nie było alkoholu przy wigilijnym stole, czasami jednak zdarzało się po wieczerzy, że ktoś pił kieliszek na trawienie. Za to znam rodzinę, w której wszyscy panowie chodzili na pasterkę, tylko po to, żeby tuż po północy pić pod kościołem. Dla mnie to oburzające i obleśne (jakby dorośli ludzie nie mogli sobie odpuścić jednego wieczoru), ale bywają i takie zwyczaje.

[@user-wy3ut8en9y]

You can't forget about Christmas carols. Singing together brings the whole family together.

[@gduniec]

Ten wspominany przez wszystkich karp pływał w wannie bo te 20-30 lat temu był w Polsce sprzedawany niemal wyłącznie jako żywa ryba. W tamtych czasach to byl jedyny sposób na dostarczenie społeczeństwu dłużej ilości świeżych ryb w krotkim czasie kilku przedświątecznych dni. W polskich sklepach z tamtych lat nie było wystarczająco sprawnych i wydajnych chłodni czy lodówek, a i transport towarów był daleki od ideału. Biorąc pod uwagę, że martwa ryba szybko się psuje dostarczanie jej konsumentom w stanie żywym gwarantowało jej możliwie wysoką jakość. Ten karp w wannie był atrakcją dla dzieci (chyba każdy próbował karmić karpia okruchami chleba) i przykrym obowiązkiem dla głowy rodziny. Pamiętam swoje rozterki i wyrzuty sumienia gdy pierszy raz musiałem zabić karpia. Bardzo to przeżywałem. Od lat kupuję ryby marwe, porcjowane - to lepsze dla mojej psychiki 😉 Wesołych świąt!

[@yvonne.dressmaker]

Dokładnie!

[@barbaraibiel]

@gduniec Karp nie był atrakcją dla mnie gdy byłam dizeckiem. Wiedziałam, że ten karp zostanie zamordowany. Jak to musiałeś zabić karpia? Kto Cię do tego zmusił? Nie masz wolnej woli? Trzeba było włożyć karpia to wiaderka z wodą i zanieść go do jeziora. A teraz płacisz komuś, by mordowal za Ciebie i masz czyste sumienie?

[@gduniec]

@@barbaraibiel Spokojna twoja rozczochrana. Nie przeżywam obecnie rozterek moralnych bo kupuję karpia porcjowanego lub filetowanego. Kiedyś takiej opcji nie było. A pierwszego karpia przyszło mi zabić jak założyłem własną rodzinę i wyprowadziłem się od rodziców. Jako akwarystę i przyrodnika za pierwszym razem dręczyły mnie wyrzuty sumienia. Z czasem to przeszło, ale nadal uśmiercanie zwierząt nie jest dla mnie przyjemne.

[@barbaraibiel]

@@gduniec „Nie przeżywam obecnie rozterek moralnych bo kupuję karpia porcjowanego lub filetowanego.” Aha, a takie rosną na drzewach. Rozumiem. „Kiedyś takiej opcji nie było.” No tak, kiedyś trzeba było komus zapłacić, żeby dla nas zamordował rybę. „A pierwszego karpia przyszło mi zabić jak założyłem własną rodzinę i wyprowadziłem się od rodziców.” Bo żona Cię do tego zmusiła? Czyli jesteś jej niewolnikiem? „Jako akwarystę i przyrodnika za pierwszym razem dręczyły mnie wyrzuty sumienia.” No ale teraz płacisz innym, żeby robili brudną robotę za Ciebie, więc masz czyste sumienie. No ładna logika! „Z czasem to przeszło, ale nadal uśmiercanie zwierząt nie jest dla mnie przyjemne.” Więc po co płacisz ludziom by to dla Ciebie robili? Obejrzyj film dokumentalny na NatFlixie, „Seaspiracy”.

[@gduniec]

@@barbaraibiel marudzisz.

