>> A large part of the world will observe Christmas. This is how we celebrate in Poland: We start always in the evening on December 24th - the day is called Christmas Eve [wigilia in Polish]. The name comes from Latin word vigilare, that is to watch, standing on guard. So look forward to Christmas. Christmas Eve is also a name of gala dinner, which starts at dusk in a company of family and loved ones. That night, at midnight, in all Polish churches a solemn mass is celebrated, so-called shepherdess [pasterka]. The most important Polish Christmas Eve custom is breaking, sharing the white wafer [opłatek - there is no English word explaining exactly the meaning, this wafer is like the Host]. The custom of breaking opłatek is not known outside Poland and Lithuania. Sharing we wish everybody good luck and prosperity. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve table should be twelve dishes, and everybody should try each of them to ensure themselves prosperity in the coming year. We prepare vegetable salad with mayonnaise, herring in oil, red borscht, mushroom soup with noodles, fried carp and carp in aspic, stew [sauerkraut with mushrooms], noodles with poppy seeds and honey, eggs with mushrooms, croquettes with cabbage. Also several kinds of cake, above all, cheesecake, fruitcake and poppy seed cake. In Poland - as one of the few countries - Christmas Eve is also a day of giving gifts. First gifts are placed under a Christmas tree of course, you can open them after dinner. Christmas tree in its current form was adopted in Poland only in XVIII century. This habit came from Germany. Inseparable part of this holiday is Christmas carol. First Christmas carols were probably known in Poland as early as XIII century. One of the oldest surviving and sung today carols is the Infant Holy, Infant Lowly [„W żłobie leży”] from XVII century. You can hear it - the link is below. 25 and 26 December is the time of participating in worship services in churches and visiting family and friends in their homes. >> This year we have Christmas break from 22.12.2014 till 06.01.2015. Enjoy this time!!!
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 20:18:34 +0000
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