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In Poland, Christmas is often described as
the Festival of the Star, commemorating one of the most significant
symbols of Christmas, the Star of Bethlehem. Celebrations begin on
Christmas Eve, called the Wigilia, which is a time of fasting and of
joyful anticipation in remembrance of the vigil that the shepherds kept on
that first Christmas long ago. Children eagerly look for the first star to
appear in the evening sky. At its appearance a lighted candle is placed in
the window and the family gathers to share the feast. An extra chair is
set at the table for the Christ Child and a bed of straw is placed under
the white table cloth as a reminder of the straw-filled manger in
Bethlehem.
Before the meal is served, the head of
the household, in a solemn ritual, distributes a large unleavened wafer to
each member of the family. Marked with a scene of the birth of Christ, the
wafer is a symbol of peace, friendship and love. The meal itself is
meatless and often consists of twelve dishes to symbolize the Twelve
Apostles.
After the feast the children await the
visit of the Star Man, also known as Swiety Nikotaj, with much excitement.
He is a more religious version of Santa Claus, usually being the village
priest or a family friend in disguise. He is accompanied by Star Boys,
villagers carrying an illuminated star and singing carols as they go from
house to house.
When the Star Man arrives he gathers the
children around him and questions them on their religious knowledge and
tests them on their prayers. Afterwards small gifts are distributed by the
Star Man which have been sent from the Mother Star, the good Star of
Heaven. The Mother Star knows the desires of the children because in the
weeks leading up to Christmas they had left letters for her on their
windowsills. Sometimes the Mother Star herself accompanies the Star Man,
dressed in a white dress and a flowing veil which covers her head and
face.
After the visit of the Star Man, the
children go to bed while the adults go out into the star-filled night to
attend Midnight Mass at the local church. This mass is called the Mass of
the Shepherds. And on this most holy of nights, according to legend, it is
said that those whose lives have been pure and blameless may see in the
winter sky a vision of Jacob’s ladder reaching to Heaven.
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