Under the Weather in 2011

Tom and I seem to have come down with the winter cold that has been travelling around.  It's a good thing that we have had time to rest up.  We are on the road to recovery and I am sure we'll both be feeling 100% soon.

2011 - A Great Year Ahead

Well, 2011 certainly will be a big one for Team Sullivan.  We hope that the upcoming year will bring us grace and ease as we embark on a number of changes for our family.  One of the things that Tom and I are most looking forward to is the new challenges, both personal and professional, that we will face.  We know that although these might not always be easy to face in the moment they will continue to help us grow in mind and in spirit.  

As we continue to prepare for our departure we look forward to sharing our experiences in 2011 in this blog.  Please feel free to add your email address on the upper right hand side to get our updates.

We came across this quote and really liked the message.  It's fun to think about what experiences we will have to share at this time next year.....

"Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." -Hal Borland

We wish you and your family a wonderful 2011 filled with grace and ease!

xoxo, The Sullivan's

Downtown Warsaw on NYE

Polish Christmas Traditions

We spent the past couple of days celebrating the holidays with traditions; both American as well as family ones.  This got us wondering about Polish Christmas traditions.  Here are a few things we've learned about Polish Christmas traditions.  We are excited to try some of them out in the coming year.

Weather-forecasting is quite popular during Christmas. Everything that happens on Christmas, including  the weather, has an impact on the following year. The weather on Easter and throughout the next year supposedly depends upon the weather on Christmas (snow, rain etc).

Straw is put under white tablecloth. Some maidens predict their future from the straw. After supper, they pull out blades of straw from beneath the tablecloth. A green one foretells marriage; a withered one signifies waiting; a yellow one predicts spinsterhood; and a very short one foreshadows an early grave.

Poles are famous for their hospitality, especially during Christmas. In Poland, an additional seat is kept for somebody unknown at the supper table. No one should be left alone at Christmas, so strangers are welcomed to the Christmas supper. This is to remind us that Mary and Joseph were also looking for shelter. 

 

It is still strongly believed that whatever occurs on Wigilia (Christmas Eve) has an impact on the coming  year. So, if an argument should arise, a quarrelsome and troublesome year will follow. In the morning, if the first visiting person is a man, it means good luck; if the visitor is a woman, one might expect misfortune. Everyone, however, is glad when a mailman comes by, for this signifies money and success in the future. To assure good luck and to keep evil outside, a branch of mistletoe is hung above the front door. Finally, old grudges should end. If, for some reason, you do not speak with your neighbor, now is the time to forget old ill feelings and to exchange good wishes.

   

Christmas Day, called the first holiday by the Poles, is spent with the family at home. No visiting, cleaning, nor cooking are allowed on that day; only previously cooked food is heated. This is a day of enjoyment, for Jesus was born. 

The Breaking of the Oplatek The oplatek is a thin wafer made of flour and water. For table use, it is white. In Poland, colored wafers are used to make Christmas tree decorations. In the past, the wafers were baked by organists or by religious and were distributed from house to house in the parish during Advent. Sometimes an oplatek is sent in a greeting card to loved ones away from home.


Warsaw's Old Town at Christmas