2. Personal relation to festive days
Since birth I have been brought up in the Christian religion. We have gone to
church every Sunday, we have celebrated Christmas together in December,
and Easter on April.
Every year the Christmas scheme is the same and is always associated with
faith and tradition. What's more, in my house, my parents especially care
about family recipes and customs. I really like spending the holidays
surrounded by my family, even at birthday parties or at Sunday dinners, when
we always invite a large part of our family. Typically, these dinners are
organized by my grandmother in our family house.
I'm sure that in the future I will take care and nurture these habits which I
have carried from home. I believe that such simple traditions are the basis
our society and help us taking care of out culture as a nation.

3. Family tradition of celebrating special
occasions
 As I have previously mentioned, traditions are very
important for me and my family. For example, we
always have a Christmas tree and we 12 dishes on
Christmas which symbolize 12 apostles.

4. Free space at the table

The habit of leaving a space at the table during
Christmas Eve is a well-known and popular tradition in
Poland.
In my family home we also leave one place at the table.
This space is reserved for an unexpected guest.
Leaving a space at the table also symbolizes the
memory of our loved ones who can not spend
Christmas with us or can also honor the memory of a
deceased family member.

5. Singing Christmas carols
 An integral part of Christmas Eve in my home is
singing carols in the living room next to the Christmas
tree and the Christmas crib. The songs tell us the story
of the birth of Jesus. They are very happy and
rhythmic. My whole family loves to sing them all night
long.

6. First Star
 In Poland – and also in my home, Christmas Eve
supper starts when the youngest member of the family
sees the first star appeared on the sky. This tradition
comes from the star of Bethlehem which, according to
the Evangelist – St. Matthew, is the star that sages saw
when they wanted to find a way to the newborn Jesus
in a crib.

7. Breaking the wafer
 The most important moment during Christmas Eve in
Poland is the habit of breaking the wafer. This
tradition comes from the ancient custom that survived
from the early centuries of Christianity.
Christmas Eve refers to the feasts of the early
Christians, organized to commemorate the Last
Supper. This custom is also meant to be some sacrifice
for others and teaches us the we should divide to the
last piece of bread. We make a wish for prosperity and
forgive bad things from the past.

8. Midnight Mass
 Midnight Mass ends Christmas Eve in my home. This
Mass is celebrated in churches always at midnight.
According to Polish tradition, it commemorates the
arrival of the shepherds to Bethlehem and submission
of their homage to the newborn Jesus. The habit of
exercising the Christmas Liturgy at night was
introduced in the second half of the fifth century.

9. Pupil’s relation to the significance
of religious traditions
 To sum up, I believe that taking care of tradition is
one of the most important things in the life of a
young patriot. Each one of us should take care of the
smallest, seemingly unimportant things. I think that
only by transferring this traditions related with
Christmas and also with Easter to the new
generations, they are able to survive for many years.