Elementy zaduszkowe w wierzeniach oraz w obrzędowości adwentowej i bożonarodzeniowej mieszkańców regionu opoczyńskiego

Abstract

Facing the unknown brought by the new reality looming out of the new year, the inhabitants of the Opoczno region turned even to a contact with supernatural beings, demonic creatures or the souls of dead ancestors. According to folk beliefs, the souls of dead ancestors come to the earth in order to participate in important events taking place on the earth at this time, namely: the time turn the winter solstice, as well as in a festive cycle referring to the ancient All Souls Day from the pre-Christian epoch or the contemporary Christmas traditions. The subject of the paper is to present the characteristic of All Souls Day elements found during Advent and Christmas in the Opoczno region. The material included here comes from ethnographic field work conducted in that area by the author. The literature on the subject proved very useful in this respect. The paper consists of three points, which indicate All souls Day elements in Advent and Christmas Eve. At the beginning of Advent on the eve of St. Andrews Day of 30 November fortune telling used to be practised where sometimes the spirit of a deceased person was called in. In that period, the farmers abstained from first ploughing in the field because of the existing belief that expiating souls floated above the earths surface. The job undertaken then could disturb their peace, or even hurt. Christmas Eve, on the other hand, is considered to be a peculiar day when the deceased peoples souls stay on the earth and visit their homes. An extra place and table-ware during the Christmas Eve dinner was left for them. According to ethnographers, leaving the fire burning throughout the night, leaving the lights burning on Christmas trees (to warm up the frozen souls), leaving food on the table are all relics of the old All Souls Day feast. Nowadays, graves are visited and decorated with firtree twigs and burning light; prayers are said asking God to accept the souls in heaven. In some villages, holy evenings were practised in the period between Christmas and New Year, and in some even till the Epiphany. At that time, no work was allowed, silence had to be kept and the families gathered round the table with a loaf of bread, the holy wafer and a burning candle sang Christmas carols. In such atmosphere they were waiting for Christ coming (contemporary interpretation). According to ethnographers, this custom goes back to the old traditions of All Souls Day. The customs and rites performed among the country folk combine old elements from All Souls Day rites referring to the calendar based on the growing seasnon and the cult of the dead with those of nowadays shaped in the spirit of Christian eschatology.