Greedy cunning old woman strikes at Bialystok

Personally, I think the story of the "cunning old lady" or "chytra baba" from last year's Christmas celebration at the town square in Radom became a template for all the nasty freeloaders all over Poland. You can watch the video and read my post from last year here.

First, let me just explain how important the tradition of the Christmas wafer or "opłatek" is during the Christmas Eve in Polish tradition.  The wafers are a reminder of the Body of Christ and are shared among the family before the Christmas Eve dinner.  Wafers are baked from wheat flour and water and depict some Christian images.  Family members wish each other health, happiness, and fortune and break a piece of the wafer from each other's hand consuming the wafers as a sign of peace.  All in all, the significance of the wafer is one of the most important Polish Christmas traditions.

Now, take a look at the below YouTube video.  The lady with the basket passes the wafers to all the people at the town square in Białystok when the greedy cunning old lady grabs a fistful of wafers without any hesitation.  And what do you know?  Yes, she even has a baggy for her loot.  I guess she'll be making wafer sandwiches for the Christmas diner.

“Chytra baba” aka “Cunning old woman” takes over Poland’s web

The town square Christmas Eve celebration intended for the less fortunate residents of Radom, turned into a shameless freeloading frenzy. 

It took about 30 seconds for the grabby people to clear the tables. One liter bottles of soft drinks and loaves of bread disappeared before anyone had a chance to taste anything. The spread was to accompany traditional hot Christmas dishes: borsch with dumplings, pierogi, and bigos (cabbage and meat stew). Distribution of hot dishes went fairly smoothly with everyone enjoying the meal.

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So why the excitement? Over 50 cent bottles of citrus flavored water?

The outrage goes deeper than the monetary value of soft drinks and bread. It's the way the people behaved at the tables. Personally, the whole scene reminds me of the lines to the empty stores during the 80's when a delivery truck unloaded the goods and people would go nuts. But that was communist Poland. Today, Poland is an economic miracle country with positive growth numbers among the unlucky European countries ran down with recession and unemployment. Are people that greedy? 

One woman in particular, labeled, "chytra baba" or "cunning old woman", gives a black eye to all the values cherished by Poles, when she grabs not one, not two, but three bottles from the table and casually walks away with her loot. Just take a look at the YouTube video. Pay attention to a woman in a white hat. She does not look like a homeless person in need of food. The football-like bottle pass was amazing. That alone upset a lot of folks.  

Not surprisingly, the "cunning old woman" is a new Internet hit in Poland. Her photo-shopped persona is plastered everywhere trying to grab all kids of items from the famous scenes. Take a look at her Facebook page. The sarcastic side of fame reminds us once again that nothing in the world can hide from a judging eye of the Skynet.

Merry Christmas everyone. Don't get slapped at the table for grabbing your favorite pierogi too quick.