MD 2006 Here He Comes (song and map) Day Ho Ho! Here he comes! Ho Ho! Here he comes! Food for Wigilia ( Eve meal) is near………….. Gwiazdor is near………….. Children in have such fun, Ś ą Gwiazdka (the little star) Children in England have such fun, Wesołych wi t some Polish When Christmas time is here………….. The Wigilia table setting cards and When Christmas time is here………….. Oplatki wafer decorations Merry Christmas Gwiazdor The Star Man from Poland More Christmas customs Wesolych Swiat, Silent Night (links to the carol sung in Polish) i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! Silent Night in English with music Pronounced - gVee-ashdoor

In Poland there is a special Poland Children who have been good all In Poland the day of Christmas We Wish on year are given special cookies Eve is very busy. It is spent You All December 6 th . called pierniki. They also have Merry baking traditional foods ready for On this day Saint Nicholas apples and small toys. Christmas fried pockets of a special celebration meal, the (Swiety Mikolaj) is driven dough filled with Wigilia or dinner. on a sleigh to all the Children cheese or potatoes The Wigilia is a meal that doesn’t homes in the town or who have Poland have any meat. village. He is dressed in a not been long robe and wears a good, are sauerkraut sour cabbage special bishop’s hat. given twigs sledzie pickled herring England He also has a long white or coal as a mushroom beard and carries a pierniki punishment! soup shepherd’s crook.

The family prepare the Wigilia table by putting a There are a lot of foods to eat but no meat! thin layer of hay under a white table cloth to Gwiazdka help them to remember baby in the nuts Before sitting down at the table the first little star tangerines . to start their meal, each person in the sky In the middle of the table chocolates they place the Oplatek or is given a thin cookies stamped with a Christmas wafer. Ryba (Whitefish) Sledz (Herring) scene. This is called an oplatki As evening approaches, everyone watches and The candles are lit after the wafer. No one is allowed to eat youngest child has spotted Makowiec waits for the sight of the very first star in the sky the wafer yet! the first evening star. (Poppy Seed Cake) (the Gwiazdka) which means they can begin to celebrate Jesus’ birth with their special Christmas An empty place is set in case there is an unexpected Pierniki Oplatki Eve meal (the Wigilia). guest. (Honey Spice Cakes) ‘Angel Bread’

When everyone has an oplatki Everyone tries to think of a This goes on until everyone has it is time for the ceremony to good blessing. It might be a exchanged blessings and oplatki begin. Everyone must take special wish… wafers and then everyone turns to give their oplatki to I wish you good health gathers around the table for the another person but the person I wish you in the new Christmas Eve meal. who is giving must bless the good luck in year. After the meal Polish carols person they are giving the your school The tradition of Oplatki helps or koledy are sung while the everyone to remember their oplatki to. Then the person work. children wait impatiently I wish you friends and family, how who receives the oplatki must around the or happy days important family members are choinka bless the person who gave it and a hug. choinka for gifts to be Oplatki Oplatki with your Oplatki to each other and how Christmas tree to them. exchanged. ‘Angel Bread’ ‘Angel Bread’ friends. ‘Angel Bread’ important it is to share. After that Gwiazidor gives each Gwiazdor The children wait for Gwazidor, Gwiazdor Gwazidor will question each Gwiazdor child a gift of fruit, nuts, sweets The Star Man the Star Man who is like our The Star Man child asking whether they have The Star Man and small toys. Then Gwiazidor Santa Claus. been good or bad. The children is given a drink and something to Gwazidor comes dressed as a might even be asked to sing a eat. Before he leaves he warns shepherd with stars on his Kolendy or a traditional the children to be good and to robe. He carries a lantern . listen to their parents and do as shaped like a star. The family spend the rest of they are told. Children who have not been the evening having fun and He kisses all the ladies on the good are given a spanking but celebrating. They often go to cheek, wishes everyone a happy only a pretend one, not a real church for a special midnight Christmas and goes to see the pronounced ‘gVee-ashdoor’ spanking! service called a midnight children in the next house. mass.

Polish people call the The next day, Christmas Day is spent resting In Poland Christmas celebrations last for a very Midnight Mass the and visiting other members of the family and long time. From Christmas Day until the twelfth Shepherd's Mass or night, puppet shows go from village to village and wishing each other …. . town to town. Small boys dress as the three kings "Wesołych Świ ąt". and as they go they sing carols. Sometimes people give them small gifts.

The churches are beautifully decorated!

Click for music only In some parts of Poland the Silent night, holy night Try Clicking Here then ….. All is calm, all is bright boys take their home made To find this carol sung in Polish 1. Scroll down until you find Cicha noc Click Here then click on play hi-fi Round yon Virgin Mother and Child 2. Click on hi-fi next to the little green arrow szopka from house to house Holy Infant so tender and mild 3. If the link is still there Silent Night (sung in Polish) should play!!! singing carols and hoping for Sleep in heavenly peace 4. Close Internet site, minimise song box Sleep in heavenly peace gifts. Szopki are built like little 5. Go back to slide while song plays to the end houses with towers. They are Silent night, holy night! Back to silent night slide open at the front with a small Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar crib and nativity figures. Szopki (shop-key) Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! This link seems to change … Silent night, holy night Christ, the Saviour is born It can be found by going to the site’s search Competitions to find the best Are nativity scenes. Son of God, love's pure light Christ, the Saviour is born szopka are also held in the Radiant beams from Thy holy face engine & typing in towns and cities. With the dawn of redeeming grace Cicha noc by Mam’s Children Wesolych Swiat, Bozego Narodzenia i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "

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