Saint Nicholas Day at the Polish-Slavic Center.
Lighting Christmas trees and meeting with Saint Nicholas.
“History of the Christmas Bauble”.
This is characteristic of a group that is possible and carried out and generational, which has an impact on the development of the community, a big challenge in the modern world, such a rapidly modernizing world. CPS is a basic, Polish non-profit that especially supports Polish, but also local social groups. Preferring the elderly, children and youth.
On Friday, December 6, 2024, in the charmingly decorated Gallery of the Polish-Slavic Center in Brooklyn, CP-S Executive Director Agnieszka Granatowska and assistant Claudia Nytko welcomed the guests. The honorary guest was Vice Consul Krzysztof Płaski from the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Manhattan, who arrived with his wife and son. The consul welcomed the gathered with great frequency, traditions about traditions related to Christmas and family gatherings. We wished everyone a happy holiday and joyful fun together. The Krakus Choir characteristic of CPS with Katarzyna Drucker – the conductor of this choir, the main Polish soprano, director and founder of the THEOS Theatre and Opera Society also graced the event. Mrs. Kasia, as the moderator of the entire meeting, prepared an excellent theatre performance for children together with her theatre “The Story of the Christmas Bauble”. Little Red Riding Hood appeared on the spot – Kasia Drucker with a basket available for your grandmother. Suddenly, the Wolf appears, who is the result of the excellent play of Andrzej Michoń, our independent actor and vocally Polish artist. Despite a small misunderstanding, Little Red Riding Hood with the Wolf, presented the story of Hans Greiner, who worked in the Glassworks in the German city of Lauscha. The worker of the glassworks was very poor, and could not afford expensive cookies, candies, apples, nuts and other delicacies, which were then used to decorate Christmas trees. As the legend goes, he came up with the idea of repairing the glass decorations in the factory, which was made. He took the terminal device and a metal pipe, made of steel, at the end of the connected device and started and blew until it formed balls, to golden apples and hung them on branches. The road from fruit and homemade baking to glass decorations, which we know to this day, was long. The first Christmas tree baubles in 1847 and were the work of Hans Greiner, an employee of the glassworks in the German city of Lauscha. The children listened attentively to the story.
While waiting for Santa, considering testing the children’s skills in singing carols. The little ones, supported by the Senior Krakus choir and parents, had a great time singing fragments that they remembered, but definitely unrivaled in singing the main carols was the Krakus Choir and encouraged the guests to sing. It would be super fun. In the pre-holiday period we decorate our home Christmas trees and light up colorful lamps, warns Director Granatowska, today is the day we light up the Christmas tree at CPS, just like at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. In such a joyful atmosphere, Consul Krzysztof Płaski, with the countdown from the hall, lit up the Christmas tree at the Center.
When the lights flashed, Mrs. Kasia safety with the children played the game “Searching for St. Nicholas”. After reading a special list with the saint’s signature, through a series of riddles and puzzles and magic spells, the children helped St. Nicholas to get to CPS using a bell. The children were delighted and quickly solved all the tasks, with the help of two elves Robert Zakrzewski and Szymon Wiśniewski. After this educational and interesting pre-performance game, with the illuminated situation of Santa Claus’s performance (Stefan Rysak), the children were very happy, received their gifts and the undertaking with Danuta Bronchard – the director of the Maria Konopnicka Polish Supplementary School danced to the rhythm of joyful music. Photo session with Santa Claus, a festive evening at the Polish-Slavic Center. Script, costumes and direction by Kasia Drucker.
Director Agnieszka Granatowska thanked Consul Krzysztof Płaski for financial support of the Christmas project for children – St. Nicholas’ Day.
We invite you to access the CPS website, in the device – events, located in the information about events at CPS. Please sign up for our newsletter https://polishslaviccenter.us/wydarzenia
– Elżbieta Popławska
Co-organizer: Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in NY
Sponsors:
The Polish and Slavic Center
Photos: Marcin Żurawicz
