Celebrating Christmas in Poland

[b][/b] hi i am thinking of taking my wife and two children to poland for xmas.

is it celebrated much?

where to stay ?

is there snow?

what part of poland is best at Christmas time ?

Very much


Pick one of the bigger cities, i don't think there is much difference between them.


Yes there is, but i can't tell you that you will have snow for sure.


like a week before i would say.

firstly thank you for your responses.

however when i said what part i should have said what area is best to spend christmas.

how did you get that badge ? are you a monitor ?

what badge?

the mermaid with a crown

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw

it is celbrated but in family circles, you rather won't find big parties in the city, some people go snowing of course, but mostly after the Christmas Eve (24th Dec), because a family supper (with minimum 13 dishes) on Christmas Eve is probably the strongest traditional event in Poland (and we give presents that evening, too, you may put them under the Xmas tree, but in our family we allow the children to unwrap their gifts after the supper, otherwise they'd be playing with the new toys instead of participating in the supper, but we usually have a Santa Claus, so it's not a problem, they have to wait for the Santa anyway). Before the supper the common tradition is sharing "opłatek" (host - a rectangular and very thin slice of white, light, eucharist bread baked mostly by nuns, monks or generally churches, easy to purchase, they often bring it to your home during the week before Xmas and expect a small "offer", maybe 10 - 20 złoty), when sharing the host, you wish all your family/frineds (one by one) all the best in the next year (adding some personilzed wishes is always required).

so if you need to buy things for the Christmas, do it before 24th Dec, latest on 24th in the morning, because since the early afternoon most shops and other facilities would be closed.

religious people go to a midnight mass (Pasterka) held by all churches on the 24th/25th night, the mass is quite long (maybe 1,5-2 hrs) with lots of singing carols, some typically Polish, some international, but with Polish lyrics), and therefore some more tired (or a little drunk) people may even fall asleep :)

What kinds of gifts do kids get for Christmas in Poland?

bikes
computers
CD Players
Barbie
LEGO...
mobile phones

True.

I would have thought they get the same stuff as Children Everywhere...

Is Christmas also celebrated on the 26th? I'll be arriving that day and just wondering what to expect.

Thanks

the main celebrations will be over but some families celebrate this day and the one after.

Thanks Rafik

I'm hoping there will be tons of food leftover too :)

I have been invited by a friend from work to spend Christmas in the Mountains with his family. Obviously I accepted this gracious offer. Now is there anything that I would be expected to bring, say, etc. And is there anything that I might do as a Scotsman, without thinking, that would cause great offence to his family...I understand that this country is a lot more religious, and there are huge cultural differences especially in small towns. After being so nice as to invite me to a family Christmas as I am away from my family, I would hate to do something really offensive by accident.

Cardno85,


It will be nice if you bring presents for the whole family. They should be just symbolic, so don't worry too much. Treat it as a sign that you remembered about all the family members (even the ones you're seeing for the first time). It's just appropriate to give a little something to every person present at a Christmas Eve, so I'd advise you to ask your friends who's invited.

Expensive presents are bought only to the closest ones (like spouses, parents, children), so you're not included in 'serious' present exchange. If there's a kid in the family - the present for the kid may be slightly more effective than for the rest.

Have them packed and tagged with you, and just put it under the Christmas Tree before the Eve starts.


Always be happy about the food (warning: carp is very... specific).
Dress formal (in most families a suit and a tie would be OK).

When the dishes are served, take only a little of each (watch how much the others take). According to the tradition, one should try all of the dishes and you can expect around 12, so be careful to have some 'room' for the ones that aren't on the table yet.

When all the dishes have been brought in, you can decide of which to take more (but remember about the desert!)

And don't worry, be relaxed. If you realize you've done something wrong, just apologize and smile.

Carp is very....specific. Nice way of putting it, Switezianka.

