Page 55 - The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg

- shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, beetroot) or fermented
cabbage. Popular side dishes are now boiled potatoes, and, less commonly the traditional
kasha (cereals). Meals often conclude with a dessert such as makowiec, a poppy seed pastry, or
O]ZńOń»bVL, a type of yeast cake.

Religion in Poland

The majority of Poles are Roman Catholic, and nearly two thirds of the population attends
church on Sunday. The most important religious holidays are Christmas and Easter; Advent
and Lent are both observed. These holidays are viewed as an important time to be with
family—even if you’re not too fond of everyone in the family! Traditional foods are served,
such as eggs at Easter and Oplatek (Holy Bread) on Christmas Eve. The Holy Bread is actually
made of the same ingredients as a Catholic communion wafer, only it is not consecrated
(blessed by a priest). The act of breaking the Holy Bread and sharing it with someone on
.S]T^_XL^ 0aP T^ ^PPY L^ L ^dXMZWTN RP^_`]P ZQ [`__TYR _SP [L^_ MPSTYO dZ` Z] ZʬP]TYR
your blessing.

Visiting a Polish Home
Like many parts of Europe, it is customary in Poland to greet others with a handshake or even
kisses (three) on the cheek. Flowers are a traditional gift for the host/hostess, and so is wine
Z] aZOVL 1Z] PaP]dOLd LʬLT]^ L ^XLWW _ZVPY T^ [ZWT_P& MTRRP] RTQ_^ L]P QZ] WL]RP NPWPM]L_TZY^ Z]
social gatherings. Of course, for Poles a party at home for 10 or more people is quite common,
so a “bigger gathering” is really a party!

Namesake Day in Poland
One such celebration may be a person’s namesake day. In the Catholic tradition, each day
MPWZYR^ _Z L ^[PNTʭN ^LTY_ ;PZ[WP bT_S _SP ^LXP YLXP L^ _SL_ ^LTY_ ^SL]P _SP OLd L^ _SPT]
namesake day. So if December 4th is St Barbara’s day, then Poles would wish all the Barbaras
they know a “Happy Namesake Day” and perhaps present them with a gift. In Poland it is very
common to celebrate your namesake day instead of your birthday—that way, no one needs to
know how old you are!

Shopping
There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement
to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with
the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for
purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

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