@GlumyGloomer Polish Christmas...where to start...
Poland is a catholic country so Christmas tradition has religious background.
After St.Andrew’s day till Christmas Eve there’s lent where people should abstain from rich foods,meat and frivolities.
Feast starts on Christmas Eve where family seats together for an evening supper after seeing the star of Betlehem(timing might be different). Usually they used to send kids to the window to look out for it (probably to get the little buggers away from the kitchen).
Christmas Eve supper contains of 12 dishes,all of them meat free (it’s still lent). It starts with a soup (mushroom,dried fruit or red borscht depending on whereabouts in Poland are you) then pierogi (dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms) then... whatever,vegetable salad, plenty of fish- fried, cooked,marinated.
12 dishes are supposed to symbolise 12 apostles.
Before starting the supper the family shares a “holy bread” that symbolises Christ’s body and wishes themselves all the best for the following year.
The table set up always has a spare seat- there might be somebody knocking on the door,they should be sat at the table and share the meal with family.
Christmas day is family breakfast (meat feast starts) then dinner ( no tradition as what is served,each family to their own).
Boxing day is the day for visiting- either you’re visiting or hosting (pre-arranged of course and before the pandemic).
There was never much pressure for presents (maybe because there was very little), it was all about spending time together with the family.
Sorry,not good at explaining things and sometimes struggle to find the right words (glass of red beside me doesn’t help)