Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is a family holiday usually celebrated at home. Traditionally before the festive dinner the host puts a special log in the fireplace – budnik, which burns throughout the night. On Christmas Eve the festive meal consists of an odd number of lenten dishes – 9 for the Catholics, and 7, 9 or, 11 for the Orthodox Christians. There is also a festive round loaf of bread with a coin put into the dough during the kneading. It is believed that whoever finds the coin in their piece of bread will be healthy and lucky throughout the following year.
After dinner, the dishes are left on the table for the whole night. Catholics also place one utensil, which is not used - for loved ones who have died.
On Christmas Eve, Catholics always accept someone in their family - a person who is alone. This tradition is also characteristic of most Orthodox Christian families.