All over the world (or at least where Christianity or capitalism has spread) on Christmas, some fairy-tale character brings gifts to children. In the vast majority of places, it is Santa Claus. Poland is no exception here - or at least most of its territory. However, there are regions where a different character reigns - specifically in the Poznań region, the Lubusz region, Kujawy and Warmia (specifically in those parts of them that were under the Prussian partition), Kashubia and Kociewie, and the Bydgoszcz region. This giftgiver is known as Gwiazdor (which means “Starman”, “Man of Stars”).
Nowadays, very often his disguise looks identical to Santa's, leaving only the name as a distinguishing factor. But its traditional appearance is slightly different and quite specific. Traditionally the person portraying the Gwiazdor wears a mask or has his face smeared with soot (we warn Western readers - there is no reason to believe that it has anything to do with blackface, there is not the slightest suggestion that the Gwiazdor has anything to do with Africa). He is dressed in either a sheepskin coat or clothing made of tar. Sometimes he is accompanied by a female figure, called Gwiazdka (“Little Star”) - she, in turn, traditionally has her face covered with a veil or simply a piece of cloth.
There are other star motifs in Polish Christmas rituals. In Poland, the most solemn day of the holidays is not December 25, but Christmas Eve, or specifically its evening. This day is popularly called "Gwiazdka" (yes, like the female character mentioned above). We sit down for the evening supper when the first visible star appears in the sky. In the old Polish tradition, it is the day when the veil of the worlds becomes thinner and ghosts appear among people. The tradition of the empty plate is related to this - in addition to the plates for each person participating in the feast, there should also be one additional plate on the table. In ancient pagan times, this plate was intended for deceased relatives. Later it became a symbol of waiting for loved ones who were sent to Siberia by the Russian occupiers. Nowadays, this tradition is translated as "a place for an unexpected guest" - in the sense that no one should be alone on Christmas Eve, so this plate is in case some strange, poor person from the street shows up at the door and you can invite him.
How to connect it all – together and with the Lovecraftian Mythos? Who is the Gwiazdor? Well, its name obviously points us to a creature that came from the stars. Perhaps he is an avatar of Nyarlathotep - the giver of strange joys and the one who brings celestial wisdom? A version with a face covered in soot would fit here, which could be considered an imitation of the Black Man. Or maybe Hastur/Yellow King? The star wears a mask, something that is often an attribute of this creature. Sometimes he dresses in a sheepskins coat - Hastur is sometimes worshiped as the "god of shepherds" - and sometimes he dresses in straw (which is the simplest way in which poor old villagers could dress an "actor" in a yellow outfit). And if someone wants to throw in reindeer... Maybe it's actually a byakhee? And who is his veiled companion? I'll leave that to your imagination.
Let's say the children come across a book that describes how to summon the Gwiazdor. Of course, the stars must be right - so the summoning ritual should be performed on December 24, a moment after dusk, exactly when the first star appears in the sky... Perhaps the plate will play some role in this ritual? But if the ritual is successful, the children may see that the Gwiazdor... the unexpected guest... is very different from their fond imaginations. Like the gifts he brings with him.
This is just one subchapter from my free brochure full of Lovecraftian inspirations from the real life, culture, history and science - You can use them all as You wish, for free:
https://adeptus7.itch.io/lovecraftian-inspirations-from-real-life-and-beliefs
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