2. Christmas Cards
Before Christmas we send Christmas Cards
to our friends and family.
We also prepare our houses for Christmas.
3. Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve we seat at the Christmas
table and have Christmas supper.
We leave a spare place at the supper table
for an unexpected guest.
4. Christmas supper
We eat vegetarian food i.e. beetroot soup,
carp fillet, pierogi with sauerkraut and forest
mushrooms, poppy seed cakes, stew of
cabbage. We traditionally serve 12 dishes.
5. First Star
We are waiting for the first star to sit down
at the Christmas table and share the wafer.
6. Holy Wafer
We share it before the Christmas supper
wishing each other all the best.
It is a beautiful sign symbolizing love and
unity of all people taking part in the supper.
7. Christmas hay
We put it under the white table-cloth on
the table where we have our Christmas
supper.
It is a symbol of a place where Jesus was
lying after his birth.
8. Christmas tree
It is usually decorated on Christmas Eve or
just before it.
We put live trees in our houses and
decorate them with glass baubles, paper stars,
angels, sweets, home-made paper chains, etc.
and lights of course.
9. Christmas Carols
We sing them at Christmas table.
The most traditional Polish carol is ‘God is born’.
The most popular carol in the world is ‘Silent night’.
It is also a tradition that carol singers visit
people’s houses wishing them Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year. They are dressed up as shepherds,
kings, angels or devils.
10. Presents
For many people (especialy children) this is
the most pleasant Christmas custom.
In Poland, Father Christmas visits us twice –
on 6th December and on Christmas Eve. He
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.
11. Christmas Midnight Mass
The traditional Mass celebrated at night
from 24 on 25 December.
We take part in the night mass with our
families.
