Christmas in Poland: Animals
Christmas in Poland: Christmas Eve Fast
Christmas in Poland: Christmas Dinner
Christmas in Poland: Gifts and Carols
Christmas Trees, Nativity Scenes, Nativity Plays
Polish folk tradition acknowledges the important role played by animals at the birth of Jesus. One old custom recommends strewing straw on the Christmas Eve table, as a reminder that Jesus was born in a stable (see also Yule straw). Another advises that crumbled oplatek wafers be fed to barn animals on Christmas Eve, as a way of including them in the Christmas blessing.