St. Andrew’s Day is celebrated at 30th of November all over the world, especially in Scotland as Saint Andrew is officially consider to be the patron saint of this country. In Poland the celebration is slightly different, has nothing to do with Scottish roots, but everything to do with our Slavic heritage.
The night from 29th to 30th of November, in Poland called Andrzejki, is a time of magic and mystery games. Those traditions have their beginnings in old pagan times of our ancestors, when people believed in a strong connection between the real and spiritual worlds. Nowadays, we still do it for fun, even if almost everybody has forgotten its original meaning.
There are many fortune-telling games that we believe will only come true when performed during this special night. One of the most popular games is based on pouring liquid wax into a full bowl of water through a keyhole. In order to do that, you will probably need a very old key, as more modern ones won’t allow you to do it. After the wax cool off, you need to hold it in front of a candle and the shadow that will appear, represents your future.
As most prophecies focus mainly on predicting matrimonial status, they tend to be especially popular the female population. The easiest one to doesn’t require any special preparations. A sheet of paper and a pen in enough. Before you go to bed, write down male names on separate pieces of paper and place it under your pillow. The name that you will pick first in the morning, is the name of your future husband.
For a group game, we recommend a shoes race! You will only need an empty room and your friends. Everybody needs to take care their shoes and place one at a time in front of each other from one wall one to the opposite one. If your shoe wins, you are the person who will marry as a first one from the group.
Also, dreams gain a special power. You need to pay a special attention to those, as most likely you will find useful tips about your future.
Andrzejki is a wonderful celebration and although it has a more commercial ankle nowadays, you can still try these traditional games to feel the real atmosphere of this day. What are you waiting for?! There is no better time than now, to prepare yourself!
Author: Ewa Kisło