Polish people have two days when they give presents. The first is on the 6th of December. This is St. Nicholas day. Good children wake in the morning to find candy and presents either in their shoes or under their pillow. However, although this holiday is observed, it pales in comparison to the birthday of Jesus.
On the 24th of December, the children look for the first star to appear (in remembrance of the star of Bethlehem). Once they see it the Christmas dinner may begin. They begin by sharing a holy wafer and wish each other Christmas greetings. Apparently, this is an extremely emotional event in the evening because with it they find their unity with each other and Christ.
Once they break bread it's time for the dinner. The table is set with a white tablecloth that has hay under it. This is to remember where Jesus was born. There is always an extra place set in the case that there is an unexpected visitor. This is a night where everybody is welcome.
The dinner is comprised of 12 dishes. These dishes include, but aren't limited to, barszcz with dumplings (as seen in the picture), mushroom soup, herring, fried carp (served first), peirogies, sauerkraut, compote, and cakes. Everyone has to try a little of everything.
Once dinner is complete the caroling can begin. They sing while they wait for Santa to come. The presents either arrive by Santa himself, are left one the doorstep in a bag, or surprisingly show up under the tree. Then at midnight they go to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Everyone prays and sings.
On a personal note, I went to the mass. I would describe it as a marathon of boredom. I'll let you all know when I talk to you exactly how boring it was. That's pretty much it. The town is absolutely dead on Christmas day. I watched from my window and there was not a single car on the street.
I hope everyone has a great time with your friends and family as we work our way towards New Year's Eve. This is my favorite holiday next to Thanksgiving. So party your little hearts out.
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