Christmas Eve meetings
Christmas preparations start as early as in November - on the last Sunday of the month Advent begins. It\'s a few weeks period of spiritual preparation for Christmas.
Advent is a few weeks period of spiritual preparation for Christmas. Rorate Masses - Advent services - are held in the churches every day. Sometimes you can see the faithful heading to a service before dawn with lanterns in their hands.
The preparations have also a different dimension - it is a period of intense shopping for gifts for one's loved ones and friends.
In Poland, gifts are presented even twice in December - first on December 6 on the day of Mikolajki (this is primarily a chance to thrill the children), and then on Christmas Eve, placed under the Christmas tree. Children should know that all of them come from Santa Claus.
The most important moment of Christmas is Christmas Eve. In the Polish tradition it is one of the most important family events of the year. Those at odds should reconcile, and no one should join the table angry. The Christmas Eve dinner begins by breaking the wafer and exchanging wishes. On the table there should be at least twelve meatless dishes, including the mandatory carp, red borscht with dumplings, sweet kutia, noodles with poppy seeds, croquettes with cabbage, pierogi and gingerbread. In many homes people listen to, or sing carols during the Christmas Eve. After the dinner Catholics go to the solemn Midnight Mass - Pasterka.
The two Christmas days is an opportunity to meet with the family and visit or receive friends and loved ones.
Tomasz Wysocki