Wykorzystanie roślin w Wigilię Bożego Narodzenia w województwie lubelskim

Abstrakt

The aim of the study was to determine the use of plants during Christmas Eve. Between 2011-2012 five hundred questionnaires were distributed among residents of the Lublin region, 210 of which were received back. Most of the respondents declared that the maintenance of tradition had importance to them, but half of them (50.4%) did not practice all the customs and rituals associated with this holiday. For most respondents the Christmas season is a time for family, for cultivating tradition and religious experience, but for some of them it is simply time off from work. A Christmas tree stands in the home, often a real plant, and spruce is the preferred species. It is commonly placed in the corner of the living-room on Christmas Eve or the day before. It is usually children who dress the Christmas tree, but in about a quarter of households it is an adult person. The Christmas wreath and the poinsettia plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are the other most popular elements used in decorating houses during Christmas time. More than half of the respondents hung mistletoe from the ceiling of the dwelling or above a door frame. Only a few persons reported the custom of bringing a cereal bundle for Christmas Eve. After Christmas this cereal bundle is most often used as animal fodder or occasionally spread across the fields. Sometimes the straw is used to tie fruit trees and the grain is added to seeds or flour. The custom of putting grain on the Christmas Eve table is rarely practiced, but the custom of putting hay under the tablecloth is widely observed. According to respondents, the number of dishes on the Christmas Eve table should be defined, and usually there are 12 dishes. Most respondents stated that dishes prepared on Christmas Eve should be made from cabbage, mushrooms, beets, dried fruits (apples, plums, pears) and poppy and only 25% of respondents also use wheat.