środa, 28 listopada 2012

Wax pouring



One of the most interesting traditions 
of that day for Polish people is 
wax pouring, through the keyhole 
right into the cold water. Leftover 
candle stubs, collected over time, 
are put into a pot which is put over 
the source of heat. 

The most important thing in this tradition is that the liquid 
wax must be poured through the keyhole. Why? Well, the old 
tradition doesn't answer that question. It may be that the key 
symbolised the gate of time and the best key for the fortune 
telling had to bethe one from important doors, eg. a church's door
Or maybe the key was a symbolic opener in the book of life's 
future events, and it held the sequence of events in the future. 
One of the reasons was that the wax was the product of bees
and candles made of it were used in Catholic church ceremonies.
In the very old days, instead of candles, people used lead or tin  
from old parts of church's stained glass windows.
The metals symbolised stability of feelings and emotions and 
eternal love. They were replaced by bees wax, as heavy metals
conveyed the message of life's hardships in future life.
Liquid wax solidifies quickly in cold water, forming strange 
and random shapes that are now very closely examined by 
the members of the party. To be precise, their strange wax 
shapes have to be lit with a source of light and their shadows  
cast over a wall -- something that makes everybody wonder.
Those looking at the shadow make comments about what the
shapes look like and relation of the shape with the person who
has just poured the wax. This fortune-telling was mainly designed 
for young women to get a vision of a future husband, but now
everybody can pour wax wondering what the future holds for the new year.




keyhole     [`ki:həul]  dziurka od klucza                                      
leftover      [`leftəuvə] pozostałości, odpadki                                     
stub           [ stʌb]   niedopałek, końcówka                                               
liquid         [`lɪkwɪd] ciekły, płynny                                              
wax           [ wæks] wosk                                                         
hold           [ həʊld] zawierać                                                     
bee            [ bi:] pszczoła
lead           [ led] ołów
tin              [ tɪn] cyna


stained glass     [ steɪnd glas]
convey             [ kən'veɪ] przesyłać, przekazywać
hardship           [`ha:dʃɪp] trudności
solidify             [ sə`lɪdɪfaɪ] zastygać, krzepnąć
cast over          [ kast `euvə ] rzucać ponad
fortune-telling   [`fo:tʃən telɪŋ] przepowiadanie przyszłości



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