13 Polish Christmas Traditions

1. Christmas Cleaning
There is a lot of work to be ................. in order to prepare the house
for the Christmas ......................... The house must be ........................
and there are an ..................... number of ........................ to be
completed including window washing, carpet cleaning, dusting and more.

infinite holiday done chores spotless

2. 3 Days of Christmas!
In Poland, Christmas does not just .................... for one day, but for
three! Christmas celebrations ....................... on the 24th with Wigilia.
The 25th is Christmas Day, ......................... as the First Day of
Christmas in Poland, is ....................... relaxed. People will usually visit
other family .......................... and share another meal together. The
26th, ...................... Day, is known in Poland as the Second Day of
Christmas.
known Boxing more begin last members
 13 Polish Christmas Traditions

3. A Carp in the Bathtub

Carp is ................................ the main meal at Wigilia. The fish is
........................... alive a few days before Christmas from a big tub at
the supermarket. The fish is ............................ home in a plastic bag
and kept in a ........................... full of water until it is killed for the
meal. Today, many people just buy a carp .................. .

brought bathtub filet traditionally purchased

It is believed that carp ..................... bring extra luck and some

people will .................... them in their .................... for the rest of
the year. Some older women will put the scales in their ..................
for the meal and give them as a gift to guests the ..................... day.

bra following wallets scales keep

 13 Polish Christmas Traditions

4. Straw on the Table

A small ..................... of dried .................... or grass is placed
beneath the ..................... . The hay is symbolic of the baby Jesus
who laid in a ................... .

manger tablecloth bundle hay

6. An Empty Chair
At each Wigilia table an .................... chair and place setting is left
open for an ....................... guest. It is Polish ........................
that no one should be ..................... or alone on Wigilia so there
is a spot reserved just in ................ . Some families see this empty
chair as a place to remember a .................... family member who
couldn’t be there.

belief deceased hungry case empty unexpected

13 Polish Christmas Traditions

7. The First Star

It’s Polish tradition that .................. food should be eaten until
the .............. star in the sky ..................... on Christmas Eve.
Children often position themselves in a window ................... for
the first ....................... light. This tradition is symbolic of the
Star of Bethlehem which the Bible says guided the .....................
to find Jesus.

searching appears Wisemen twinkling first no

8. Animals Can Speak

This old Polish legend ...................... that at midnight on
Christmas Eve, animals are given the ......................... to speak.
The story claims that they were given the ability to speak in order
to welcome baby Jesus to earth. Children sometimes try to
............................... with the family pets, ..............................

communicate unsuccessfully ability claims

13 Polish Christmas Traditions

9. Breaking a Wafer
Before ....................... down to enjoy the Wigilia meal, guests
...................... around a large ..................... called an Opłatek.
The opłatek is a large paper thin rectangle made from flour and
water that usually has an image of Mary, Joseph and Jesus on it.
Everyone takes a piece and goes to each guest at the table offering
Christmas ...................... After the wishes are given you each
...................... off a piece of the other persons wafer and
.................... it. This tradition is sometimes thought to symbolize
breaking bread at the Last Supper.

wishes wafer sitting break eat pass

10. Attending Midnight Mass

At ..................... after the Wigilia celebration, many Poles
.................... Midnight Mass at the ........................

church attend midnight

13 Polish Christmas Traditions

11. Christmas Eve Gift Giver

Santa Claus (also known as Mikołaj or Saint Nicholas)
..................... the presents in Poland on the 6th of December. Each
region of Poland has a ......................... thought as to who brings
the gifts on Christmas Eve. In .......................... Poland it is Dziadek
Mróz (Grandfather Frost), in ................... and Northern Poland is is
Gwiazdor (the Starman) in ....................... Poland it is Dzieciątko
(Baby Jesus), Aniołek (Little Angle) or Gwiazdka (Little Star).
Sometimes children are ..................... that the need to be quiet
during the Wigilia meal in order to not scare the gift giver away.

Southern different Eastern told Western brings

 13 Polish Christmas Traditions

12. 12 Traditional Dishes of Wigilia

Wigilia is the Polish name for the ................... meal eaten on Christmas
Eve. At this meal there are ............................. 12 dishes served, though
the dishes vary between region and family. It is important to at least take
a .................... of each one as it is expected to bring luck for the next
12 months. For Catholics, the 12 dishes symbolize the 12 ....................
of Jesus. Typically there is no ..................... or hard alcohol at this
meal, but it is very heavy in .......................

apostles meat bite main fish traditionally

13.. Singing Christmas Carols

Some families in Poland will sing Christmas .................... after the meal
is finished. These songs are not .................. to those found in the
United States but of a more solemn and ....................... tone. In some
parts of Poland, more often in the countryside, people will travel
between houses singing carols or performing short .......................
skits.
nativity similar Carols religious

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