[@yvonnevonjendraschek5099]

she forgot to add that on Christmas we sing carols, especially in families where there are instruments

[@sylwiatime]

In fact the extra plate comes from the pagan tradition of feeding ghosts. But since the Catholic church had to explain it somehow and that's what they came with. Sharing wafer on Christmas was a nobles' tradition as well as the 12 dishes. I think they do that in Lithuania as well. Yes, everyone in Poland had a carp in their bathtub in childhood. I think it may be different now because NGOs keep telling us about the suffering of the fish sold life in supermarkets.

[@alh6255]

A minimum of 12 dishes was a tradition in all Polish homes, both among the nobility and the peasants, already in the Middle Ages. However, these dishes were different. In the countryside there were mainly cabbage, peas, mushrooms and fish caught by one's own, and in wealthier homes the dishes were more exquisite, there were sea fish, and very often much more dishes than 12. My mother comes from a former wealthy nobility, and before World War II, as a child, she ate for Christmas Eve dinner as a soup, not borscht or mushroom soup - but turtle soup (a traditional Christmas Eve dish of wealthy Polish nobility, wealthy townspeople or served on Christmas Eve at the royal court). Many types of fish were also served (from freshwater and the sea, fried, baked, in jelly, sweet, salty, marinated, etc.), vegetable salads in mayonnaise and sweet, perogies, various fruit dishes (including, of course, compote of dried fruits with various spices), or dishes with poppy seeds, honey, nuts and raisins and many cakes (with poppy seeds, cheesecakes and gingerbreads). ​

[@paulinajulietta1499]

Yes, there was a carp in my buthtub every year when I was a child. When someone wanted to take a bath carp was taken out of water to a big plastic bag filled with water. That was also the way in which carp was packed in shop or market and transported to the home, where he was transfered into a bathtub

[@krzysztofbudzinski2996]

In 1995, I was invited to a Christmas Eve dinner by a friend as an "extra place setting". I thank him very much.

[@ahojedycia3330]

this is like the super power of Polish women. we start cooking a week before Christmas. in my family my grandmother did all the work first, and my mother prepared the desserts and cakes. now i'm the dessert and cake person 😅

[@RobReacts1]

haha

[@paulinaczyzewska7336]

Christmas Eve has not officially been a fast day for many years, but many people maintain this tradition

[@TomikoPL]

Hi Rob! I'm from Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) and it's Gwiazdor (Star Man?) who brings presents. St. Nicolas (Święty Mikołaj) brings usually small presents on 6th of Dec., when it's St. Nicolas Day. Take care, and Merry Christmas to you! P.S. And yes- there was a carp swimming in our bathtub, when I was a kid and my dad used to kill it and prepare for Christmas Eve. Unfortunatelly, I don't keep that tradition.

[@mirosawagotto9480]

Rob, życzę Tobie i bliskim wesołych Świąt.Wedlug tradycji zawsze przygotowujemy dodatkowy talerz dla przypadkowej osoby. W tym roku zaprosiłam owdowiałego samotnego dziadka, sąsiada.Wzruszył się tak ogromnie, że popłynęły łzy. W tak ważne Święta nikt nie powinien czuć się samotny. Będą kolędy przy akompaniamencie gitary, smaczne potrawy w Wigilię /24 grudnia/. Piękne i wyczekiwane Święta. Pozdrawiam z polskich Mazur

[@maciekszymanski8340]

It's not quite what this woman says. First of all, the Christmas Eve tradition is much older than Christianity in Poland. It was not until long after the adoption of Christianity that the religious ideology was adapted to it. Originally, the empty chair and plate was for deceased ancestors. But even in later times it was intended for absent family members, for example for those who were sent into exile or imprisoned for fighting against foreign authorities. I hear this explanation with Joseph and Mary for the first time in my life! Secondly, traditions vary from region to region and even vary from family to family. In my family, not only did we not eat meat on Christmas Eve, but we did not use ANY animal products (e.g. butter, eggs, cheese, milk, etc.). The exception was honey. Thirdly, she went too far with not drinking alcohol ;)

[@adelachuszno8003]

Yes. Typically 12 dishes are made. That's why you start making them the day before and get up and make them in the morning. And in the evening the housewife is exhausted. And the guests were full. I always remember that after Christmas Eve dinner everyone goes to bed because they are tired and have full bellies.

