EUROPEAN CELEBRATIONS WITHOUT MYSTERIES -

GUIDEbook

Kurban Feast in Turkey

The Feast of the Sacrifice takes place about 70 days after the end of Ramazan. The Feast of the Sacrifice commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his

son Ishmael to show his faithfulness to Allah. A goat or sheep of minimum one year old is killed /

sacrificed. Sometimes even a bull or a camel of minimum 2 years old is sacrificed, representing a sacrifice of up to seven people. The meat is then given to the poor (both within Turkey and outside) and shared among family members and neighbors.

Typical for both the Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) and the Sugar Feast (Ramazan Bayramı) is that parents buy new outfits for their children and

give the old clothes to the poor. Typically, the children wear their new clothes throughout the

festival.

Animal's Day in the Netherlands, October 4

It is a very special day, particularly for animal lovers In the Netherlands this often means that children are allowed to bring

their beloved pets to school and households up and down the country reward their loyal companions with a special treat, such as a luxury meal or a delicious slice of Dutch sausage. There’s no doubt about it, the

Dutch really are a nation of animal lovers.

St. Parascheva Day in Romania, October 13

On this occasion arrive in Iasi, in pilgrimage,

about 1 million pilgrims, most of them

waiting for hours in a line which covers 2-3

kilometers in order to reach the relics of the

Saint and pray. Saint Parascheva is

considered the Protector of Moldavia and

Bucovina, being the most popular of all the

Saints whose relics are in Romania.

Christians believe in the miraculous powers

of the relics.

Teachers' Day in PolandOctober, 14

29 January- Teacher`s Day in Catalonia

30 January- Teacher`s Dayin Greece

28 January- Teacher`s Day in Spain

24 November- Teacher`s Day in Turkey

The Teachers’ Day (Dzień Nauczyciela), officially

called the National Education Day (Dzień Edukacji

Narodowej), is celebrated on October 14 in Poland.

The schools organize the formal assemblies to

honour the teachers.

National Education Day was introduced 28 years

ago. It is the anniversary of creation the

Commission of National Education, created in 1773

from the initiative of King Stanisław August

Poniatowski.

Ochi Day in greece,October 28

It is celebrated throughout Greece, Cyprus

and the Greek communities around the

world on October 28 each year, to

commemorate the rejection by Greek Prime

Minister Ioannis Metaxas (in power from

August 4, 1936, until January 29, 1941) of

the ultimatum made by Italian dictator

Benito Mussolini on October 28, 1940.

The Republic Day of Turkey, October 29

The Republic Day of Turkey is one of the public

holidays in Turkey, commemorating the

proclamation of the republic in 1923. It lasts 35

hours, starting at 1:00 pm on October 28. Many

people go to local stadiums on October 29 to

watch performances dedicated to Republic Day in

Turkey. Such performances usually consist of

theater sketches, poetry readings and traditional

Turkish dances. Many school children participate

in school performances for parents and teachers.

Halloween, October 31

It is a yearly celebration observed in a number of

countries on 31 October.

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-

or-treating (or the related "guising"), attending

costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins

into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple

bobbing, visiting haunted house attractions,

playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching

horror films.

In Poland we celebrate Halloween at schools.

The Chestnut Day in SpainOctober 31

All Saints' Day is celebrated in Spain on the

same day as in the rest of the world - on

November 1. In Catalonia, the locals eat

'Castañada', a meal that consists of

chestnuts, sweets called 'panellets' and

sweet potato. Note that this meal is often

eaten the day before All Saints' Day these

days.

All Saints` Day in poland, spainNovember 1

It is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November

by the Catholic Church in honour of all the

saints, known and unknown.

Agios Georgios Methystis Day in greece,

november 3

On the 3rd of November the custom refers

in the Dionysian celebrations, in a feast

dedicated to

Agios-Giorgios Methystis, where the locals

open

their wine barrels. The traditional dish is

goat

in tomato sauce with rice.

The holocaust of Arkadi in grreceNovember 7

The Arkadi Monastery is one of Crete's most

venerated symbols of freedom. The defiant

defence of this fortress-like monastery

during the 1866 Cretan rebellion against the

Turks is still legendary and inspirational.

Saint Agios Minas Day in greece November 11

There's nothing like being saved from your enemies by a Saint. But if you are, you'd

better give thanks to that Saint every year, just to be sure karma doesn't come and pay

you what you're due before the deity intervened. Heraklion, a small village on the Greek island of Crete, isn't taking any risks on that front. After being saved from the

knives of Ottoman Turks in the 19th century, and by Saint Minas, locals (likely

descendents of the saved townsfolk) pay their respects every November. There's a parade, food, drink and a service in the lovely church that was named after the

Saint.

