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Na Świętego Mikołaja Posted by on Dec 6, 2011 in Culture

Christmas traditions in Poland are full of magic and meaning. The customs, which have been passed down through the centuries, are deeply rooted in religion, family, nature, and a love of the land. Christmas Eve is the most anticipated and beautiful day of the year for a Polish family, as winter darkness is suddenly brightened by the appearance of the Christmas star in the night sky, by flickering lights on Christmas trees, and the melodies of Christmas carols fleating from homes and churches.

December 6th is St. Nicolas Day, Dzień Świętego Mikołaja, and it brings a small reprieve to the gray, monotonous days, especially to children, who feel that Christmas is still so far away. Someone in the family was usually selected to be St. Nicholas and, in villages, he would be driven in a sleigh from house to house. He would be dressed in a long white or red robe, wearing a tall headpiece much like a bishop’s mitre, a white flowing beard, and in his hand he held a shepherd’s staff. He asked children if they were naughty or nice and if they knew their prayers, and then he would give them sweets, nuts, and apples pulled from under his cloak. In case St Nicholas could not make the visit personally, his gifts were placed under the children’s pillows or in their shoes during the night. I definitely remember gifts under the pillows!

Here’s a short poem that you might enjoy:

Na świętego Mikołaja
Na świętego Mikołaja, 
czeka dzieci cała zgraja,
Da posłusznym ciasteczko,
Złe przekropi różeczką.
On St. Nicholas Day
On St. Nicholas Day,
The band of children waits;
For the good cookie he brings,
But for the naughty a switch that stings.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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About the Author: Kasia

My name is Kasia Scontsas. I grew near Lublin, Poland and moved to Warsaw to study International Business. I have passion for languages: any languages! Currently I live in New Hampshire. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, biking and paddle boarding. My husband speaks a little Polish, but our daughters are fluent in it! I wanted to make sure that they can communicate with their Polish relatives in our native language. Teaching them Polish since they were born was the best thing I could have given them! I have been writing about learning Polish language and culture for Transparent Language’s Polish Blog since 2010.