[@adelachuszno8003]

There is no need to be discouraged. Every bigos is different. They are sour or sweetish. They taste more like cabbage or meat. It depends on whether they are wild mushrooms or champignons. Each taste of bigos depends on the ingredients, proportions and preparation method, which may vary. I don't like all bigos either.

[@madrianzorroonio85]

7:05 - Empty place is not only for memory. If a lost traveler visiting us, we get in and seat on this empty place. In this day we can't refuse his, what ever by are... Some time, journalists check this tradition and visiting alien homes incognito.

[@Melinea18]

December 24 is the eve of Christmas. Christmas Eve (from Latin vigilia = "watch", "guard"; vigilare = "to keep watch") - in Christian tradition, the start of Christmas celebrations on the evening of the day before. In the Catholic Church, the vigil is part of every celebration (including Sunday). However, it is still a day of fasting, so we do not eat meat or drink alcohol. On the other hand, the day after, we can eat meat as much as possible. There are usually special dishes prepared for Christmas Eve and additional ones for the following feast days.

[@witoldknitter4995]

I wish you Rob,and your wife,to spend Christmas Eve in a Polish home. Merry Christmas.

[@aneluakosa2910]

Zanim sie siądzie do stolu też jest modlitwa i czytanie fragmentu z pisma Świętego o narodzeniu Jezusa. Potem dzielimy się opłatkiem tzw. dzielenie się chlebem. A pyyste miejsce jest dla kogoś kto mógłby się niespodziewanie zjawić. Przyjąć kogoś w gościnie. Oraz to miejsce upamiętnienia zmarłych z rodziny.

[@alh6255]

No i śpiewamy kolędy wspólnie, najczęściej po kolacji wigilijnej

[@hmm-technikOrganizacjiReklamy]

Chyba u was! U mnie się przychodzi. Potem jest organizacja czyli jedna osoba stoi w kuchni i wykuje frykasy reszta stoi dzielnie przed kuchnią. Potem każdy bierze Talerz z czymś dobrym i leci zacieść. Na końcu osoba w kuchni stoi i podgrzewa to co wymaga podrzania to czym sztafeta znowu rusza. Żadnego biadolenia o religii. Siadamy . Matka głowa naszej rodziny składa życzenia. Potem leci wianuszek życzeń od każdego jedzenie jedzenie prezenty jedzenie. 2-3 godziny i każdy ucieka do siebie. 2 święto to samo. Czasami na końcu w coś gramy.

[@user-wy3ut8en9y]

Most people eat sweet and sour soup with a bit of marjoram called borscht, some people eat mushroom soup, or soup from fish parts that do not have much meat, e.g. cleaned heads. My friends eat a slightly thick soup made of dried fruit with pasta, with the consistency of a thin jelly and only slightly sweet in taste, with a hint of spice and smoke.

[@juliastrzyga2274]

hahaha When I was a child we had a fish swimming in a baththub once. Literaly once. Killing and cleaning poor sod was traumatic to all of us including my mother, and we decided to just buy fillet next time. :D While fish was alive bathtub was out of order obviously, but we were very happy to have a pet fish for a bit.

[@anuskas9244]

My friend from Norway, who often visits me in Poland, once said "If you want to really know the character, personality, tradition and what Poles are really like, you should come to Poland and spend Christmas Eve and All Saints' Day, November 1, with a traditional Polish family." He said he would never forget it

[@Bukaj2]

16:31 Yes Rob Santa came to Poland first in 6th of December and after that he came beck 24th of Dec to drop some presents in Poland on his way to New Zealand ;)

[@RobReacts1]

unbelievable! haha

[@Rhakio]

Everyone had fish in a bath in his life. People didn't bathe every day. Sometimes you had to sacrifice yourself for a carp to be dirty for a few days. The most important tradition is to argue with everyone and take offense for the rest of the year so you don't have to see each other