Just remember what the obvious anagram of carp is...:)

Highlanders drink hard and will not ask you to stand on ceremony. After a few hours with them, you won't be able to stand anyway, LOL

Christmas in Poland is a family holiday, so the best way is to find an organized event.

I have been told there will be minimal drinking...

So get a wee present for everyone, something a bit more for any kids and my friend.

Make sure I eat everything (even force things down i don't like) and don't eat too much and appear greedy.

Stick on my suit (or kilt if my mum has it cleaned, pressed and couriered in time).

Follow that and I should be fine?

Yes, minimal drinking is a relative concept ;)

The Highlanders like hearty feasts and for you to get stuck in. Go with the flow on that one.

Their spirit is their strength. Their spirits even stronger ;)

Yeah, they will be fine with that

Not more home-made vodka? I had that in Scotland with my friends from Białystok...nightmare...although I became fluent in Polish after 3 shots!

Sounds like fun, supposedly his family are not particularly religious which is a relief...although with it being a very small town I reckon they will probably be rather traditional.

I can't imagine anything going seriously wrong. I like food, I like drink...families seem to like me.

I just hope he doesn't have a really hot sister...

Touch his sister and all hell will break loose. That lot know how to protect their own, they will use strong means to do so.

In the UK you might write on the gift tag: To Mary, From John.

In Poland the Christmas gift is from Santa or an Angel or a Starman... depending on family tradition.

Don't write who the gift is from. Just write the name of the person it is for.

Others posters may say otherwise though.

You read that from a poster? ;)

Don't trust it!! Nah, just kidding, that sounds like sound advice from a cultured man, Cardno. Wrocław can be relied upon to speak the truth.

Haha, I guessed that. I don't even know if he has a sister to be honest. Although that would definately be a Christmas to remember, being stoned to death in the Polish mountains.

So just write who it's for. I will talk to my mate and ask who is all going and rough ages. Get paid next week so will make sure and get gifts in advance...hate doing last minute Christmas stuff. What are normal gifts...is it the same as back home (ie.drink, sweets, books, etc) or are there traditional things that hosts would expect?

And I will need to get in touch with mum to get my Kilt out in time. My birthday presents arrived within about a week and a half...so hopefully get the kilt posted in a couple of days. Christmas wouldn't be the same without it!

Being stoned to death, dunno if they use boulders but I don't think you'd remember much ;)

Aha, you meant stoooooned Cypress Hill style, cool

Whisky would be very welcome. The kilt would be the one thing that they'd really go for. From our Highlander traditions.

Cool, this is going to be a doddle. Bring whisky, drink vodka, wear kilt, eat food, don't touch sisters...easy meat!

Now I need to get to work on presents. I never really give whisky as a Christmas present as it's a New Year thing...but I will bring a bottle regardless.

You spell it doddle? I spell it dawdle but there is variation. Yeah, whisky tends to be more of a New Year's gift.

Something traditionally Scottish but not tablet. In Poland, they have krówki which taste virtually the same. Tablet is made by some quality companies in Scotland but krówki are nothing special here in Poland.

How about a big, ****-off haggis? Hardly the best loin stirrer of a food but I think they'd like it.

if you put your kilt on they will laugh at you all night long! lol but seriously, a suit or just a nice shirt, tie and trousers will be fine. but do by all means wear the kilt if that is what you really want! ;) if anything i'd be worried about the kilt travelling in your suitcase, it's a precious thing and you know how they handle luggage at the airports...


yeah pretty much, just remember to wrap them pressies up in bubble so they don't get damaged during the flight, take extra care with liquids so they don't spill on your precious kilt or the presents. get them some scotch whiskey! and maybe even haggis ha ha...


we seem to have the same ideas ha ha

No-one makes Tablet as good as my gran! I heard Krówki is nothing special. I could make a big huge haggis. I would need a day or two off work to sort it out though, and find myself someone to find me a good butcher that can get me ingredients.

That's an idea, if I can't get home to Scotland, then bring Scotland to the Tatras!

Now where can I get them some Irn Bru?