Ladies and Gentlemen,

Christmas marks a unique time for Polish families. Celebrations of the one of the most important Christian feasts have been strongly embedded in Polish history and tradition. Christmas is a time which unifies Polish families around the Christmas Eve table. The wafer they share with each other during the festive supper is a sign of community, forgiveness, mutual loyalty and thoughtfulness.

This is also a time which – in the modern hectic world – allows families to reflect on what is really important in their lives. Christmas enables them to focus on deepening family relations and experiencing a wealth of outstanding moments.

Many Polish men and women also find the spiritual dimension of the feast days important, as they bring closer events from 2000 years ago, when the birth of Baby Jesus in a poor small stable brought joy and hope for the world.

I wholeheartedly wish you to spend the time of Christmas in the atmosphere of love, devotion and unity. Let it be a time for nurturing family relations and the most respectable values. I would like to wish you a healthy, happy, cheerful and family Christmas and God’s blessings not only during the festive days, but also in your everyday life.

With best wishes,

Elżbieta Rafalska

Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy