MYSTERIES · FESTIVALS OF THE DEAD

Old Polish funeral customs: mirrors, clocks and the empty night

Even a hundred years ago, death was a matter for the whole village, not for a hospital. It was accompanied by rites intended to help the soul depart and to allow the living to bid it farewell in safety.

Ezostylia Editorial Team · facts checked in sources · updated 31.10.2026

When someone was dying

The dying person was given a gromnica to hold — a consecrated candle meant to drive away evil forces. A window or door was opened so that the soul could fly out easily. It was said that a difficult death-agony meant the soul could not part from the body, or that the deceased had unfinished business.

Mirrors, clocks and water

Covering mirrors: so that the soul would not see itself in them and become trapped in the house, and so that the living would not glimpse death in the reflection.
Stopping clocks: at the moment of death the deceased's time came to an end, and the house stood still as a sign of mourning.
Pouring away water: the water from vessels in the house was poured out, because it was believed that the soul might have washed itself in it.

The empty night

During the nights when the body lay in the house, neighbours kept watch over the deceased: they sang songs, prayed, and spoke of him. This was the empty night. The vigil protected the deceased from evil forces and the family from loneliness. In Kashubia and the Podhale region the custom survived for a long time.

The carrying-out and the funeral feast

The coffin was carried out feet first, so that the deceased would not "look back" at the house and would not return. At the threshold it was knocked against it three times, as a farewell to the home. After the funeral a stypa was held — a communal meal that restored the living to life and served as a last feast with the deceased. Wealthier families hired płaczki, women who professionally mourned the dead.

What has remained

Many of these customs have survived in a gentler form: a lit candle beside a photograph of the deceased, a black ribbon, a shared meal after the funeral, a vigil and the rosary. There is wisdom and care in them: death is lived through together, not alone.

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Sources

Pusta noc, Wikipedia

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why are mirrors covered after a death?

According to old beliefs, so that the soul of the deceased would not see itself in the mirror and become trapped in the house, and so that the living would not glimpse death in the reflection.

What is the empty night?

A vigil kept over the deceased at home during the nights before the funeral, with prayer and singing, in which neighbours took part.