[@Aszur98]

Well, maybe going from Finland Santa Clause stops in Poland for a shot or two before going to Australia etc. so he might as well leave the gifts while he's on it 😅

[@Dadgrammer]

This fish in bathtub, isn’t tradition. It was postwar necessity. In 1945-1947 an later, Poland has food shortages, and Karp was most effective to grow fish. And why alive? Was easier in post war country, that food processing facilities was destroyed, and not yet rebuilt. In Poland 2023, it’s very rare to do it, but in 90s early 2000s it was still a thing.

[@user-wy9wk6iv4g]

Część Rob, zdrowych i wesołych świąt dla Ciebie i Twojej rodziny. Pozdrawiam serdecznie 👍

[@DORA-ph7cv]

Yes, a carp in the bathroom was the tradition of my childhood for some time. I have a few vague memories and one, which is very detailed . That carp spent two days in a bathtub. It was enough for children to get attached to the fish, so when the time to kill it came, my sister and I started crying over its fate and our dad just couldn't do it. Finally, he took the fish to our neighbour who terminated our new "pet". My sister and I kept mourning while our mum was doing her best to fry it. Obviously, we refused to eat it and were so upset that even presents under the Christmas tree didn't improve the atmosphere. Do I have to mention that it was the last time our parents kept a carp in the bathtub? I have not tried the Christmas Eve carp ever since.🙃

[@malkontentniepoprawny6885]

Oh, yes, there was a carp, not in bathub, in a large bowl.Speaking of Greek style fish, Greeks have never heard of such a dish.

[@alex455a]

We had carps (more than one - from 4 to 6 depending on how big they were) swimming in our bathtub but usually we bought them in the morning and by midday they were you know...gone. I know for a fact there were friends and family members who kept them overnight or for 2 days, changing water in the process so they would 'breath in' more of the fresh water. This process helped with purging the sludge from their lungs and the taste was less sludgy apparently. Nowadays we just buy carp in slices.

[@anetasotys9334]

Yes, we use the "fish is not meat" cheatcode xD FUN FACT: theres a tradition, not as popular now, that with regular pack of wafer (opłatek) youd get smaller, pink one and that one was for the animals. People would give some to dogs, cats AND farm animals on christmas eve

[@headsuphockeypodcast2707]

Opłatkem is very important on my father’s side. My grandfather may have been Lithuanian-American but my Babcia had the influence on her Polish Catholic side. I always read a prayer bilingually in Polish and English before Christmas Eve dinner

[@eryka8268]

There's opłatek (lit. "kalėdaitis") in Lithuania too.

[@kamilv8715]

Hi Rob, also wanted to add to the video - it's really common for young adults in Poland to say they're going to the midnight mass "pasterka" as an excuse, but go drinking with your friends instead :D

[@simi1950]

so true..bye mom.. i will be back after "pasterka... and trhen be back at 5 or 6 am totaly wasted but with a smile on the face :P

[@madkozi5737]

A bit of history lesson: Hundreds years ago, tomorrow for people begin after sunset. So basically after this 4 or 5 pm, it was already Christmas

[@agnieszkag4757]

Totally my household was the one with the fish in a bathtub and my father was killing it and preparing 😅

[@_IthinkIlikewhenitrains]

When I was a child, carp lived in a bathtub for a day every Christmas Eve 🙈 Regarding the 12 dishes, we definitely prepare some of them ahead of time. One day would not be enough!

[@dahu4046]

I had swimming fish in my household when i was a child, however there we were living with my grandparents and with family of my mothers brother in a 3-floor high building where every floor had a bathroom so we still could take a bath

[@user-vy5sv4nl3b]

Rokiczanka, the band that performed W Moim Ogródecku and Lipka also have a really good Christmas playlist.

