Indeed, when Kraków decks its halls for the holidays it seems to rather effortlessly embody all the magic that Hollywood has taught us Christmas is supposed to have. It’s not all rum-pa-pum-pum and reindeer games, however. Poland has a full calendar of holiday customs and traditions , many of them Catholic in character, that stretch from early December all the way into January , and which will surely make your experience here a unique, and even at times completely foreign one. We help you get into the local spirit by detailing them below, so you’ll be well-read and ready when you find yourself smitten in mittens beneath the mistletoe. But first:
How do you say 'Merry Christmas' in Polish?
Glad you asked! Say it with us now:Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!
Okay, let's break that down phonetically:
Veh-so-wick Shvee-ont... (Merry Christmas...)
...ee Shchen-shlee-vay-go No-vay-go Ro-koo! (...and happy New Year!)
Keep practising, you'll get it.
What happens during Christmas in Kraków?
The first Thursday in December also marks the Annual Kraków Christmas Crib Competition. While it may sound like an MTV show where Polish celebrities show off their luxury apartments, this is actually one of Kraków’s most unique traditions. In Poland, a ‘Christmas crib’ or szopka is, essentially, a nativity scene. However, szopki krakowskie (as the idiosyncratic local variety are called) is a sort of strange cross between a nativity scene, gingerbread house and dollhouse, and is the bizarre result of a slowly evolving folk tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. People from all over the city and the surrounding province of Małopolska bring their unique Christmas creations to the market square at 10:00 to show them off, before a procession takes them away to be judged around 12:00. If you're in town, make sure you check it out! However, if you've missed it, you still get a chance to see the year's szopki during the annual Christmas Crib Exhibit, typically running in Krzysztofory Palace from early December until the end of February.
For more on one of Kraków's most unique holiday traditions, read our full article on Kraków Christmas Cribs (Szopki Krakowskie).
With Christmas Day reserved for family and busy with the celebration of Christ, Saint Nicholas (PL: Święty Mikołaj) shows up three weeks early on December 6th - ‘Dzień Świętego Mikołaja,’ or Saint Nicholas Day. In the Polish tradition, you won't find 'Santa Claus' and his elves hanging out at the North Pole with a Coke sponsorship, but an actual dignified saint in a bishop's hat and a regal purple and gold robe. Eager children write letters to the Saint requesting gifts and put the letter outside on the windowsill so the old codger can drop by and pick up their request during the night. On the 6th, Polish children awake to discover Mikołaj’s benevolence with a gift under their pillow or next to the bed. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to see Old Saint Mikołaj in the flesh on this day, particularly at festive locations like Christmas markets, preschools and shopping malls.
December 24th is, of course, Christmas Eve – or Wigilia as it’s called in Poland - is one of the biggest feast days of the year and an important time to be with family. Expect to eat lots of traditional Polish food in the evening, so consider skipping lunch (and maybe breakfast). In the past it has also consisted of keeping the feature dish, the carp, alive and swimming in the bathtub for several days leading up to the 24th! At midnight, most families head out in the cold to attend pasterka, or midnight mass. It is on Wigilia that Kraków's churches also debut their traditional nativity scenes, centred around baby Jesus in the manger. As you wander the Old Town between December 24th and February 2nd, don't miss the chance to check out some of these elaborate displays! St. Francis’ Basilica even hosts an annual ‘live nativity scene’ in the field behind the church during late Christmas Eve and evening on the following day, which is a great event for families!
After another morning mass, Christmas Day on December 25th is reserved for visiting family and friends, a continuation of feasting (this time including meat and alcohol), and watching Kevin Sam W Domu - literally 'Kevin Alone In The House,' better known by its English title, 'Home Alone!' While Christmas Day holds less importance and symbolism for Poles than Christmas Eve, it is still a public holiday and a time for family. December 31st is known locally as 'Sylwester,' and on this last night of the year every bar, club, restaurant and hotel in town will be hosting an all-night New Year’s Eve bash. The decorations stay up and the spirit of the holiday season is kept strong across the country until January 6th – Three Kings Day (PL: Dzień Trzech Króli). Mass is compulsory for devout Catholics, after which it's time to join a Three Kings Day procession - a merry parade of costumed carollers passing out candy, which honours the three wise men who visited Jesus at his birth. The Polish holiday season doesn’t officially expire until February 2nd when Saint Nick sees his shadow, the lights come down and it’s generally agreed that every family should toss their Christmas tree!
