Andrzejki – a night of predictions

Andrzejki (St. Andrew’s Night) is an evening traditionally set aside for forecasting the future. No, not the kind concerning the GDP or next year’s wheat harvest. But it’s about the matters of the heart.

St. Andrew was said to have helped young girls discover the identities of their future husbands. So, on the night of the 29th through to the 30th of November, that’s the time for girlfriends to get together and have a go at fortune telling.

Instead of crystal balls, wax is one of the most popular devices used in Poland. Hot, molten wax is poured through the hole of an old key into cold water. The resulting mass maybe indecipherable for some, but to the trained (and imaginative) eyes, a whole life story can be read from it.

Another popular game is predicting who in the room will get married first. Other agents used for conjuring a vision of the future include matches, hairs, dice, apple skins or plates.

The main point of the evening, however, is simply to have fun. And to be left with wonderful memories of Andrzejki to carry with us into our future, whatever it maybe.