[@jorgegawlik8681]

Just an FYI, in Canada, we also have Boxing day. Thanks Rob for all your videos, and have a Merry Christmas 🎅

[@agnieszkazuk]

I have never heard before saying "Smacznego" sharing and eating "opłatek" at Christmas. Yes, carp was in my bathtub today. It won't stay long there so no worries about bathing :-) In my region after Christmas supper children strat coming to households with a big star and singing carols. You always give them some money and sweets. You can expect them during following days too.

[@Yazu-Farm_Symulator]

- Jak się nazywa żona Świętego Mikołaja ? - ??? - Mery (Merry) Christmas.

[@lesfleurs9781]

I święty Mikołaj był biskupem, więc nie miał żony

[@Yazu-Farm_Symulator]

@@lesfleurs9781 hehe, i to nie jedną

[@karolnowak2891]

In my Małopolska region, around Andrychów, it is one of the most beautiful holidays, especially in my childhood, although it was poor, I remember it wonderfully. In my family home it was a bit different. In my brother-in-law's it was different. In my wife's family it was different. Although the main culinary accents were very similar 12 dishes including the so-called mushroom soup, i.e. a compote of dried fruit, delicious, several types of fish, including breaded carp and carp in cream, it tastes a bit like veal because the cream brings out the flavor of the carp... great. The first course is always a thick oat and rye soup, the so-called żurek when cold, it's thick enough that the spoon stands in it and doesn't tip over :) sour as hell, of course, to eat hot with potatoes :), three types of peas :), mushroom soup with dumplings is a must!, vegetable salads, fruit cakes, etc., croquettes can also be used with mushrooms, various types of herring and herring salads. The most important thing is to fast from the morning, then everything actually tastes fabulous. The first accent of Polish Christmas Eve is Prayer, it has been like that for 60 years of my life, but we have been Christians for 1000 years, of course breaking the wafer and wishing nothing fancy, just from the heart (hay under the tablecloth). Finally, singing Christmas carols and concerts with Christmas carols from TV are very nice, maybe be some light wine. Those who can manage it, the midnight mass in the church also has its own charm. ​ google translate :)

[@yuukonen]

You can also react to polish xmas carols, highly recommend "Mizerna cicha" (Magdalena Tul) or "Gore gwiazda Jezusowi".

[@annassims952]

or Dzisiaj w Betlejem (Today in Betlehem) my favourite polish christmas carol

[@PobortzaPl]

"Bóg się rodzi" above all

[@misiek_xp4886]

But not from solo artists. They always do some fancy shit with modyfing melody and so on. It's annoynig as f. I belive in choirs superiority.

[@Isyourchance]

Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve. The Windsors honor their German heritage by opening presents after afternoon tea on Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas Day.

[@GabrielaAdamczyk-lk3vf]

In our home and in a lot of houses on southern Poland we eat dishes from one plate during Christmas Eve. One plate with dish is on middle of table and everyone reaches for food from this plate. :D :D And also we sing a christmas carols. :D

[@charko4191]

To be fair as a Polish young person I always knew that you leave the empty chair and plate for an unexpected quest it could be anyone someone that ends up alone on Chrismas Eve or someone without a home I am also not a fish person as well so I always skip that part of the meal but considering how much other foods we have it'd not much of a loss

[@brunorogucki]

12 potraw tyle ilu było apostołów Puste nakrycie dla osoby samotnej, opuszczonej większość Polaków zostawia dla zmarłej bliskiej osoby

[@agnieszkagontarska5122]

Wersją słowiańska 12 tyle ile miesięcy. Wszystko się u nas przeplata.😉

[@Katraen]

