Christmas in Poland

Preparations

Period of Advent

A time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25th

Roraty

Children prepare typical Advent Calendar, where put some sweets or chocolates, and can eat just one each day .

Building Christmas cribs

The winner of the Cracov Nativity Cribs contest

Santa Claus in the kindergarden

As an every year tradition, we organise school Christmas Eve for

the students community

We give for each other presents. 2 weeks before we organise a draw and everyone choose one person by lot and

make present for him with his own hands.

It could be Christmas card

Some weird thing?

Homemade cakes

We also organise concerts in our school. There people present

their music skills singing and playing

carols.

Christmas Eve for all of the teachers and the rest of the staff.

In Poland there are three days of Christmas:

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

Second Day of Christmas

Christmas Eve

Christmas tree

On Christmas Eve, sometimes the day before, coniferous tree is dressed by the whole family, which will ensure prosperity in the coming year.

The story of a star placed on the tops of trees

During the communist regime they tried to replace the gold star on red, and sometimes in the shape of domes spiers of Kremlin Orthodox churches, but the tradition has proved stronger

Cooking

Carp is definitely the king of the table

To commemorate the 12 apostles we prepare 12 dishes

Kutia - a mix of soaked wheat, raisins, nuts, honey and spices

Pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms

Vegetable salad

Herring With cream With olive oil and

onion „under the quilt” with

beetroot, eggs, carot, mayonnaise

With cream and apples

With tomates, onion,

raisins

Compote from dry fruits -apples, plums, pears, honey, cinnamone

stick, cloves, lemon, orange...

Bigos

customs

We leave one place empty for an unexpected guest. Some people belive that there is sitting the spirit of close friend already death. It cause an impression of his presence.

Some families invite to this day a poor person, needy, or a child from an orphanage

The table is covered with white tablecloth and hay is spread under it as a remainder that God was born in a manger...

When the first star appears

We share Oplatek- a thin wafer and wish one another whatever the heart dictates:happiness, money, good job, good health etc...

At First and Second Day of Christmas guests, usually family, visit us or we visit them

Meals on the 1st and the 2nd day of Christmas are different. Depends on family tradition and tastes

of the household. The most popular is roast duck or goose.

In a lot of families there's a tradition of smoking the ham.

Cheese cake

Apple cake

Poppy-seed cake

Groups of young people dressed in traditional costumes walk along

villages and sing carols wishing all the best for Christmas.

2nd day of ChristmasThis day is usually continuation of the first day.

We meet our families. Sometimes in the evening we invite friends to our flats and enjoy the time with them.

superstitionssuperstitions

Is believed that if a man with a woman

stand under the mistletoe they will fall

in love with each other.

It's good to put the carp's scale into the wallet. It will ensure well-being in the

following year.

During the Christmas Eve you should neither argue nor cry because discord and sadness will exist in your home during the whole new year untill the next Christmas...

Women who is pregnant should neither sew nor do the washing because her child could be born ill.

Christmas

Carols

„Gdy się Chrystus rodzi”

***'When the Christ comes'

„Wśród nocnej ciszy”

***Silence of the night

„Lulajże Jezuniu”***

' Sleep little Jesus'

„Cicha noc”***

' Silent night '

„Bóg się rodzi”

***'When the God comes'