Polish neighbour

April Fools’ Day

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:30:21 +0000

April Fools’ Day is the day on which it is justified and even falls to make jokes and jokes with family and friends. It is too small lies. April 1st is a holiday known in many countries around the world – the English language is called „All Fools ‘Day”or „April Fools’ Day”, in France, „Poisson d’avril”, in Russia, „Dien laughter”.

Origin of April Fool’s Day

Origin of April Fool’s Day is not exactly known it is suspected that it comes from France, from the time when, in 1564 the king Korol IX, reformed the calendar by changing the first day of the new year from April 1 to January 1. Related to this confusion resulted in a lot of funny situations and to commemorate this event has come to tune in that day joke.

The French name of April Fool’s Day – „Poisson d’avril” (literally: the April fish) suggests that it is associated with the entry of the sun in the zodiacal sign of the fish so it is associated with the holiday greeting spring.

Polish Catholic Church believes that April 1 is the date of birth of Judas – a symbol of hypocrisy and lies.

Nicholas

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:26:05 +0000

December 6 bestows the gifts of children, often in the night of the 6th 5th backing up presents under the pillow or placed them in wool, with a large sock. Feast of Nicholas is known around the world under the names: Santa Clause (USA), Babbo Natale (Italy), Heilige Nicolaus (Germany), Mikulas (Czech Republic), Julemanden (Denmark)

Santa Claus
Santa Claus was born in Lycia in Asia Minor about the year 280th Already in his youth was marked by devotion to his mother’s brother Nicholas so Patary bishop to ordain him presbyter. Nicholas’ parents died around the year 300 during the plague, which at that time struck Licia. The resulting drop in Santa earmarked to help poor and needy. A legend says that the gifts He gave anonymously away from tradition plant a gifts under the pillow.
Although ordained as Bishop of Myra remained extremely modest man of all their goods distributed to the poor. He died Dec. 6 in about 345 AD

New Year’s Eve

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:19:44 +0000

New Year’s Eve – January 1, which in the modern calendar is the first day of the year and New Year celebrations are derived from the Roman tradition.
In Europe since the tenth century is celebrated on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Eve is popularly called. In the past, in Poland, a bit like a New Year’s Eve on Christmas Eve, although it was not so festive and celebrated it with such dignity, solemnity and emotion as Christmas Eve. In Poland, fun, New Year’s Eve balls and dances are relatively short pedigree, even in the nineteenth century were rare, and the device are mostly in cities.
On New Year’s Day make to one wishes for happiness, good luck and health. This custom has survived until now and continues to make to one style „New Year’s greetings like „The Happy New Year”.

Christmas

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:15:05 +0000

Festival, which in the Polish tradition is a very important place is Christmas. The special is the atmosphere on Christmas Eve. This day is also linked to most rituals, customs and beliefs. Christmas Eve is one of the best Polish family Christmas. Large role in creating a festive atmosphere plays a decorated apartment. In all houses, beautiful Christmas tree reigns supreme, without which it is difficult to imagine Christmas. This is one of the younger holiday tradition. The first Christmas tree appeared in Poland in the nineteenth century, mainly in cities, in the homes of the Germans and Protestants of German origin. Gradually the custom spread to the entire country. Earlier, Polish houses were decorated during the holidays green branches of fir, spruce or pine.

Polish holidays

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:05:37 +0000

Poles, people who have Polish citizenship are considered to be fond of celebrating the nation, tied to tradition, retaining the old ways. The earliest rites, especially those dating back to pagan times have long since have lost their magical character, becoming a thing of the past, a colorful and fun element. Relationship with traditions is felt most strongly during the celebrations of the biggest church holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Corpus Christi, during which processions are held, or All Saints Day. Quite a popular pilgrimage to the places still surround the religious cult, for Catholics it is such Czestochowa monastery of Jasna Gora, the tzaddik’s grave for Jews in Lezajsk Grabarka for the Orthodox.

The calendar of important state ceremonies take place anniversary of regaining independence in 1918, celebrated on November 11, and anniversary in 1791 the first Polish Constitution, celebrated on 3 May. In those days, public holidays, gala academy, parades, concerts and festivals.

