My Christmas in

Poland

• The preparations for

Christmas begin many days before the actual celebration. Nearly everywhere women are cleaning windows in apartments and houses just before Christmas. The insides of the houses are also cleaned thoroughly. It is believed that if a house is dirty on Christmas Eve, it will remain dirty all next year.

• Christmas Eve is the most spectacular and mostly celebrated day during the Christmas time

• It is celebrated on December, 24th.• Everything starts when the first star appears in

the sky…

Christmas Eve / Wigilia

• From the morning, or sometimes even a day before, lots of traditional dishes are being cooked and prepared. Everybody has something to do at that time.

• Traditionally Christmas tree is being decorated on Christmas Eve, but in some families it is done few days earlier, to feel the magic of Christmas

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

• The table is decorated in a very nice way. Traditionally there should be hay under the tablecloth, recalling Christ’s birth in the stable.

• Additional plate is being put on the table. It is said that on Christmas Eve noone should stay alone, so if some unknown person comes to your house, you should invite them to enjoy the supper together.

• Presents are being put under the Christmas Tree – the best part for children

• Before we start eating the delicious food, people in Poland share the holly wafer, wishing each other only good things for the New Year and future. After that we sit together at the table and start eating ;)

• It is said that traditionally, there should be 12 dishes served during Christmas Eve Supper.

• In different regions of Poland the dishes may vary. However the most popular are:

Christmas Eve

• Mushroom soup

• Beetroot soup with ravioli

• Dumplings with sauerkraut and mushroom

Traditional dishes

• Carp – which is served in different ways, depending on the region

• Herring dishes

• Sauerkraut with mushroom

• Poppy seed cake

• cheesecake

• Polish Christmas Eve is accompanied by Christmas carols, which everyone sings during this special evening

• Once we finish with eating, children can take the presents from the Christmas Tree and distribute them. In Poland not only children get gifts.

• After the supper at midnight a lot of people go to Midnight Mass /Pasterka to the church where they celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Christmas Days• Christmas Days are also celebrated with

families. People go to church on these days.• They spend time with the relatives, talking,

eating good food, carroling and enjoying the atmosphere.

• When the weather is nice a lot of people go for walks to burn the callories from the tasty food

• Christmas Eve – Wigilia• Christmas – Boże Narodzenie• Star – gwiazda• Hay – siano• Holly wafer – opłatek• Midnight Mass – Pasterka• Carols – kolędy

Christmas Vocabulary

Presentation prepared by students from class III c

in Zespół Szkół nr 3translated by

the teacher – Mrs Magda Madej