One of the most popular Christmas pop songs in Polish start with words: "There is a day very warm although in December, Day - one day which 'puts out' all the arguments" For Polish people that day is Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve is the most organised day in a year. Everything has its time and there is a way to prepare every dish. We all know that we shouldn't eat meat on Christmas Eve and we all know that the whole forthcoming year will look exactly the same as our Christmas Eve (so no quarrels and a lot of joy is a recipe for a good next year).
It's not easy to stay calm and relaxed when you should fast on Christmas Eve day (till dinner/supper) and you might find it difficult to share a bathroom with a carp swimming in a bath.
Carp's sad story is not as old as you might think. It was introduced to Polish people during communism to 'help' us preserve our tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve.
Before 5.00 we should prepare 12 dishes to be served at Christmas Eve dinner. Carp, pierogi z kapustą (dumplings with sauerkraut and wild mushrooms), śledzie (herrings), barszcz z uszkami (borsch with ear-shaped dumplings), kluski z makiem (noodles with poppyseed and honey) or kutia are the most popular of them.
The table should be covered with a white table cloth and underneath a table cloth there should be some hay, which symbolises a stable where Christ was born.
Now we can wait for a first star to appear on sky. The star will tell us when to start the dinner. All children who were looking for a star and went outside to have a clearer view will realise that The Star (of Bethlehem) brought them some presents and put them underneath the christmas tree (choinka).
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