The traditions of the winter solstice period have archaic provenance, reaching back to pre-Christian times. Their meaning is marked by symbolism of a cult-of-the-dead nature and related to the agrarian magic of the first farmers’ community. After Christianisation, elements of the new religion were superimposed on the old rituals. The central motif of these rituals became the symbol of the sun, whose rebirth was perceived as the condition for the survival of human communities in a world enveloped in darkness and the cold of winter. The Christian symbol of the birth of Christ is the image of the letters IHS in the sun circle introduced by the church.

Since time immemorial, from the beginning of the longest night of the year, carolling groups travelled the village roads, singing and making music around the farms, proclaiming the glory of the Nativity of the Lord. At the same time, they gave the magical gift of a good word, wishing happiness and a good harvest. The noises made during such visits were supposed to drive away evil powers from the farmyard, and the terrifying figures of the Devil and Grim Reaper  were shown in a caricatured, joyful form. Ridiculing evil was not scary. After the carolling cavaliers, groups of young women set off on the village roads – from St Stephen’s Day – who also proclaimed the glory of Christmas in songs.

The National Form of Music runs a project The Songs of Forests and Fields presenting repertoires of folk early music performed by singers coming from post-WW2 groups of settlers in Lower Silesia.