You got a great video, cause that nice woman is speaking slowly for ppl who are learning polish Polish tradition for empty seat is really remembered. I am not an atheist but I was rised as catholic and I understand why we leave that space. Also many families would really accept a stranger on Christmass Eve to share with that person our food. I had one year that situation my friend was abandoned by her family just before Christmass and I've invited her to my family's table but she declined. So just after supper and opening my gifts I took some food and went to her place to spend rest of Eve with her so she wouldn't be alone. About Christmas Eve not eating meat nor drinking alcohol: in my family (not sure if it's Poland-wide tradition) we were not eating anything and we were drinking only water until supper. 12 dishes yeah, but they are often similar to each other. In my family there must be at least 3 types of herrings on a table. Carp is great fish if you know how to prepare it, but hardest thing is to correctly choose fish. Most shops sells carps over 2kg weight, but best tasting are thouse around 1kg (best would be less than 1kg). I also always wanted to see how carp is killed and then prepared as a kid, but (what may be funny) I always wanted to take a bath with it and play with it before well... preparing it for Eve You know, Polish stereotype (not realistic) is that Polish are thieves so you can imagine we're stealing presents from Santa's sledges while he's flying over Poland on his way to New Zealand! Ofc I'm just kidding ;) We just celebrate Jesus' birthday as close to midnight as possible There are also other traditions probably more regional. E.g. in my family we were always hiding candies inside Christmass tree and my cousins had to find them. I was good at it Also there's one more tradition, pretty modern one, but every year for already over 20 years we watch Home Alone. This movie is already a new tradition in Poland. Few years ago TV Station which emits it every year tried to cancel it. I've never seen more angry poles about such a stuff. We have a huge petition to bring back Kevin and we did it. Station had to change schedule so we could watch this movie once again on Eve Wesołych Świąt!!!

[@RobReacts1]

Yep, people are confused by the slow speaking but its a polish language channel :)

[@uwaga_bo_gryze]

and every year we all Poles watch Home Alone, it's our tradition

[@Odpowiadacz]

Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku

[@rafaepek781]

Do tradycji Bożonarodzeniowych można zaliczyć cały ADWENT czyli 4 tygodnie przygotowań duchowych aby być gotowym na przyjście Jezusa

[@dominikas885]

She never mentioned singing Christmas Carols on 26th December. My friends and I always looked forward to it, because we would collect some money and ut was fun.

[@Krokmaniak]

We used to have carp in bathtub, as years ago killed fishes in this amount weren't really affordable, but now it's not a case. Also yes. We were stinking for like a week

[@lukaszsp8317]

Puste miejsce przy stole jest dla zbłąkanego wegrowca... W tym dniu powinniśmy przyjąć i nakarmić każdego. Tak żeby nikt nie był samotny i głodny.

[@anetasotys9334]

Jako ktos kto dorastal z babcia w domu lubie myslec o pustym miejscu jako tez o tym dla tych ktorych juz nie ma

[@martawieszczycka2364]

@@anetasotys9334 Bo ta tradycja właśnie stąd się bierze - to miejsce zostawione dla tych, którzy odeszli, dla przodków.

[@lldhhdhhdhdhfhfhhf8909]

I remember carp was still at bath before the Christmas.

[@alexc6095]

Christmas traditions are very important for me, living abroad. When me and my family can not go to PL for Christmas myMum sends me some oplatek and I am preparing some (but not12) dishes that I am used to eat only on Christmas Eve. Barszcz instant and frozen uszka is a must then. Merry Christmas

[@fraupilz]

We've all been traumatized by the fish in the bathtub ;D My favorite alternative to Św.Mikołaj is Gwiazdor = Star Man :)

[@peterjobovic3406]

Fish in the bathtub is a common thing also in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

[@katarzynaherman4814]

I had it alive fish. In need of bath just swiping for big bowl. That fish usually was swimming for 24h then was prepared for cooking. Bigos is keto. Sour vegetables as cabbage are very healthy.

[@kopernik_elfka]

The carp is also a symbol of Christmas in Poland, because it does not appear on our tables very often. It's related to the communist times, Hilary Minc became Minister of Industry and Trade. He was also the author of the slogan ‘Carp on every Polish Christmas Eve table.’ Carp is one of the fish that is easy to breed, so this fish was becoming more and more popular in Polish cuisine. What’s more, it was relatively cheap to run carp ponds. The state encouraged people to eat fresh fish.

