MERY CHRISTAMS

Christmas In Poland Christmas, Nativity of the Lord - in the tradition of the Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a permanent liturgical celebration on December 25. Christmas is preceded by a three-week waiting period called Advent.

Traditions In Poland Easter, Christmas is the next most solemnly celebrated Christmas. It is a family feast, usually spends the next few among the people - goes back to the times of ancient traditions. Survived even traces of Slavic rites of the times. For Christmas Eve sat down with nightfall, the moment of the appearance of the first star urgently look out for by children. We begin by dividing the wafer combined with placing the wishes. This beautiful custom survived in Poland until the present day. For children this is probably the most beautiful evening of the year, in which embodies the atmosphere of a fairy tale for a few hours, when the beautifully dressed Christmas tree, colored lights in the light of the gifts of whom are located dreamed.

Sharing the wafer The most important moment was and is sharing the wafer. Staropolskie were colorful and very decorative. Today wafers are white and ornately embossed. Term "wafer" is derived from the Latin word "oblatum" that is offering . whiter, thinner and softer. Wafers, which we know today first began to bake Benedictine monks from the monastery in France. From there, the custom spread throughout Europe, and together with Christianity also came to the Polish.

Christmas carols Inseparable part of Christmas is the Christmas carol. Carol name appeared long ago. The Catholic Church abolished the old pagan custom calendar handling, however, preserved the tradition of singing religious songs, praising the birth of Christ, visiting in homes, buying Christmas gifts. Over time, carol song called not only for Christmas, but also the habit of walking from house to house with the wishes of Christmas - New Year or visit the parish priest in their homes. It is difficult to determine the exact time when the first carols appeared in Poland. The oldest Christmas carols that we know come from the fifteenth century, and the most popular of these is Christmas carol "The angel told the shepherds."

Nativity The first nativity play arranged a long time ago, in the year 1223, a great admirer of the Child Jesus - St. Francis of Assisi in the rock cave in Greccio. But it is time, when people got tired of watching the annual wooden or stone statues. Brothers idea so they started moving figures expose first, and later the puppet show and just started to gather large crowds of people. Unfortunately, the reaction of people on the presentation was not worthy of the place in which they were exposed - and therefore the church nativity play with them removed. They began to expose them to different places (larger houses, squares, streets). Nativity scene always starts with awakening the shepherds by the angels. Name - nativity play comes from the word "Jaslo," or cattle manger in a stable. From the "manger" was the manger, and the "Jaslo" - nativity play in which the main element is the crib with little Child. There have been periods in our history when the forbidden nativity display, so it was under Prussian rule and Russian at the time of national freedom, as it was during the last war, as it was in the time of Stalin.

Christmas tree On the eve of Christmas almost every Polish family puts in his apartment and decorated Christmas tree. It is one of the youngest Christmas Eve tradition. Christmas tree in its current form was introduced into Poland in the eighteenth century, this practice moved from Germany. Brings themselves Christmas tree to the house on the day in which we remember the first humans - Adam and Eve. Among the conifer twigs wind round chains.Star on top symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem that led to the Epiphany Infant Jesus. Candles on the branches like crumbs fire that once burned in the emergency room all night on Christmas Eve to incoming souls at the time of the ancestors could keep warm. Yes dressed Christmas tree in the home became the Epiphany. In many parts of the Polish custom of dressing the Christmas tree has become firmly established until the early twentieth century.

Santa Claus They love it all - adults and children, rich and poor, residents of large cities and small towns. Santa Claus visited us on December 6 or on Christmas Eve.? Rumor has it, and was born at the turn of the third and fourth in Turkey. Circulates many legends about him. Once he was the patron saint of sailors and itinerant merchants. Born Dec. 6 boys getting the name - Santa Claus. Some cities have made him their patron in New York, Amsterdam. The guardian also chose him scholars, pastors, bankers, and even prisoners.? Santa Claus finished seminary and for many years was the bishop of Mira, a port town in Asia Minor. He was a man of great heart, helping the poor and needy. Gave all his money to the poor. Probably it did wonders. ? In Poland, we are waiting for the December 6th and on Christmas Eve. He is dressed in a red coat and carries on his back a huge bag of gifts. Not so long ago the Polish children came in the company of an angel and the devil. Angel gave a polite kids sweets and naughty devil handed rod.