How’s your Christmas shopping coming along? I haven’t even started mine, to be honest. And if someone asks me why, I’m going to tell them that I’m turning Greek orthodox this year. Speaking of which, these guys have it so easy – everything is on sale for THEIR xmas. Not fair, so not fair…
And everybody asks me what I want to get “pod choinkę” or “na Gwiazdkę” or “na Święta.” Well, let’s see… I want an orange 350Z, and a new MacBookPro, and a live-in maid, but I’d settle for a Sony Alpha 700. And oh yeah, world peace and all that.
But let’s back up for a sec.
- choinka (fem., pl. choinki) – Christmas tree.
So “pod choinkę” means “under the Christmas tree.”
Święta Bożego Narodzenia (though, normally “Bożego Narodzenia” is implied and understood) – Christmas.
Or you can simply say “Boże Narodzenie” which literally means something like “God’s Birth.”
And now, “Gwiazdka,” hmmm… Remember when in the post about Święty Mikołaj I mentioned this other guy – Gwiazdor. His name comes from the word “Gwiazdka.” And that literally means “little star” from the legend that a star appeared in the sky when baby Jesus was born.
So, if someone asks you “Co chcesz na Gwiazdkę?” or more politely “Co chciałabyś (or chciałbyś if you’re asking a guy) dostać na Gwiazdkę?” they’re simply asking you what you want (or would like) to get for Christmas.
And finally:
- zakupy świąteczne – Christmas shopping
- prezenty świąteczne – Christmas presents
Now I’m off to the kitchen trying to figure out how to help my friend with her traditional Wigilia dinner. Twelve different dishes, hay under the table, opłatek (Christmas wafer), the whole nice yards. And between the two of us, we don’t even know how to make barszcz czerwony (red borscht).
This shall be interesting…
Wesołych Świąt!!!
PS. Image: Wikipedia
Comments:
Pszetfurnia:
>… hay under the table…
Under? Really? 🙂
Thomas:
Anna,
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Anna:
well, technically it’s supposed to be under the tablecloth, but that’s uncomfortable and awkward, so most families that still observe this custom (at least the ones I know, and yes, in Poland), they just stick the thing UNDER the table – at least the family dog has something to play with instead of sitting on the table and begging for food.
michael farris:
I’ve also seen hay on a platter on top of the table with the opłatek resting on it.
michael farris:
While here, a friend form Małopolska makes a different (but really good) version of barszcz fo wigilia, supposedly very common in that area. It’s made of kasza gryczana (buckwheat kasha) dried mushrooms and żurek. Unique and delicious.
pinolona:
BArszcz biały! I’ve heard of that! I never tried it though cos I was afraid it would turn out to be made of the same stuff as Scottish white pudding…
michael farris:
Actually it’s not biały barszcz, it’s a deep, deep brown (from mushrooms and roasted buckwheat) and only enough żurek is added to give it a sour tang.
Anna O.:
Oh.. My God! Anna..of course, just a little hay under the tablecloth and there is nothing uncomfortable for Polish family, you can take my word for it 🙂
Paul Ferencz:
I was at my aunt’s house last night and we were discussing the hay under the table tradition. She told me that when she was younger there was also an ax there on top of the hay. Any thoughts on the symbolism of the ax? We also put honey and a small cloves of garlic on the oplatek. It does add a little zing to the meal. Merry Christmas to all.
Anna:
Hi Paul!
I have never heard about the ax! I asked around and nobody seems to know anything about it. Though quite possibly it could have been a local addition to the hay custom. These things tend to evolve in very peculiar ways sometimes.
Carol Warkoczewski:
Where can I buy opłatek in Austin? I married into a Polish family…