[@agnieszkanecel6544]

When I was a kid we have a fish in a bath before christmas. 12 dishes are a lot of work, so the whole family is prepering during december. For example you could do pierogi and frost them :) Santa claus is in Poland at 24 december or "gwiazdor" "dziadek mroz". Most of families watch " home alone" every year at Chrismas Eve. We also sing christmas carols.

[@daddyjhin3258]

My grandparents have an old bathtub in the backyard, the fish are usually kept there 😁

[@agataskorupska-cymbaluk7793]

That empty place is not only for Holy Family. It's for our deceased relatives and ancestors and anyone, Who is in need. Year ago we hosted on wigilia Family of refugees from Ukraine. Fortunetly, this year they're just our friends and we'll spend Christmas togwther. Opłatek isn't the Body of Christ. It's not consecrated in the Church. It's only a waffer, the symbol of our love. Best greatings from Wrocław.

[@piotrkorczynski4015]

There is one more Polish Xmas tradition not mentioned in this video - watching "Home Alone" (in polish: "Kevin sam w domu") and "Die Hard" ("Szklana Pułapka") in tv :) Usually it has plave after unboxing the gifts. I remember that my mum used to say when I was younger like in primary school that if we don't eat even a small bit of Carp then we will not be allowed to watch Kevin xD Merry Christmas!

[@dorcza]

Christmas without Kevin is not a real Christmas 😂

[@ilonakorobczuk5441]

Rob ,Merry Christmas to you and your family. .That is amazing that you want to know our tradition .I remember on my first year (18 years ago)in UK when I ask in shop about fish ,,karp,People didn't understand why I want this fish .Karp in UK is only for life in some pond but definitly not for eat.So I found monkfish little similar taste .Evry year we celebrate Christmas Eve with our english friends.Also we celebrate english Christmas dinner

[@alh6255]

The lady in the video didn't mention that we sing carols together on Christmas Eve, usually after Christmas Eve dinner. In addition, we often enjoy dinner accompanied by music referring to Polish Christmas carols. We have a lot of traditional Christmas carols dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries (but many come from the 18th and 19th centuries).

[@Enter_Yedn]

Rob! In fact mostly everyone in our country know why we prepair one place more, everyone say that it's for a lost wanderer, but as I heard it's transformend tradicion of leaving the empty place for our ancestors who left us long time ago... of course maybe it's pagan tradicion so church changed version to Joseph and Mery... maybe it depends on region of Poland???

[@motorlife7037]

100%, karp was in every bathtub, everybody had bathtubs too, great times

[@anetasotys9334]

the alcohol on christmas eve actually varies a lot. It can depend on how many guests youre having. Its more possible for the alcohol to appear on the table if theres a lot of family or if the guest list is unusual. In my family there was no alcohol that day, we are going for a "fancy" coffe after dinner. There are also cases when the youth say theyre going to the midnight mass with friends but they tend to not even appear in the church bc they got their hands or some alcohol ;)

[@madrianzorroonio85]

3:20 - With alkohol, we TRY don't drink, but is not a very restritced ;)

[@Ussurin]

5:32 - we usually drop the presents under the tree, while kids are watching the sky. They are looking through the window and not noticing anything around them.

[@madzialena1977]

In the prechristian Slavic tradition, the empty place was left for an ancestor, usually the most loved or known or most respected. Same about the "opłatek" - it was a piece of bread, originally.

[@bartoszjasinski]

Yes in my home there was fish in bathtub. But only for one or max two days, it's because it should be fresh af. And ofc there is a communist story behind all of that, you often can't buy what you want just in time so it was better to buy live fish few days earlier when it's available than have nothing.

[@anetasotys9334]

As it comes to traditional christmas eve dinner i like to joke that poles made do with what they had. And what poles had in the middle of harsh winters? Flour to make dough, eggs, milk, grains, dried mushrooms, seeds, some vegetables, maybe some meat or sausage and sauerkraut. Later some cheap fish. Christmas eve dinner is literally various combinations of those ingridients

[@kamilwojcik9699]

In My family we have changed idea of empty plate, because it is family holiday and having unknow person during supper would be strange. So we say that empty plate is for memory of those who are no longer with us.

