Write a 3 paragraph descriptive essay on a tradition in your culture.
Christmas is a very old festival and the most important public holiday in Poland. It is a Christian holiday, when the birth of Jesus is celebrated. Christmas Eve is the most important day of the year therefore the preparation is very careful. In polish traditions at Christmas there are some universal symbols such as a Christmas tree that has religious significance.
In Poland people buy and decorate the Christmas tree a few days before Christmas. It is decorated with coloured lights, balls, angels and big, golden star at the top of it. They send Christmas cards to family and friends and prepare special Christmas food. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, people have Christmas supper. The Christmas starts with a supper after dark when the stars come out on Christmas Eve (in the sky).
It is usual to have Christmas Carols playing during the preparations.Usually the celebration starts with the breaking wafer, this is usually done between the family members and includes a prayer. People stand around a Christmas table and share a wafer with the whole family wishing each other Merry Christmas. Then they sit around the table and eat. Although the meal varies for different areas, it is normally without meat and there are traditional courses such as: a beetroot soup with mushroom dumpling, herring, carp in aspic, cabbage rolls filled with mushrooms, grain and polish noodles.The table has crisp a white tablecloth with Hay laid at one corner this represents the manger in which Jesus was born.
One unusual tradition followed in Poland is to have an extra place setting for any unexpected guests. People buy presents for all relatives and friends. Christmas is one of the best Polish traditions. It is also one of the most important awaited holidays in the year. Everyone loves it since this is a unique time when people are kind, friendly and generous to one another.
