Did you celebrate Christmas? Are you interested in knowing how Christmas is celebrated in Warsaw? Read the post below, I'll write about the pre-Christmas customs and Christmas customs.
Pre-Christmas Customs
Christmas atmosphere
Christmas decorations are very common in public places.
I think that all the stores (?) have some kind of Christmas displays or decorations. The time of putting them may depend on the store. Some put the Christmas decorations already in the beginning of November, before the Independence Day (11th November).
Christmas songs and carols in the radio, in the shopping malls, etc. Time for them vary.
The streets of Warsaw are decorated with lights and/or other decorations. Traditionally it's for sure on the Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat streets. Those streets are a popular tourist spots in Warsaw, with many shops and/or historical buildings. I recommend an evening walk from Rondo De Gaulle'a (the one with the palm tree) through Nowy Świat and Krakowskie Przedmieście to the Old Town (Stare Miasto) for tourists visiting Warsaw during winter. Other streets also may have the lights and decorations.
Christmas trees across the town. The official Warsaw Christmas tree is near the Royal Castle in the Old Town. Christmas trees or just trees covered with lights in the streets might be decorated by companies or just regular people.
Christmas trees inside companies. This might be in public places or in private companies.
Live Christmas trees fairs in the streets. You can buy a natural Christmas tree even on 24th December.
Christmas cards in the post office/shops. Something in decline, but is should be sent before the official Christmas celebrating starts.
Christmas wishes in media and websites. Also by officials like President, Prime Minister or Ministers. Below is the Christmas wishes by President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, and his wife, Anna Komorowska. The video includes Polish sign language translation.
Celebrating Christmas
Christmas parties in companies. Public or national companies, doesn't matter.
Public (free) Christmas parties in the city and/or district. This year Warsaw's Christmas party with Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, President of Warsaw, was held on 15th December on Plac Teatralny (not far from the Old Town).
Christmas Celebrations
Christmas dates
Christmas celebrations in Poland starts on 24th December and lasts until 26th December.
Christmas Eve (24th December) is officially a work day but it's customary for the offices and shops to close early. Shops might be entirely closed on this day, depending on the owner. Closing time depends on a place. It might be closed at 12:00 or 14:00. You have to check out closing time earlier. Shops will surely put a notice few days earlier on the doors.
Gifts are given out on Christmas Eve..
On midnight between 24th and 25th December there is a special mass in catholic churches. It's called pasterka.
There are two Christmas days free from work - 25th and 26th December.
Christmas food
Earlier it was customary to fast on Christmas Eve. It's not required nowadays. It might be not eating meat or not eating at all, depending on a person.
Christmas Eve's food is traditionally a fasting one. No meat other than fish. The Christmas versions of some dishes (usually with adjective: wigilijny, wigilijne or wigilijna) will be different from the everyday versions. One of the usual dishes is fried common carp. Carp's scale should be held in your wallet to bring you money in the next year.
There are traditionally 12 Christmas Eve's dishes. You should eat every of them to be lucky in the next year. You can expect mushrooms, cabbage (sourkraut made into bigos) and of course fish.
Often a kompot (drink) is made from dried fruits (plums, apples, pears). It can be drank hot or in the room's temperature.
People often drink alcohol on Christmas Eve's dinner or during the next days. Expect many drunk people in the churches when you go to pasterka.
You can eat meat on 25th and 26th December.
Other Christmas customs
Presents are put under the Christmas tree by Santa Claus (Święty Mikołaj).
We share Christmas wishes for the coming up year sharing together opłatek (a Christmas wafer similar to the communion; plural form: opłatki). Pets are given opłatek too, for their good health in the next year.
In the past the Christmas Eve's dinner started only with the first star up on the sky.
On Christmas Eve some hay is put under the table cloth to bring prosperity in the coming year.
Some people believe that the next year will be same as the Christmas Eve. So don't fight with others, don't cry if you don't want these kinds of things happening (too) often in the coming year.
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