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FACTS
| Politics: Poland was the first of the eastern European countries to overturn Communist rule in 1989
Population: 39 million
Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 77 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 zloty = 100 groszy
Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals
Average annual income: US $4,200
Prime minister: Leszek Miller became prime minister in a coalition government in October 2001
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 |  | Report by Christiaan van Lierop
Fed up with going out to the same old pubs and being chatted up by the same old men? Still looking for Mr Right and wondering if you'll ever find him? Feels like ages since you had a good long night in with the girls?
Sounds like you need to let your hair down at a good old St. Andrew's Eve party. Confused? Then let me introduce to you to this most Polish of traditions.
Andrzejki on 29 November
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| Ìý |  | Fortune-telling tarot cards
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Nobody in Poland really knows just how the night of 29 November came to be associated with fortune-telling. But whatever the origins of Andrzejki, the basic elements of this ancient custom have remained unchanged for centuries.
As tradition has it, on this one night in the year, the conditions are just right for indulging in a spot of crystal ball gazing.
ÌýTurning to the spirit world
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If the old wives' tales of Poland are to be believed, the spirits of our forefathers are at their most receptive at the beginning of Advent, when they descend back to earth en masse.
In days gone by, the long nights of the harsh Polish winter were traditionally the period in which friendships would form between young men and women in the villages.
It therefore seemed only natural that the womenfolk, curious to see what the future held in store for them, would turn to the spirit world for advice.
ÌýA question of marriage
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| Ìý |  | A traditional wedding - on many wish-lists for the future
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Of course, the most pressing question on every girl's lips was traditionally whether or not she would be married within the year ahead.
To this day, only widows, divorcees or unmarried women light the traditional thirteen candles and call up the spirits of their ancestors.
ÌýNot to be outdone, the menfolk would also organise similar evenings on 24 November, but this tradition appears to have all but died out. Perhaps at some point somebody decided that all this fortune-telling was too girly!
ÌýA traditional Andrzejki evening
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| Ìý |  | Candles, used to melt down and cast shadows
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One way of participating in fortune-telling for Andrzejki follows three simple steps:
Step one: heat up four or five large candles in a saucepan on a low flame until the wax is liquid. Prepare a large bowl of water and a key with a large hole - old keys are by far the best.
Step two: pour a small amount of the liquid wax through the hole in the key so the wax drips onto the bowl of water. On contacting the cold water, the wax will harden into a 'pancake' shape with uneven edges.
Step three: Hold the piece of wax against the light. The shape of the shadow on the wall will reveal what the future holds for you in the coming year.
The meaning of the shapes has been firmly established over the centuries (see the list below).
The wax pouring method is by no means the only technique used to delve into the unknown depths of the future. Others include choosing one object from a coin, ring, rosary, wedding ring - symbolising, in turn, riches, singledom, endless prayers and marriage.
ÌýFirst shoe over the threshold
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The first shoe over the threshold method is the most peculiar Andrzejki tradition.
Women take off their shoes and place them one after another on the floor in the direction of the door.
The owner of the first shoe to reach the door will thus be 'the first over the threshold' and hence the first to get married. Simple!
Ìý| Ìý |  | A bottle of Vodka
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Of course, given the Poles' love of drink, no such evening would be complete without a drop of something a little stronger. If nothing else, a few shots of vodka can do wonders for your powers of perception!
If you can't handle the Polish tipple of neat vodka laden with black pepper (for added kick) try a szarlotka - aromatic Zubrowka vodka with apple juice. This is Polish woman's favourite drink and the local equivalent of the humble G&T.
And so, armed with a bottle of vodka, a key and a boxful of candles, you can look forward to a fun-filled evening, gaining a sneak preview of what lies ahead in the coming year.
Even if you can't make out the shapes of the shadows on the wall, you can always simply concentrate on that other most Polish of traditions - vodka sampling.
ÌýI have just one word of warning - if you do opt for the first shoe over the threshold method, do at least make sure that you're wearing a fresh pair of socks. Otherwise, fortune-telling or no fortune-telling, chances are high that you'll be in for a lonely year ahead!
ÌýPolish connections in Coventry
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Read about the Polish community in Coventry by following the link on the left to our Coventry Polish history page.
Coventry Poles are also celebrated every Sunday on ´óÏó´«Ã½ WM in the Poles Apart programme. You can hear Poles Apart on Sundays at 7-8pm on 94.8, 104 and 103.7 FM.
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