Christmas in Poland

Click the red Christmas ball to watch short films and photos.

Welcome to our presentation about Christmas in Poland. We hope that you will enjoy our colourful photos, short films and the comments on the traditional Christmas in our country.

Christmas 2020 in KrakowUsually before Christmas Krakow is full of people wandering through the decorated streets and doing shopping at the traditional Christmas Fair. This year is different-the Christmas Fair is cancelled but Cracow is beautifully decorated to give us hope for a better new year 2021.

Waiting for Christmas -Advent in Poland. Advent starts 4 weeks before Christmas. Advent means 'coming' in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. During this period we prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. Before Christmas we start decorating our houses too. Let’s have a look at how the decorations look in our houses.

Gingerbreads recipeBefore Christmas we make lots of pierniczki. This is Ania's recipe-please listen and watch carefully and do not hesitate to prepare them. They taste delicious.

Christmas treeIn Poland we decorate the Christmas tree on 24th December or a few days earlier. It is decorated with a star on the top, gingerbreads, lights and Christmas baubles. It is also popular to put hand- made decorations on the Christmas tree.

Christmas EveIn Poland we have Christmas supper on Christmas Eve. We start supper when the first star appears in the sky. Before the supper we share a wafer with the whole family and wish each other happy Christmas. Then we sit at the table where traditionally 12 dishes are served. We eat carp, fish, pierogi, poppy seed cake and other special food. After supper we sing carols and open Christmas presents. At midnight we go to church to celebrate Midnight Mass.

Christmas DayThe First and the Second Day of Christmas are traditionally spent with relatives. People get together, have dinner and sing Christmas carols. There are very many carols sung in Poland and each region has its own carols. The most popular ones are "Wśród nocnej ciszy" (Within nights silence), "Bóg się rodzi" (God is born), "Lulajże Jezuniu" (Sleep baby Jesus) and "Dzisiaj w Betlejem" (Today in Bethlehem). We hope that this traditional Polish Carol performed by our student Magdalena Konieczny brings Christmas joy to your homes and fills your hearts with hope.

Tradition of ‘Kolęda’ is still popular in Poland. Carollers go from house to house singing about the Nativity. There is also a tradition of ‘Herody’ a live performance done by older boys and young adults about the last days of King Herod.This is a photo of the traditional group ‘Herody’ from Modlnica.

There is no Christmas without...Christmas wishes! Wishing you peace, joy, and unconditional love at Christmas and always. Merry Christmas!

Thank You!