Christmas Eve with a world heritage? Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine have submitted an application for entry on the UNESCO list

Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine have submitted a joint application to enter the celebration of Christmas Eve on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Common work, on the preparation of the application, coordinated by the Lithuanian side, lasted from the beginning of 2024 – Mkidn informed.

“Any example of an intangible cultural heritage, before entering the UNESCO World List, must first go to the National Heritage List or to the National Register of Good Practices in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. The celebration of Christmas Eve in Poland was entered on the National List of intangible cultural heritage on January 15, 2025.” – MKIDN said in a communication published on the website.

“Christmas Christmas Eve is a celebration celebrated on December 24. In Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine, it retained special features, customs, symbolism and dishes.”

The tradition of Christmas Eve combines multicultural layers, both pre -Christian, associated with the celebration of the winter solstice and Christian – Byzantine, Catholic, Greek Catholic and Protestant ” – informs MKIDN.

The main element of Christmas Eve is the Christmas Eve dinner served on the table covered with a white tablecloth, under which hay is located. In the Ukrainian Christmas Eve tradition, mainly in the countryside, the habit of bringing DIDUCH's home – a small sheaf of grain and placing it close to the Christmas Eve table. This custom also functioned in Polish folk culture. The sheaf of grain symbolizes the relationship with the ancestors of the family and the souls of the dead. A empty space left at the table for an unexpected guest is an expression of the memory of those who left. In Ukraine and Lithuania, after the Christmas Eve supper, a plate with a dish for the souls of the dead is put on the window.

“Some Christmas Eve dishes are common to all three countries: Kutia/Kučia/????, Kisiel/Kisielius/K ?????, Barszcz/Barščiai/????, Carp and herring dishes or mushrooms”.

In Lithuania, Christmas Eve dinner consists of min. From cranberry jelly, a drink of poppy seeds (Aguonpienis) and traditional brittle cakes with poppy seeds (kučiukai). In Poland, they are usually mushroom soup, dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms, poppy seed cake and carp.

“The cultural meanings of Christmas Eve celebrations are associated with the symbolism of transformation (the birth of Christ, the end of Advent, winter solstice), wishes for a better future and divination. During Christmas Eve, some communities or families sing traditional religious or folk Christmas song Catholic families in Poland and Lithuania go to the church together for a solemn mass called Midnight Mass or Berneliu Mišio, “Mkidn said.

In January this year. By the decision of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage “Traditions of Christmas Eve in Poland” were entered on the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

The UNESCO Convention, ratified by Poland, regarding the protection of the intangible cultural heritage obliges the States of States to conduct an inventory of traditions present in their territory.

Entries on the national list of intangible cultural heritage allow you to document various cultural practices and promote their continuity.

The Minister of Culture and National Heritage in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute is responsible for running the list. All intangible heritage depositors – from rituals and craftsmanship to language and musical traditions – can report the proposed phenomena for the entry. (PAP)

mr/ dki/