The Christmas Tree Story

A long time ago, when there was no TV or any type of electronics people were spending evenings telling stories. The stories were passed from generation to generation and this is how this story was retold and passed on to us.

Ages ago, people worked hard from dawn till night from early spring to late autumn gathering resources for the whole winter. During the winter time, women wove warm clothes and men made sure that there was always enough wood in the stove to keep the fire blazing and the place warm.

 All people looked forward to Christmas. The Christmas time meant meeting with relatives and friends, going to the Church, taking part in Christmas carols.

There was a young couple, who was married not for a long time and didn’t have any kids. Peter enjoyed listening to the bible stories. One of them about Adam and Eve was of particular interest to him. The image of a paradise tree full of apples was constantly on his mind. It reminded him of spring time, when everything bloomed. He dreamed about having such a tree during the winter time.

One day, an idea came to his mind. He went to the nearest forest and a small coniferous fir tree caught his eye. Peter brought the small fir tree home and put it in front of a window. So the tree would still have some natural day light.

Peter’s wife liked the tree, but it was missing the fruits. So she brought fruits and nuts that were stored in the pantry. They attached strings to fruits and nuts and hang them on the tree. Peter made few ornaments from straw that were shining like gold. The tree looked beautiful.

All relatives and friends visiting Peter’s hub during the Christmas time loved the tree with its decorations. From now on Peter’s family had Christmas tree every year.

The relatives and friends followed Peter’s idea of a Christmas tree. This custom spread from house to house, from village to village, from country to country. Today almost every home has a Christmas tree.

Interesting People: Maria Sklodowska-Curie – the genius of science

Maria Sklodowksa was born in Warsaw in 1867 and received her first lessons in physics and chemistry from her father. Both parents were well-known teachers and encouraged education. Back then advanced study was not possible for women in Poland. So Maria moved to Paris, where she studied at Sorbonne. Here she also met her husband Pierre Curie. Together, they discovered polonium and radium. They received a Nobel Prize in Physics. She received the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She gave the beginning to the world’s first research for treatment of neoplasms and founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw, which remain major medical research centers. She died from exposure to the radium that made her famous.

Santa Claus Story

December 6^th in Poland is a day, when Santa Claus brings presents to the kids. (FYI: Santa Claus in Poland is called St. Nicholas).

A long long time ago and far far away, there was a boy by the name of Nicholas. He had all the toys he wanted, plenty of clothes and food and loving parents. He wasn’t missing anything. But Nicholas was a very smart boy. He liked observing everything that was surrounding him including the people. He took a notice of many kids hardly having anything. It made him sad. He didn’t understand why he had so much and others so little. So he decided to take the matters into his own hands.

Every Sunday, he would take as much food as he could carry to the church and after the mass, he would give it away to the kids. Once a year, he would give away all the toys that he received during the last year.

When Nicholas grew up, he inherited a big fortune and decided to share it with others. His good deeds continued and one day he was named Saint Nicholas. His house became a workshop, where throughout the year he makes the toys for kids and on December 6^th gives them away.

Interesting Historical Facts: Chopin and his story

Frederic’s father was a violin player and his mother was a piano player. According to the legend, Frederick was born, while his father was playing violin. And as a young boy he cried, when his mother was playing piano. However, Frederic as a young boy was able to play piano music from just listening to what his mother played. Parents seeing boy’s talent hired a teacher. Very quickly Frederic surpassed his teacher. At the age of seven, he composed his first music. At the age of eight, he gave his first concert. At the age of twenty, he left Poland for France, his father’s native country. At the age of thirty nine, he died of tuberculosis in Paris. His sister brought his heart back to Poland. It rests at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. Frederic Chopin was one of the greatest pianists and masters of Romantic music of his time.

St Martin’s Croissants, Polish Legend

In Poland, November 11^th is an Independence Day. In Poznan November 11^th has a double meaning. The legend will explain.

