If you like this kind of picture, you'll find hundreds of them on the official St. Klemens website. To do this, I just type in my pigeon Polish, something like: Swiete Klemens Warszawa Stara Msza Po Loczinsku, and get access to the site concerning the Old Latin Mass.
After Mass, on Sunday, while on the tram going back home, I saw some kind of financial advertisement with what my Polish wife calls a real Father Christmas (St. Nicholas) as opposed to an American one (Santa Claus):
Really love these pictures and agree with my wife that this is what Father Christmas (St. Nicholas) should be like.
Also, today, I managed to get some close-up mobile shots of 'The Magical (Big) Wheel' near the Palace of Culture in Warsaw city centre (hope you like them).
Don't know about you, but this almost reminds me of a firework display, and never dreamed that this 'Big Wheel' would give me such joy (the magic of enchantment, you really can't beat it).
Finally, I guess I should end this post with a Christmas carol or hymn. A few days ago, my good friend Northsider Dave asked me about my favourite Christmas carol/hymn, and, quite predictably, it would have to be 'Adeste Fideles'. Last heard this at (the Old Latin) Midnight Mass at Our Lady of Victories Catholic church in Preston about 10 years ago. Below I've attached two excellent (but very different) versions of 'Adeste Fideles' by Enya and Tarja Turunen:
Yes, in different ways, two truly great voices!
Think Tarja and Enya must have been Nightingales in another life, Pat. Incredible voices.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a 'Polish' Father Christmas and an 'American' one, Pat. Are there lots of Polish traditions at Christmas time? Great photos.
Eastern Europe is still somewhat Christian so there are still lots of Christmas traditions e.g. the Christmas Eve family gathering/meaL still has massive significance. I'm also happy that the Eastern European Father Christmas is still related to St. Nicholas, whereas Western Europe seems to have adopted the American Santa Claus a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteThe more I see of Europe it is roughly divided between an increasingly non-Christian/politically 'correct' West and still somewhat Christian East. Really love (autonomous) Orthodox countries such as Georgia and Armenia where Christianity is still a dominant worldview.