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Welcome to Poland—the 6th “Country of Christmas”!
Last year, Pierre was in a Christmas play at school. It was called “Children of the World.” His part was about Poland and how the children celebrate Christmas there.
Here are some of the lines . . .
—“Look, I’ve brought children all the way from Poland and they’ve been real little stars!”
—“Stars are an important part of Christmas in Poland.”
—“At home, everything is ready for the celebration. The table has been laid for the Christmas Eve feast.”
—“And we always put some hay under the tablecloth to remind us that Jesus was born in a stable.”
—“We even lay an extra place for Him at the table!”
—“But the feast cannot begin until the first star has been seen in the sky.”
—“Children all over Poland will watch the sky tonight hoping to be the one that sees the first star.”
—“We have a name for that star, it’s Gwiazdka, which means ‘Little Star’.”
—“I hope it’s me!”
Polish Christmas Traditions
I did some research to confirm that this is accurate cultural information, and it is!
“On the night of Christmas Eve, so important is the appearance of the first star in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem, that it has been given an affectionate name of “the little star” or Gwiazdka (the female counterpart of St. Nicholas). On that evening, children watch the sky anxiously hoping to be the first to cry out, ‘The star has come!’ Only after it appears, the family members sit down to a dinner table.”
Wikipedia
In Poland, Christmas Eve is known as Wigilia (pronounced vee-GHEE-lee-uh).
“The house is cleaned and everyone wears their most festive clothes. The main Christmas meal is eaten in the evening and is called “Kolacja wigilijna” (Christmas Eve supper). It’s tradition that no food is eaten until the first star is seen in the sky! So children look at the night sky to spot the first star!”
WhyChristmas.com
The traditional Polish Christmas meal consists of “barszcz” (beetroot soup), “uszka” (little dumplings with mushrooms), “krokiety” (pancakes with mushrooms or/and cabbage, in breadcrumbs, fried in oil or butter), carp, “Bigos” (made of cabbage, bacon, and sometimes dried plums).
“On the table there are 12 dishes, meant to give you good luck for the next 12 months. The meal is traditionally meat-free. This is to remember the animals who took care of Baby Jesus in the manger. For Catholics, the 12 dishes symbolize Jesus’s 12 disciples.“
WhyChristmas.com
Wow! I love all these different Christmas traditions around the world.
If you are hungry on Christmas Eve, you better start watching the sky.
Can you spot Gwiazdka, the first Christmas star?!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, Poland!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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What about you? What are some interesting Christmas traditions in your family or culture, or in other countries you have visited?
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