Polish Language Blog

Children  (and not only) love legends. Here is a Polish legend about the queen of the Baltic Sea:

Long, long ago, the Baltic Sea (Morze Bałtyckie) was ruled by Jurata, a beautiful queen. She had long golden hair and sea green eyes. Her loveliness caused Perkun, the fierce God of thunder and lightning, to fall in love with her. He would not let his storms disturb the waters of her kingdom.

Jurata was a kind queen. She established laws to protect her sea creatures (stworzenia morskie). One law did not allow anyone to set traps (pułapki) that caught too many fish at one time. Though Jurata liked to eat flounder (flądra)and had it served at the palace, she ordered her servants to keep only half of each fish and to throw the other half back to the sea. These fish-halves stayed alive because of her magical powers (magiczne moce).

On the Baltic Coast lived a bold, free spirited young fisherman (rybak) who had very little common sense. He knew about Queen Jurata’s law, but disobeyed it. He set many traps and caught many, many fish which he sold to people who lived far from the sea. He spent most of his money on fine clothes.

The Queen found out about this fisherman and was very angry with him. Her plan was to swim close to the shore, get the fisherman to go in the water and drown him. Instead, when she saw him in his beautiful clothes, she fell in love with him as he did with her. Every night she would swim to the shore and see her new sweetheart.

Jurata herself had broken a law. The gods said that magical beings could love only magical beings. Perkun got very very mad about this. He went into a rage and with thunderbolts (gromy) destroyed the amber colored palace while the Queen was inside and chained the young fisherman to the bottom of the sea. They were never seen again. The fisherman can sometimes be heard calling for his love. The only things that remain from Jurata’s palace are pieces of amber (kawałki bursztynu) that sometimes wash up on the beaches of the Baltic Sea.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Tomorrow is Epiphany. Epiphany, meaning “vision of God”, which falls on January 6, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ.

Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.

Eastern Churches following the Julian Calendar observe the Theophany feast on January 19 because of the 13-day difference today between that calendar and the generally used Gregorian calendar. For Roman Catholics in many countries, the feast is celebrated on the Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8. In Poland it is celebrated on January 6.

In Poland, Epiphany, or Trzech Króli (Three Kings) is celebrated in grand fashion, with huge parades held welcoming the Wise Men, often riding on camels or other animals from the zoo, in Warsaw and other cities. The Wise Men pass out sweets, children process in Renaissance wear, carols are sung, and living nativity scenes are enacted, all similar to celebrations in Italy or Spain, pointing to the country’s Catholic heritage. Children may also dress in colors signifying Europe, Asia, and Africa (the supposed homes of the Wise Men) and at the end of the parade route, church leaders often preach on the spiritual significance of the Epiphany.

In 2011, by an act of Parliament, Epiphany was restored as an official non-working national public holiday in Poland for the first time since it was cancelled under communism fifty years before.

Star singing and house blessing are popular in Poland, as in the rest of Central Europe.

Poles though take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, incense and a piece of amber, in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at home, they inscribe “K+M+B+” and the year with the blessed chalk above every door in the house, according to tradition, to provide protection against illness and misfortune for those within. The letters, with a cross after each one, are said to stand either for the traditionally applied names of the Three Kings in Polish – Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar – or for a Latin inscription meaning “Christ bless this house.” They remain above the doors all year until they are inadvertently dusted off or replaced by new markings the next year.

On January 6, as in much of Europe, a Polish style Three Kings cake is served with a coin or almond baked inside. The one who gets it is king or queen for the day, signified by wearing the paper crown that decorates the cake. According to Polish tradition this person will be lucky in the coming year. Recipes vary by region. Some serve a French-type puff pastry cake with almond paste filling, others favor a sponge cake with almond cream filling, and yet others enjoy a light fruitcake.

Epiphany in Poland also signals the beginning of “zapusty” or carnival time, when “Pączki” (doughnuts) are served.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Wigilia is the Polish name for Christmas Eve. Much work must be done, including cooking, baking, and all the housework. This way, the two holidays that follow can be devoted to praying, caroling, eating, relaxing, and eventually visiting. This special day is associated with several beliefs and customs.When the first star appears in the sky, the Christmas tree is lit and the dinner begins.

The Christmas Eve meal starts with a prayer, the sharing of the blessed opłatekand exchanging wishes (http://blogs.transparent.com/polish/?s=+opłatek).

After the breaking of the wafer and the exchanging of wishes, everyone sits down at the dinner table. The table is covered with a white tablecloth and there is one additional place set for an unexpected guest who, especially that night, should not be turned away. This is to remind us that St. Joseph and Mary were also looking for shelter. Until the first star appears, Wigilia is a day of fasting. Although there are plenty of dishes on the table, this is a traditionally meatless dinner. It consists of several soups (red beet with mushroom pockets, fermented rye, fish, dry mushroom), fish (fried, jellied, in sweet sauce, in beer-almond-ginger sauce, staffed), sauerkraut with beans, pierogi (dumplings) stuffed with mushrooms and cabbage, noodles with poppy seeds and honey, sweet strudel, and a compote made with dried fruit. It should be pointed out that today in Poland, no one imagines the Wigilia dinner without fish (carp in particular), just as nobody in the U.S. thinks of Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey.

Time after dinner is devoted to different activities. Kids start opening gifts from under the Christmas tree. It is customary to feed the domestic animals with opłatek and dinner leftovers, especially cows to assure the production of plenty of milk. Girls listen to hear from which direction a dog barks because, as the saying goes, it is from that direction her prospective husband will come. Children and teenagers go to the orchard and beat fruit trees with small branches so there will be an abundance of fruit next year. Old stories are told and carols are sung. These activities continue until it is time to attend midnight Mass. In Polish it is called Pasterka, “The Mass of the Shepherds” to commemorate the shepherds who were the first to greet the newborn baby Jesus.

There is something magical experienced on the way to midnight Mass. Stars are shining and bells are ringing. The snow crunches and whitens the way. Sleighs are heard and one can almost detect the angels singing, “Silent Night, Holy Night.” (http://blogs.transparent.com/polish/?s=cich+noc)

After Mass, people return to their homes and have a glass of hot compote and a piece of cake.

Polish Christmas traditions are so beautiful…

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)