Slide 1 – Title - Name of winter holiday in country Slide 2 – Country information – name, map, continent, borders Slide 3 – Country information - location compared to Seaford, language Slide 4 – Date of holiday, colors/symbol of holiday Slide 5 – Gift giver – name, description, picture Slide 6 – Custom/symbols Slide 7 – Custom/symbols Slide 8 – Music and how to say “Merry Christmas” in the language Slide 9 - Food Slide 10 – Your name & references Assignment: Choose a country. Research its winter holiday customs and symbols. Make a 10 slide PowerPoint presentation: Check out Ms. Kopicki’s!

Christmas Eve and St. Nicholas Day in Poland

POLAND Poland is in eastern Europe.

Poland is east across the Atlantic Ocean and slightly north of Seaford. People in Poland speak Polish.

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6. Christmas Eve, December 24, begins with Wigilia – Christmas Eve dinner. It is a time for family to get together, usually without outside guests. Traditionally, a place is set for any strangers who might arrive. This custom comes from the old Polish saying, "A guest in the home is God in the home.“

St. Nicholas, called Swieto Mikolaj encourages children to be good. He gives apples, oranges, holy pictures or pierniki (saint cookies made with honey and spices) to good children and switches to those who were not so good. Children write letters to St. Nicholas telling him about their behavior and asking for special gifts.

Oplatek, a thin wafer pressed with pictures of the holy family. People pass this around, sharing good wishes and small pieces of their oplatek. Straw is sometimes put under the table in remembrance of the manger where the Christ Child was born.

Christmas Eve has been given the affectionate name of "little star" or "Gwiazdka," in remembrance of the star of Bethlehem. Everyone watches for the first star to be seen in the sky on Christmas Eve because that signals the start of Wigilia, the traditional dinner. These stars are made of straw.

Wycinanki is the traditional art of papercutting.

'Wesołych Świąt‘ Happy Christmas “Cicha Noc” Silent Night m/watch?v=8bWsXSrp2X o&feature=player_embe dded Click above to hear Cicha Noc

Many Polish people are Catholic, so the Christmas celebrations have a religious basis. People fast on Christmas Eve, which means they do not eat all day long. Wigilia, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner begins after the first star of the evening is spotted, and consists of many non-meat dishes. Pierogi are dough wrapped around cheese or cabbage. Borscht is a beet soup. Kluski (egg noodles), carp (a kind of fish) and poppy seed bread or cake are also served.

Beth Kopicki used these references: ns-poland.htm ns-poland.htm /12/05/polish_christmas_feature.shtml 007/12/05/polish_christmas_feature.shtml