[@lidiapoczyczynska6623]

Karp w wannie???kiedy to było???😂

[@userka-1984]

Oj było 😂. My nie mielismy wanny ale plywal w misce pod prysznicem.

[@xdlol59]

Do nas kiedyś niespodziewanie przyszedł wujek, który był pokłócony z rodziną i był naszym "niespodziewanym gościem" i wszyscy przyjęliśmy go ciepło 😊 to było cudowne! Zawsze jak byłam dzieckiem czekałam, żeby przyszedł jakiś samotny wędrowiec hahaha

[@aniaqwerty8215]

Merry Christmas Rob

[@nonameme2275]

+ prayers before eating, some people read a verse from the Holy Bible, we can also sing a carol before the meal on December 24. when I was little, my grandfather always said "come, let's see if there's a star in the sky" and when I went outside the house with my grandfather, my parents quickly put the gifts under the tree and said that Santa Claus had already arrived and left gifts under the Christmas tree. Ah, the magic of Christmas when you were a child.

[@michaelejohnes951]

I am also from the generation of live carp. The idea was to get it to the table as fresh as possible. We kept him in the bathtub, and we washed ourselves like the Japanese - outside the bathtub, using a bowl or bucket prepared for this situation. After killing the carp, the bathtub was thoroughly cleaned, because of course no one wanted to wash in the bathtub after carp. Now we can't buy live carp anymore because they introduced a ban. In my opinion, it's even good because the animal doesn't suffer and the child won't be traumatized later, because before the carp dies it will have already become attached to it. My sisters and I didn't want to eat Mariusz. As for tradition, a golden carp scale in a wallet is supposed to bring wealth. When it comes to dishes, the more poppy seeds, the better, because it is supposed to bring prosperity. According to tradition, cooking is usually done by the hostess (mother or grandmother), but of course she also has helpers. The father can take care of the carp (kill it, clean it from the insides and scales), and the children can decorate the gingerbreads (it's also a way to keep them occupied if they have too much energy), and older children can help with other sweets, soups, salads (for example they can peel the vegetables and cut them, because it usually takes the most time if you do it yourself). My table also includes croquettes with cabbage and mushrooms, as well as Greek fish (it's not a carp, but a different fish, without bones).

[@ulllaaaklara]

yes. we had a live carp or later amur in our bathtub every year

[@aaresss]

When you want to have a bath when there is a fish in there, you put that fish in something smaller for that time, refill it after and put the fish back in. :)

[@martastryjek1810]

Merry Christmas!

[@monikasyldatk9713]

There was never meat or alcohol in my house on Christmas Eve. So far there is none. In fact, an empty place at the table is not only for an unexpected guest, but rather a reminder of those who have passed away or cannot come to dinner. When it comes to gifts, when I was a kid, my uncle used to dress up as Santa Claus and come to give gifts. 😂😂😂

[@szalona_alicja4808]

The empty place at the table is for an unexpected guest that can appear, either someone we know or a stranger in need

[@KM-qr3qj]

I've never eaten bigos on the 25th or 26th of December. While Christmas Eve dishes tend to be similar, Christmas Day dishes are different in every family and region. At our house, we serve a variety of (usually roasted) meats, salads, potatoes, etc. :))

[@JUR-yp1kn]

Wesołych Świąt Rob🎄🎄🎄

[@RobReacts1]

Merry Christmas!

[@agnieszkap.3413]

12 dishes: It depend on how you count: separately "barszcz" separately "uszka" "kompot" etc. separately gingerbread, separately bread or butter. It's no problem. On every Eve, we had 12 dishes :-D. Unfortunately, I remember a few times fish in the bathtub - it was not tradition, it was a practical necessity in PRL.

[@macabrescafresca]

If you like the wafer, try andruty when you're in Poland. It's a sweeter, tastier and crunchier version of wafer.