Following YonderStar
Christmas Nativity Traditions in Poland
Our next world tour stop - Poland! Poland has a beautiful tradition of putting on Christmas nativity pageants and also displaying Christmas manger scenes or Jasełka.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions in Poland is the spreading of hay beneath the Christmas Eve tablecloth to remind everyone of the birth of Jesus in the manger. After fasting all day on Christmas Eve, the Wigilia feast begins. Fish is served at the Wigilia dinner and after a long meal, families typically attend midnight m
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May 13th 2020
Fritware, Tulips and Carnations - Turkish Traditions and Nativity Scenes
The art of fritware pottery has a long history and has been created in the middle east since the 13th century. Frit (ground glass), 85-90% ground quartz and a small amount of clay are fired together at high temperatures. The ground glass melts to bind the quartz together and form the finished piece.
This gorgeous fritware nativity scene is handmade in Turkey and features red tulips. Tulips are native to Turkey and the name tulip is derived from the Turkish word tulbend (or turban)
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May 8th 2020
Christmas in the Czech Republic - Probošt's Mechanical Christmas Crib
Wow - this incredible mechanical nativity scene located in Třebechovice pod Orebem in the Czech Republic is on my list of places I would LOVE to visit. Known as Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib, this stunning nativity was declared a cultural monument of the Czech Republic in 1999.
Here is a video you can watch of the nativity in action. It's truly amazing!
It took over 40 years to create this carved wooden nativity display which includes more than 2000 carve
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Apr 30th 2020
Easter in Ukraine - Our Virtual World Tour Continues
Orthodox Christians in Ukraine (and around the world) celebrate Easter Sunday today, April 19th. What are the traditions of the Orthodox Easter celebration in Ukraine? Many churches hold an overnight church service leading into Easter Sunday, however Orthodox churches have no seats so most families with small children attend a sunrise service on Easter Sunday.
Paska (sweet egg bread) and krashanky (dyed Easter eggs) are Ukrainian Easter traditions that are often practiced here in the US as
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Apr 19th 2020
Christmas in Jordan - Next Stop on our Christmas World Tour
Did you know that Jordan has some of the oldest Christian communities in the world? Officially known at the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and located in western Asia, Jordan has been home to Christian populations since the 1st century AD. Over a quarter of a million Christian live in Jordan, the majority of whom are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church.Jordan is part of the Holy Land and is home to many biblical sites - Al-Maghtas on the East Bank of the Jordan river where Jesus was baptized by
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Apr 9th 2020