Christmas in Lithuania and Poland It (begin) with Advent and (end) on Candlemas Day on 2nd February. Advent (start) four Sundays before Christmas. Every day there (be) an early mass which (begin) in almost complete darkness just before sunrise. People (bring) candles with them, which (light) during a certain part of the mass. When the service (be) about to end, sunrise (increase) the amount of light even more. On Christmas Eve the house (clean) thoroughly, in fact the cleaning (begin) a week before. All the bed linen (change) and all family members (have) a bath and (put on) clean clothes before the evening meal. The table for the Christmas Eve dinner (prepare) as follows: hay (spread) on the table to remind people that Jesus was born in a stable and put in a manger on hay. The table (cover) with a pure white tablecloth, and (decorate) with candles. Supper on Christmas Eve (be) special and traditional. Twelve different dishes (serve) to represent the twelve apostles or the twelve months of the year. All of the dishes (be) meatless i.e. they (contain) no meat and there (be) no milk products. There (be) always an extra chair and plate in case a stranger (come) to the house. Everyone (gather) around the dinner table as soon as the first star (appear) in the sky. If the night (be) cloudy, the meal (begin) when the father or grandfather (announce) it (be) time to eat. Lithuania and Poland (be) in the grip of winter at Christmas time. A lot of superstitions in Lithuania and Poland (connect) with the weather. A clear sky (mean) that the new year will be good, the hens will lay many eggs and the harvest will be large. Snow after supper (mean) that the cows will give lots of milk. However only a white Christmas (consider) real so everyone (be) happy when there (be) snow outside.
