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Favorite / Least Favorite Polish Christmas Traditions
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:44 am    Post subject: Favorite / Least Favorite Polish Christmas Traditions Reply with quote

Favorite: I like how Christmas isn't so commercialized here.

In the U.S. Christmas decorations go up immediately after Thanksgiving, if not earlier. There are actually stores which sell Christmas stuff year-round. Watching television, you are constantly bombarded with Christmas ads, sales etc. Everything you buy, from socks to sugar, comes in special Christmas packaging.

Here in PL, Christmas is more subdued and it feels like spending time with your family and friends, not buying stuff, is the centerpiece.

Least Favorite: Carp and anything savory in galaretka (jelly). Despite the Church saying it's ok to eat meat on Christmas Eve, Poles persist in eating this crap, ahem, carp. 12 dishes of primarily fish-based food is no fun.
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oipivo



Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Posts: 163
Location: Poland

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They have the same carp tradition in the Czech Republic. So many people must go to the hospital with carp bones stuck in their throats on Christmas.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The carp is probably a bad choice of holiday meals for kiddies, but I admit our whole family is looking forward to ours this year - just put four nice carp into the little pool at the cottage to peacefully swim out their last couple of days.

Anyway, fried carp with garlic is on my PLUS side, but I am speaking of the Czech version; perhaps somewhat different?? Laughing


Last edited by spiral78 on Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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scottie1113



Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 375
Location: Gdansk

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to agree with Shake on both his choices, especially carp.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just bought a carp for Xmas dinner. I like it, always feels festive.
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wojbrian



Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like that xmas isn't the overblown production that it has gotten to be in the USA.

I don't need to listen to xmas music for damn near 2 months...

Bah Humbug!
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hrvatski



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 270

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really hate opłatek. Most awkward shit ever. Apart from that, I love stuffing myself with mountains of awesome food.
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hrvatski wrote:
I really hate opłatek. Most awkward shit ever. Apart from that, I love stuffing myself with mountains of awesome food.
Yea, sharing the wafer and wishing each other well is kind of lame and feels forced, but it lasts for 5 min. so no sweat.

My students told me that there are even special pink and green wafers they share with animals. Can you imagine wishing a pig 'all the best in the new year' and then butchering it a few weeks later?

But, unlike Christmas Eve, the food is awesome on Christmas day. My favorite is probably pork roast stuffed with plums served hot.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hrvatski wrote:
I really hate opłatek. Most awkward shit ever. Apart from that, I love stuffing myself with mountains of awesome food.


hahaha, yeah, it's weird, especially around people you don't know. or people that are afraid to death of you because your Polish isn't native.

here's another tradition I don't like: sitting in a small room staring at each other for 3 straight days, same food on the table all 3 days, absolutely NOTHING on TV, having to tell someone for the 10,000th time, "no, I'm not hungry."

eventually Poland, when you get full, there's nothing to do when the only thing to do is eat.

which is why i usually go to the bottle.

but i still dig christmas in Poland.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dynow wrote:
here's another tradition I don't like: sitting in a small room staring at each other for 3 straight days, same food on the table all 3 days, absolutely NOTHING on TV, having to tell someone for the 10,000th time, "no, I'm not hungry."


Dunno about your inlaws, but mine wouldn't be seen dead serving the same food for three days in a row. Christmas Eve is the vegetarian stuff, Christmas Day is for carnivores. And the 26th this year is a trip to the Czech Republic to watch a Czech Extraliga hockey game with the champions from 2 years ago.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

delphian-domine wrote:
dynow wrote:
here's another tradition I don't like: sitting in a small room staring at each other for 3 straight days, same food on the table all 3 days, absolutely NOTHING on TV, having to tell someone for the 10,000th time, "no, I'm not hungry."


Dunno about your inlaws,


weird. who said anything about in-laws?
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sparks



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 632

PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
delphian-domine wrote:
dynow wrote:
here's another tradition I don't like: sitting in a small room staring at each other for 3 straight days, same food on the table all 3 days, absolutely NOTHING on TV, having to tell someone for the 10,000th time, "no, I'm not hungry."


Dunno about your inlaws,


weird. who said anything about in-laws?


Umm... So you spend your Christmas sitting in a small room with Polish people who you're NOT related to? You're married, yes? We such folk get it...don't play coy Smile
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sparks wrote:

Quote:

Umm... So you spend your Christmas sitting in a small room with Polish people who you're NOT related to?


spend Christmas anywhere in Poland, chances are you're sitting in a small room.

oh, and yes, I have spent Christmas (3 day holiday for those who are counting, plenty of time to move around town, don't ya' think?) in other people's houses, other than my in-laws. go figure.
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dynow wrote:
oh, and yes, I have spent Christmas (3 day holiday for those who are counting, plenty of time to move around town, don't ya' think?) in other people's houses, other than my in-laws. go figure.
Wow, it's nice to finally meet someone who has put the 'extra place set for an unexpected guest' tradition to the test.

How did it go? Did they welcome you in with open arms, or did you have to plead with them first?
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nah, I just pushed grandpa off the table and took his spot.
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