In Poland the feast is celebrated with a slightly different character. These include: Women’s Day (8 March and is currently much less popular than in the days of Polish People’s Republic), Mother’s Day (26 May), the day Grandma (21 January) and Children’s Day (June 1), accompanied by numerous events for children. Keep in mind that on these holidays depends on people, not even the law, for example, the Polish Citizenship Act. The tradition of the Poles are in fact of great importance. It seems that the most important.

Among the popular and cultivated traditions should also be mentioned Andrew – the last play before the Advent, coupled with a variety of fortune for the coming year. The most popular of these is to read the future fate of the shapes, which takes the hot wax poured into cold water.

Polish tradition

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:58:15 +0000

What is the Polish tradition? For each of us will of course be something else, so for clarity we sort out the matter. According to the dictionary definition of the traditions of the Polish language is as follows: „the totality of customs, norms, beliefs, behaviors, etc. of some relevant social group, passed on from generation to generation, too: the continuity of these customs, norms, beliefs or behavior.” The habit is nothing but „adopted in a community way of proceeding in the circumstances,” but also „ethical and moral principles by which someone is headed.” So much for a dictionary. In other words, how many generations are behaved in the circumstances created a Polish tradition. It is important to remember that Poland, contrary to how I would like to see some people, this solution is not homogeneous, uniform, everywhere and always the same. People with Polish citizenship have different origins: German, Jewish, Swedish, Czech, Russian. Because Poland has long been inhabited by Jews and Germans and other nationalities. It is obvious that changes are occurring at the time and what was customary two hundred years ago does not exist. But there is still an important issue – regional differences. And I’m not talking about typical usually already dead differences in dialects, and costumes.

Customs associated with Christmas

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:34:25 +0000

First Star

It is a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, whose appearance was accompanied by the birth of Jesus. Thanks to the shepherds and the Kings could get to the place of birth of the Savior. Today, we expect the first star, which appears in the Christmas sky. Only when it can shine, according to tradition, to sit at the table and divide the wafer.

Wafer

Its name comes from the Latin word oblatum and means the same as offering. This is nothing but a thin piece of baked wheat flour and water. Appear on the images associated with Christmas. Sharing of bread has its roots in pagan traditions. After years, it passed permanently to the Christian traditions, and today we share a wafer before the Christmas Eve supper, we make a wish. Wishes to make to one while sharing the wafer should be sincere, forgive all the blame myself, to sit down to dinner at peace and with pure hearts.

Hay Christmas

We put them under a white tablecloth on the table at which we eat Christmas Eve dinner. Of course, symbolizes the place in which Jesus was born – a crib and hay, which lay at birth.

Christmas tree

Dress is usually on Christmas Eve, or December 23. Once they were adorned with bundles of hay or branches. After time the habit of bringing home to dress in a variety of pine tree ornaments, moved from Germany to other Christian countries. Christmas decorations should be linked to the symbolism of Christmas, and on its top hangs bauble in the shape of a star of Bethlehem. Once I hung apples, which are likely to symbolize the biblical parable of Adam and Eve, an apple today replace glass baubles. Green tree is a symbol of life and the birth of the Savior. Christmas tree lights should burn for the first time only after the emergence of the first stars.

Carols

We begin to sing them at the Christmas table. These are songs that tell stories about the birth of the Lord. Their name comes from Latin, which meant the first day of the month. The first „carols” were sung by the Romans in the ceremony to celebrate the first of January, then took the habit of singing songs of Christians to worship the birth of Jesus. The oldest Polish Christmas carol is „Healthy or angel king” and dates from around 1420 years.

Gifts

The nicest, for many, the custom of Christmas. Today it is mainly associated with Christmas. Originally, the custom was associated only with the person of St. Nicholas, we assume that these are gifts from the baby Jesus.

Shepherdess

Traditional Mass celebrated on the night of 24 to 25 December. Vigil symbolizes the shepherds in the manger of Jesus. Participate in it together with your loved ones. is the most important moment in the Christmas time.