Slide 1

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 2

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 3

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 4

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 5

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 6

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 7

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 8

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 9

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 10

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 11

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 12

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 13

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 14

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 15

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 16

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 17

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 18

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 19

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 20

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 21

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 22

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 23

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 24

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 25

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 26

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 27

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 28

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 29

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 30

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 31

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 32

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 33

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!


Slide 34

Advent is an important period in the Polish year.
The word advent derives form Latin and means
coming. Advent consists of four Sundays. In the
church there is an advent wreath with four
candles. Every Sunday another candle is lit. The
main puropse of advent is to remind people that
they’re waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Each candle form advent wreat has its own
meaning:
 I candle = peace
 II candle = faith
 III candle = love
 IV candle = hope

The first Sunday of advent starts new liturgical
year. The dominant colour of this period is
purple.This colour symbolizes the period of
penance and reconciliation with God and people.
„Roraty” is a mass special for advent and it starts
at sunrise. One of the most characteristic
elements of this mass is a
candle(roratka) – symbol of
God’s Mother. Nowadays this mass
is celebrated in the evening because many children
young people come.

One of the symbol of advent is also special calendar. It
helps with counting down days which remain until
Christmas. It’s popular among children because
nowadays the calendar is a box with small windows.
There are 24 windows and every day kids open new one
and find chocolate there.

Polish people ususally don’t eat meat on Fidays
(during advent) and also they prepare fasting
dishes for Christmas Eve.

There was an old pagan custom of suspending at
the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine called
Podłaźniczka (top of the tree). The branches were
decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored
paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored
wafers. People believed that it will bring copious
harvest and success in the next year.

Christmas tree should be
decorated during
Christmas supper. But
nowadays children
decorate Christmas tree
with their parents a day
before Christmas Eve or
in the mornig of
Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree is decorated with
nuts, shiny apples,
candles, baubles and
handmade decorations.

Conifer is a symbol of life, rebirth and fertility.
First Christmas tree appeared in Poland between
XVIII and XIX century.

Georgians have their own traditional Christmas
tree called Chichilaki, made from dried up
hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to
form a small coniferous tree.
These pale-colored ornaments
differ in height from 20 cm
to 3 meters.
These trees are the most common
in regions near the Black Sea.

Decorations of Christmas tree have their own meaning:
 the Star of Bethlehem – helps with coming back home
from long journey
 Lightning – protects against bad ghosts and unfriendly
looks of people
 Apples – guarantees health and beauty
 Nuts – brings wealth and power
 Paper chains – remember about sins, intensify
family ties and protect home against troubles
 Bells – means good news and happy events
 Angels – care for home
 Mistletoe – creates the place for people
in love and shoud be kept until next Christmas
 Tree – is source of life

It’s a day just before Christmas and it’s also
the end of advent. Christmas Eve is celebrated
on 24th December. But orthodox church has
Christmas Eve on 6th of January (Julian
calendar).

Christmas Eve has its roots in ancient Rome.
Sturnalia was an annual celebration between
17 and 23 December in honor of Saturn (god of
agriculture). It was a day of reconciliation and
equality. During those days there was no trade
and slaves celebrated on a par with free.
People offered sacrifice to Saturn. Fathers of
families received wax candles and clay
figurines.

Christmas Eve in Polish means Wigilia .
Wigilia derives from the Latin word
vigilare, which means to watch
or keep vigil.

 Christmas

Eve is a day first of fasting, then of

feasting.
 On Christmas Eve, so important is the first
star of the night that it has the affecionate
name of ‘little star’ (Gwiazdka), in
remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem.
 On that night, all people watch the sky
impatiently, hoping to be the first to cry out
‘The star!’.
 When the star appears, the feast
begins and people start eating.

Christmas Eve supper consists of fasting dishes.
It starts from reading a part of gospel
according to St. Lukas. Many years ago people
didn’t celebrate Christmas Eve on Sunday (if it
was like this) because you can’t fast on Sunday
and they prepared Christmas Eve supper on
Saturday.

 According

to tradition, a bit of hay spread
beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus Christ was born in a manger.

Family members sit
around the table.
 According to
tradition, an empty
place is left at the
table for a guest,
homeless, poor
person or for
unexpected people.
 Some people believe
that the empty place
should be left for a
person who died in
the current year.


One tradition is quite unique for Poland – sharing a thin
wafer (Opłatek). It’s made of flour and water. On this
wafer is pressed a holy picture. This custom dates back
to XVIII century.
 The wafer symolizes the bread and on the other hand
love, frendship, period of reconciliation and
forgiveness.


 In

the past people took the wafer and went
from house to house to wish their neighbours
‘Merry Christmas!’.
 Nowadays people share the wafer with their
family members.
 Each person shares piece
of the wafer with another
person and they are supposed
to forgive any hurts and to
wish happiness in the
upcoming year.

There are many customs connected with
Christmas. Some people believed that a person
who died is present around the table during
Christmas Eve supper. To see that person, you have
to go to hallway and look through the keyhole to
see Christmas table.

You shouldn’t quarrel with other people during
Christmas Eve. It’s better to share happiness and
joy.

On Christmas Eve the first guest should be a boy –
his coming symbolizes luck in New Year.

In Poland women prepare red borscht with
special kind of dumplings called uszka (like
small ears). They put inside a coin (1 grosz). A
person who will find it during Christmas supper
will have luck in upcoming New Year.

You shouldn’t get hurt or during Christmas Eve
because it means problems with health next year.

You should put a scale of carp into you wallet to be
sure of happiness during the whole year.

It’s good to try all 12 dishes during Christmas Eve
supper to have enough food next year and to not
be out of dishes.

 During

Christmas supper there are 12 dishes
on the table – symbol of 12 apostols:
 dumpling with cabbage and mushrooms
 mushroom soup
 herring soup
 beetroot soup (red borscht)

 fried

carp (and other fish)
 cabbage with mushrooms
 cabbage with peas
 croquette (pancakes with mushrooms and
cheese)

 compote

of dry fruits
 cheese cake
 poppyseed cake
 ginger cake

In the middle of Christmas supper Santa Claus
comes and everybody waits impatiently for
him, especially children. Santa Claus gives
presents, but first children have to do
something. Sometimes he can’t come and he
leaves presents under the Christmas tree.

o

o

After supper family members sing together
Christmas carols. Polish carols are beautiful
but a bit difficult.
Families wait till midnight and they go to the
church. There is a special mass which is
called Midnight Mass (Pasterka) – it is
organized once a year.

Christmas Mass starts at midnight. It’s the first
mass during Christmas. Pasterka commemorates
expectation and prayers of shepherds who were
going to Bethlehem.
It’s also one of the most important traditions in
Poland.

Merry Christmas!