Christmas in Poland is celebrated on December 24th. Families gather for an evening meal known as Wigilia which features 12 dishes representing the 12 apostles and no meat. After eating, people attend midnight mass and exchange gifts. On Christmas Eve, the first star seen in the sky is very important and people anxiously watch the sky for it. Traditional Polish Christmas foods include fish, beetroot soup, sauerkraut, and poppy seed cake.

2. Christmas
Christmas in Poland is on 24th December.Everybody has Christmas
holiday and spends this time with their family. There are a lot of lights and
the buildings are beautifully decorated. Eve in Poland is wonderful. The
Christmas Eve derives its name from the Latin word vigilare, which means to
watch or keep vigil.

3. On Christmas Eve the first star is so important that it has been given the
affectionate name of "little star" in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
On that night, everybody watches the sky anxiously, hoping to be the first to
cry out, "The star!" The moment the star appears, people start eating.
Families unite for the most carefully planned meal of the year-the Christmas
Eve supper.

4. According to tradition, bits of hay have
been spread beneath the tablecloth as a
reminder that Christ was born in a manger.
An even number of people must be seated
around the table or tradition states
someone may die in the coming year. In
some places an empty place setting is left
at the table for the Baby Jesus or a
wanderer who can come in need or if a
deceased relative should come and would
like to share in the meal. The meal begins
with the breaking of the wafer. Everyone at
the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a
symbol of their unity with Christ.

5. There should be 12 dishes - as a
symbol of the 12 apostles. Poppy
seed cake, beet soup, prune
dumplings, carp, herrings and
noodles with poppy seed are
universal Polish Christmas foods.
There is no meat eaten on
Christmas Eve. There is compote of
dry fruits. People sing carols
around the Christmas tree and
exchange gifts. After this, people go
to church to attend the Christmas
Midnight Mass.

6. Popular dishes
SAUERKRAUT
FISH WITH
STEW WITH MEAT
VEGETABLES
HERRING BEETROOT
HOTCHPOTCH
SOUP WITH
RAVIOLIS
DUMPLINGS FILLED
WITH SAUERKRAUT CARP
AND MUSHROOMS

7. Popular cakes
FRUIT CAKE CHEESECAKE
GINGERBREAD
POPPY-SEED CAKE YEAST-CAKE

8. Beautifully lit Christmas trees are
placed in all public places, inside
churches and at homes. Traditionally
the trees are decorated with bells,
chains, glass balls, shiny apples,
walnuts, beautifully wrapped chocolate
shapes and many homemade
decorations and candles. On the top
of the tree there is a star. In many
houses, sparklers are hung on the
branches of the trees giving it a
magical air.

9. The following day is often spent visiting family.
Poland is a land of intriguing traditions. Its people
have always combined religion and family closeness
at Christmas time.

10. All Saint’s Day
It is a traditional Polish holiday to commemorate all saint people. However, on this and
on the following day we also commemorate our relatives who are dead. In Poland
people usually travel to the places, where their relatives are buried. They go to the
cemetery and clean the graves. Moreover, they decorate the graves with candles and
bunches of flowers. On the All Saints Day, all families gather on the cemeteries. They
pray and attend a mass together. The mass is celebrated for the salvation of the dead.
They bring flowers and candles and lay them on the graves of the relatives. This is
time to think about those, who are no longer with us. It is usually quite sad. After the
mass, people meet their families in their houses. They eat a meal together and talk
about those, who died.

11. Easter
Easter is the most important
religious celebration in the Christian
liturgical year. Christians celebrate
the Resurrection of Jesus after
crucifixion.

12. Easter is a moveable celebration because it is not fixed in relation to the
civil calendar. Easter falls at some point between late March and late April
each year (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity), following the
cycle of the moon. Easter is on the first Sunday after the first fourteenth
day of the moon (the Paschal Full Moon).

13. In Poland, preparations for Easter begin one month before the main day of
this holiday. On these days people, especially young children, go to church
to confide in order to clear and prepare their souls to the main ceremony.
Then, one week before Easter there is a special day called Palm Sunday.
Catholics gather in church with palms in their hands to have them ordained
by the priest and after that put on the Easter table at home as a sign of the
arrival of Christ to Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

14. The atmosphere of Easter is visible everywhere in Poland - in the decorations
of the shops, in the windows of the apartments in the city. The typical
elements of Easter are very colorful and happy - painted eggs, Easter statues
of lambs, bunnies - the symbols of life.

15. Easter cake
Easter shortcake

16. People wish one another “Happy Easter” (“Wesołego Alleluja” in Polish) and
have an occasion to talk together, too. Easter Monday is celebrated by the
Poles only. That day everyone can expect to be drenched with water, at least
once. Generally speaking, Easter is the time of happiness and rebirth.

17. Traditional outfits in Poland
Traditional outfits in Poland used to be an important
part of village life and also a significant element of
culture. They depend on many factors: geographic
region, history, economy, tradition and individual
aesthetic needs of its creators and users.

18. Traditional regional outfits usually
served as a representative function,
emphasizing the importance of the
various events. In some parts of
Poland people still wear traditional
costumes on special occasions. Here
are some examples: