Polaznik
Form of tradition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Slavic traditions, a Polaznik[lower-alpha 1] is the first guest (sometimes called the "divine guest") who comes to a house at Christmas or on some holiday between St. Demetrius day and Epiphany to bring luck, prosperity, health, and wealth for the coming year. Less frequently, the role of the polaznik is taken over by an animal, which is brought into the house, which is also supposed to bring luck. The ritual is known mainly to Ukrainians, Poles, Slovaks, Slovenes, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgarians. It is believed that the polaznik is a messenger of the ancestors, which connects the world of the living and the dead.[1]