Why carp for Polish Christmas?

As well as the obvious Jesus - fisher connection,
Jesus was (somewhere in the Bible) the alpha and the omega.
The fishy symbol is the alpha. I don't know about the omega. (But that doesn't look like a fish.)

Meat could not be eaten on many holy days, but fish was somehow exempt.
In mediaeval Europe, some people, especially the Basques did a rather good trade in salted Cod from the other side of the Atlantic, which they sold across Europe, but maybe Poland preferred to stick more to the freshwater stuff.

Tradition. Someone started it, others felt like keeping it going. It just spread from there :]

Before Christianity adopted the fish symbol, it was known by pagans as "the Great Mother", and "womb". Its link to fertility, birth, and the natural force of women was acknowledged also by the Celts, as well as pagan cultures throughout northern Europe. In certain non-Christian beliefs the fish also has been identified with reincarnation and the life force. In pagan beliefs, Ichthys was the offspring of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia, or Delphine. Greeks, Romans, and many other pagans used the fish symbol before Christians. Hence the fish, unlike, say, the cross, attracted little suspicion, making it a perfect secret symbol for persecuted believers. So the early Christians made practical use of this symbol for practical convenience. So yes it was adapted by Christianity. But it has nothing to do with the age of pisces. Just because pisces is represented by the symbol of fish it has nothing to do with Christianity. So get your facts strait.

I'm sure I asked that once, but surely...




"I wonder what would happen if I put Krzystof the Carp in the bathtub for a few days"
and a tradition was born.

Don't know. But think about it. Everything was started by one guy/girl, usually considered crazy by his/her peers.

Who was the first person to go up to a cow and say, "Hey, let's pull on those dangly things and drink what comes out."

Why do we still drink the milk? We're drinking a liquid produced by a fat animal's nipples.

Two farmworkers were sitting having their lunch in a field of cows.
One says to the other "Do you know what time it is?"
So the other reaches forward to the cow innocently grazing in front of them and lifts its udder.
"Quarter past one."

Some time passes.
The first one asks again "Do you know what time it is?"
Again, the other one puts his hand under the cows udder and lifts it.
"Ten to two."

More time passes.
Again, "Do you know what time it is?"
The second farm worker lifts the cow's udder.
"Two o'clock."

"How can you tell, just by feeling that cow's udder?"
"If I lift that cow's udder, I can see the clock on the church over there."

Awaiting moderation.

i wouldnt be so sure of that

the bible, old and new testament, is littered with references/symbolism to astrological ages (taurus, aries, pisces aquarius) - go and read a little more and then come back with some straight facts

Man returns home from his fishing trip with a cock-sucking carp!
Wife asks, "What am I supposed to do with that?"
Man says, Teach it to cook and then fukc off" :O)

I was born and raised in Poland. You don't keep the carp in the bath tub for DAYS. My dad used to bring it home in the morning and it would swim in the bath tub for like 4 hrs and then we killed it and cooked it. The killing was crazy because the carp was trying to get away and it was slippery. And how do you bring it home? Um how about in a bucket of water? ( I mean how do you bring a fish into a tank?) The fish isn't dirty either. You have to consider that just because things are a certain way in the US does not mean they will be the same in Poland. You might consider the possiblity that it may actually taste decent. I don't think it's the worst fish to pick.
So anyways, yes teh carp didn't taste bad at all....and I hate fish in general.

I think they mean carp taste bad because it is a bottom dweller fish and
me personally I cant stand fish and get grossed out when people eat it
cause fish is... ok cant say anymore cause I am getting grossed out talking
about it.

blec..