CHRISTMAS IN POLAND

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CHRISTMAS IN POLAND

• by the students from Szkola Podstawowa nr 3 im.
  Arki Bozka w Rydultowach

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• Christmas is one of the most religious holidays
  in Poland. Our town is located in Silesia it is
  the region in the southwest part of Poland. The
  traditions are quite different here but they are
  very rich, varied and colourful, too. We are
  going to tell you how we spend Christmas not only
  in Poland, but in Silesia, too.

Poland
There is a coal mine in our town, Rydultowy.
Silesia is famous for its coal mines.
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• Preparation it is really special time! We wait
  for Christmas for four Sundays in church this
  period is called Advent. In many houses, there
  are Advent wreaths with four candles. Each
  Sunday, we light one more candle. When all four
  candles burn, Christmas is very close to you!
  This wreath is also a decoration on a Christmas
  table.

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• In Advent, children go to church every day in
  the morning or in the afternoon for special
  services that are called roraty. It is dark so
  children carry lanterns to light their way.

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• Another tradition connected with Christmas is
  baking cookies!
• We bake them in December with our families
  and the best thing
• is decorating them!

This photo was taken last school year when some
French guests visited our school because of the
Comenius project.
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• 24th of December is a really unusual day! Here,
  in Silesia, we have got many symbolic behaviours.
  For example, you can not sleep long on this day.
  If you get up early, probably you will be lucky
  next year.
• We also decorate our Christmas trees on 24th
  December. Some people do it earlier two or even
  three weeks before Christmas, but traditionally
  you should do it in the morning on this day.

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• Christmas table
• We put some hay under white tablecloths. Its
  the symbol that Jesus was born in a stable. There
  is a cross and the Advent wreath on the table.
  There is also one extra plate for an unexpected
  guest.

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• All families gather at the Christmas tables. The
  youngest members of the families wait for the
  first star looking through a window. When the
  first star appears, we start our Christmas
  dinner. First of all, we share the holy wafer and
  we wish one another the best. Sometimes, we read
  aloud the Bible about Jesuss birth.

The holy wafer
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• The food depends on the region. Here we present
  the most popular food in Silesia
• You can eat some borsch with ravioli, peas soup,
  fish soup, siemieniotka (sweet linseed soup) or
  mushroom soup. As the main course we eat fish
  fried, baked or cooked especially a carp is very
  popular.

Borsch with ravioli (barszcz z uszkami)
Fish are served by many sorts.
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• Many people cant imagine this special dinner
  without pierogi (a kind of stuffed dumplings)
  with cabbage and mushrooms. In Silesia weve got
  also moczka gingercake soup with plums and
  dried fruit and makówki its made of poppy
  seed, dried fruit, sugar and bread roll dunked in
  milk.

Silesian moczka
pierogi
makówki
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• After the dinner, we sing Christmas carols and
  look for some presents under the Christmas tree.
  In Silesia, children believe the presents are
  given by Dzieciatko (little baby Jesus). Santa
  Claus visits us on 6th December so hes free on
  Christmas day. The evening ends with pasterka a
  special mass that takes place at midnight.

presents
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• 25th of December is a day you should spend at
  home with your family, resting and enjoying their
  presence. 26th of December is a good day for
  visits. Many people go to churches or town
  squares where they can see szopka the Nativity
  scene with real animals and people especially
  children enjoy it.

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• If you come to Poland, you can see that each
  part of our country has its own traditions and
  customs. One thing doesnt change its the
  blissful and joyous time for everyone. Merry
  Christmas Wesolych Swiat!

Christmas at our school last year
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