A long time ago, in a city of Poznan, there was a baker named Joseph. He heard a story of St Martin, who saved a poor man by giving him his warm jacket. Joseph wanted to make a good deed and was thinking about the best way to help those, who were less fortunate. Then he had a dream in which St Martin came to him on a horse and left without any word. However, a horseshoe fell loose. Joseph looked at the horseshoe and at the same time an idea came to him. He decided to use his skills as a baker and make croissants in a shape of a horseshoe filled with poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. Joseph woke up from his dream, when it was still dark and started making the croissants through the morning. During the day he gave them all away to those who were hungry. His good deed became a tradition. In the following years, other bakers from Poznan joined Joseph in making croissants. The tradition started in 1891 and continues till today and always falls on November 11^th.

True story:

In 1891, local priest from St Martin’s parish appealed to its parishioners to take an example from St Martin and help the poor. One of Poznan’s bakers, Joseph Melzer, made croissants in a shape of half moon filled with poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. The croissants were given away to the poor after a mass. In the following years, other bakers from Poznan joined Joseph in making croissants. They were given to the poor and whoever could afford them would pay.

Interesting Historical Facts: Jan III Sobieski and his stories of potatoes and donuts

A long time ago, when the kings were ruling the lands, Europe was about to be invaded by Turks. Emperor Leopold I asked for help. King Jan III Sobieski of Poland rushed with his help. After a ferocious battle Europe won over Turks. And as a thank you, Leopold I from his gardens in Vienna gave the Polish King what was called back then ground apples (1683). It took Poles about 100 years to get to like the potatoes. But today they are part of almost every day meal.

Torun has been famous for gingerbread since the XIII century. One of the well-known bakers was Michael Remla. Jan III Sobieski took a liking of Michael’s delicacies and hired him as his personal baker. He even took him to the battle against the Turks. While he was battling the Turks, Michael was learning how to bake new delicacies and one of them were donuts. Donuts on the other hand, became instant sensation in Poland and today they are part of every year Fat Thursday.

Tradition of Andrzejki, Polish Tradition

A long time ago, in a small village by the Vistula River lived a girl named Jana. She had a lot of admirers, but none of them hold her interest. It was the time of a year, when days were getting shorter and nights longer. One night, while sitting by a cozy fireplace, Jana’s grandma told her about a Polish tradition of Andrzejki (derived from a name Andrew). “On the magical night of Andrew, the girls practiced different oracles that helped them to see their future husbands” said grandma. Jana was so fascinated by the story that she hardly could wait till November 29^th to test it herself.

So the Andrew’s night came and Jana invited her girlfriends to test the oracles once done by her mother and grandmother. “Let’s see who gets married first and we’ll use left shoes to find out” said Jana. Excited girls started lining left shoes one by one till they reached the threshold. Very quickly it turned out that it was Jana’s shoe and she would get married first.

After the first oracle, the girls got busy with peeling the apples without breaking the peelings. “Now we will throw the peelings behind us to see what letters we get” said Jana “It will be the first letter of a future husband’s first name.” The girls got so excited with guessing the names that Jana suggested another oracle with names “We need a bowl of water, a candle and a key.” (Back then the keys had big openings). “Now we will light a candle and pour the wax through the key’s opening into the water creating a letter.”

The last oracle involved straw pulling. Each girl got a bunch of straws and then counting started. According to this oracle if a girl had an even number, it meant marriage. An odd number meant spinsterhood. But according to this oracle all girls were supposed to get married, resulting in undeniable happiness.

Before the night has ended, Jana was wondering “Will the oracles come true. What the dreams will bring.” That night she dreamt of a tall man with dark hair. Since then, her thoughts were occupied by the image of the man of her dreams. A few months later a young carpenter settled in the village. They took the like of each other. And after the harvest a big wedding took place. Jana got married to the man of her dreams. Now, her girlfriends were waiting for the next Andrew’s day and a chance to see who would be the next to get married.

Andrew’s day is on November 30. However, the oracles happen a day before on November 29.