First and foremost, Christmas has a family character.  Everyone would like to spend Christmas among the closest people, family.  Unfortunately, for various reasons, not everyone has the opportunity. 

For various reasons, several fellowship recipients could not go to their home countries to spend this Christmas among their family.  For them and for a couple of invited guests, a Christmas Eve with a solemn Eucharist and a Christmas Eve dinner was organized in our Foundation’s Home.   

Young people themselves prepared the Christmas Eve dinner.  It is worth to point out their attitude full of enthusiasm, joy, and mutual kindness.  This attitude greatly contributed to the wonderful atmosphere which accompanied us throughout all days of Christmas.

Waiting for Christmas, at 9 p.m., we all gathered in the auditorium for the Christmas Eve dinner.  After singing a Christmas carol and listening to the Evangel according to Saint Lucas which addressed the Birth of Jesus, the director of the Foundation’s Home expressed his gratitude to all who prepared the Christmas Eve dinner, blessed the Christmas wafers and made Christmas and New Year’s wishes to all participants.  Then, everyone breaking the white Christmas wafer directed wishes to each other.

Then, we sat down for the Christmas Eve dinner.  The Christmas Eve table featured dishes characteristic of the Ukrainian and Belarusian tradition.  There were also traditional Polish dishes.

At the end of the Christmas Eve dinner, we sang Christmas carols in Polish and Ukrainian.  This year our caroling lasted for a very long time.  We had to end it to be on time at the midnight Mass, so called Shepherdess.

On Christmas, we all gathered for the Mass, after which a festive dinner took place. Again, there was a time for caroling and sharing good word.  The festive atmosphere accompanied us until the late evening hours.

Rev. Jan Strzałka