Andrzejki in Krakow: St Andrew’s Eve traditions and ideas for the evening

Andrzejki is an evening of fortune-telling on the eve of St Andrew’s Day, the night of 29 to 30 November. In Krakow you can spend it in several ways: with fortune-telling at home using wax, at a family workshop about old customs, on an evening walk, or solving puzzles together in an escape room or a city game. Below you’ll find a short explanation of the tradition and ideas for different groups, from families with children to a hen do.

Many Andrzejki parties in Krakow take place on the last weekend of November rather than on 29 November itself. If you’re planning a night out, check the date of the specific event, not just the calendar.

Where Andrzejki fortune-telling comes from

In the past, Andrzejki was an evening of fortune-telling about marriage. On St Andrew’s Eve, girls looked for signs about who and when they would marry. Boys did the same a few days earlier, on St Catherine’s Eve. That custom, known as katarzynki, died out in the mid-19th century. The origins of Andrzejki fortune-telling are unknown, and the first mention of it in Poland dates from the 16th century.

Today nobody takes the predictions seriously. They’ve become a way to liven up a get-together with friends. That’s good news for whoever’s organising: nobody needs to believe the result to have a great time.

The most popular fortune-telling games for an evening at home

• Pouring wax. Hot wax is poured into cold water, usually through the hole of a key. Then you read the shape of the set figure or the shadow it casts on the wall.
• Shoes to the door. Everyone lines up their shoes one behind the other, from the wall towards the door. According to the game, whoever’s shoe reaches the threshold first will be the first to walk down the aisle.
• Objects under dishes. Small items, such as a wedding ring or a flower, are hidden under plates or mugs. Everyone picks one dish and reads their “prophecy”.

Hot wax burns, so children should pour it together with an adult, and it’s a good idea to put the bowl of water on a steady table. The fortune-telling is also easy to adapt to your group. Instead of asking about weddings, you can predict future travels or plans for the new year. Nobody has to answer questions about their relationship in front of everyone.

Andrzejki with children: old customs at the museum

The Ethnographic Museum in Krakow runs family workshops called “Etno? Logicznie!” for children aged 6 to 10, who come along with their carers. In November 2024 one of the sessions, “Z dobrą wróżbą” (With a Good Omen), was about old fortune-telling customs. We don’t know whether similar workshops will take place this year, so check the current programme on the museum’s workshop page (in Polish).

A session like this goes well with an evening at home. The children learn the background to the customs and can then lead the fortune-telling for the family themselves.

A magical mission indoors

If you’d rather save a magical world together than predict the future, take a look at the Enchanted Amulets escape room at Gamescape, ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki 74. A dark Sorcerer has imprisoned the mages of the once-allied Schools of Magic, and your team has to collect the amulets and find the Cup of Life. According to the operator’s card, 2 to 8 people can play, the game lasts 65 minutes and the room is recommended for hen parties.

There are two things worth knowing. The operator rates its difficulty at 7/10, so if it’s your first escape room, mention that to the staff when you book. The room is dimly lit and the story has elements of black magic. The card marks the room as child-friendly, but if you’re planning to bring children, ask about the age rules and whether a guardian needs to play. A standard booking doesn’t include a special Andrzejki programme, so plan the fortune-telling for after the game.

Portals in the November outdoors

If you’d rather head out into the city, check out the Eight Portals city game. The border between the world of magic and ours has blurred, and your team has to close eight portals with magic crystals. You play on an iPad with a GPS map and augmented reality elements. On this page the game is described as an event for groups: Game Masters run the briefing and split players into teams of 4 to 6. The mission takes 140 minutes, and the route is about 3.5 km long and runs through old Zwierzyniec: Aleja Waszyngtona, part of Wolski Forest and the area around the Rudawa river.

The route goes through green areas, so a November date means allowing for short days, the cold and the state of the paths. Confirm the times when the game runs. Don’t assume there’s a night-time version just because you’re organising an evening. Standing still over a puzzle for a long time feels different from walking non-stop, so bring warm clothes.

Legends instead of fortunes on a walk around the centre

A calmer option is Krakow Legends, a city game in a phone app. It leads you through the city centre, and you unlock the tasks once you reach the next points on the map. There’s no time limit and no fixed start time, you can take breaks, and the group plays on one phone. You’ll need an Android or iOS phone with location turned on.

In November it gets dark early. Before you set off, decide how much of the route you want to walk in daylight and when you’ll pause the game for dinner. Krakow’s legends can also make a good topic of conversation over the fortune-telling later.

An evening walk, no ticket needed

If you don’t want to book anything, go for a walk along the Vistula Embankments at the foot of Wawel. It’s a public walking area, free to enter and step-free. After your walk, you can head home for the wax pouring.

How to plan the evening

• A family with children: a museum workshop or a short stretch of the city game in daylight, then fortune-telling at home in the evening, with the wax poured under an adult’s eye.
• A group of friends: an escape room earlier in the evening, then dinner and fortune-telling adapted to the group, with no questions about private matters.
• A hen do: a room for a bigger team, for example up to 8 people. Check the difficulty, because in a mixed group what counts is everyone having fun, not the result.
• A couple: a walk with the app game, a break for dinner and fortune-telling for two.

Give everyone room to choose

Some of the group may prefer a calmer story, while others will happily go for the pressure of the clock. Agree on what everyone expects before you book. Nobody needs to prove how brave they are to enjoy Andrzejki.

A magical mood can come from the story and from having fun together. It doesn’t need promises of “mind powers” or convincing anyone to believe in the supernatural.