Athens Polytechnic uprising,November 14

The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive

demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek

military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on

November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta

revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of

November 17 after a series of events starting with a

tank crashing through the gates of the Polytechnic.

November 17 is currently observed as a holiday in

Greece for all educational establishments;

commemorative services are held and students attend

school only for these, while some schools and all

universities stay closed during the day.

Guy Fawkes Night in great britain,November 5

It is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain. Its

history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was

arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of

Lords. Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later

the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day

of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

Commemoration of ATATÜRK in Turkey,

November 10

In October 1938, Atatürk was dining with friends

on the presidential yacht, Savarona, when he

was taken ill. He was conveyed to the nearby

Dolmabahçe Palace, where he eventually died,

on Nov. 10. Since then, every clock in the palace

has been stopped at 9:05, the precise moment

of his death, as recorded rather movingly in

pencil on the desk diary of Celal Bayar, later the

country’s third president, which is on display in

the Second Congress Building in Ankara.

Polish Independence DayNovember 11

It is a national day in Poland celebrated on

November 11 to commemorate the

anniversary of resumption of independent

Polish state – Second Polish Republic in 1918

after 123 years of partitions of Poland made

by the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of

Prussia and the Habsburg Empire. It is a non-

working day in Poland.

St Andrew’s Day in Poland,November 30

29/30 November in Poland is the day of mysterious parties with the candles and future telling games,

called Andrzejki (St Andrew Day)– the same as in the very past, but nowadays treated as a fun. The most spectacular is pouring liquid wax into water. The shape which formed as the wax solidified is then illuminated to throw it’s shadow on the wall. The shape of the shadow gives the opportunity for

unlimited interpretation, which is fun for all participants.

The shoes competition is reserved for the girls only. All of them took off their left shoes and put them in a

line one after the other. Then this line of shoes “walk” to the door, the last moving to the front on by one, thus walking forward. The girl who’s shoe reach

the door first, would be the first to get married.

Saint Barbara Day in Greece, December 4

Saint Barbara's day is celebrated annually

on December 4, in a feast day similar to that

of North American Halloween. The traditional

food for the occasion is Burbara, a bowl of

boiled barley, pomegranate seeds, raisins,

anise and sugar. Walnuts or almonds can be

added.

Saint Nicholas Day in Poland, Greece, December 6

It is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of

Saint Nicholas, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts.

In Greece, Saint Nicholas does not carry an especial association with gift-giving. St.

Nicholas is considered the patron saint of the Greek navy, military and merchant alike, and his day is marked by festivities aboard

all ships and boats, at sea and in port.In Poland children find the candy and small gifts under the pillow, in their shoes in the

morning of 6 December.

Saint Spyridon Day in Greece, December 12

Spyridon is the patron saint of potters (from the purported miracle of the potsherd) and the island of Corfu. Recognizing St. Spyridon's role in the defence of the island, Venice legislated the annual "Litany of St. Spyridon" on August

11 as a commemoration of the event. His feast day is celebrated in the East on the

Saturday before Great Lent (known as "Cheesefare Saturday") and December 12. For

those Eastern Churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, December 12 falls

on December 25 of the modern Gregorian Calendar. In the West he is commemorated on

December 14.

Saint Dionysius of Zakynthos Day, December 17

It has been found that his body remains

intact and emits a mixed fragrance of

flowers and frankincense. Therefore he is

venerated, and his sainthood has been

proclaimed by the Patriarch of

Constantinople. His feast day is celebrated

on December 17, and on August 24, the

Church celebrates the transfer of his holy

relics.

ChristmasDecember 25

It is an annual commemoration of the birth

of Jesus Christ and a widely observed

cultural holiday, celebrated generally on

December 25 by millions of people around

the world.

Epiphany in Poland, Greece, Spain January 6

It is a Christian feast day that celebrates the

revelation of God the Son as a human being in

Jesus Christ. Western Christians

commemorate principally (but not solely) the

visit of the Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus

Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles.

Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism

of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his

manifestation to the world as the Son of God.

Grandparents' Day in Poland,january 21,22

In Poland it is celebrated on January 21.

Grandfather's Day (Polish: Dzień Dziadka) is

celebrated a day later, on January 22. In

Poland, Grandma's Day (Polish: Dzień Babci)

was created in 1964 by the Kobieta i Życie

magazine, and popularized from 1965

onwards.

In UK it has been celebrated on the first

Sunday in October since 2008.

Valentine` s Day14 February

It is celebrated in many countries around the

world, although it is not a holiday in most of

them.

Valentine’s Day is not a national public

holiday in Poland. Many people send

Valentine's Day cards, gifts or text messages

to their partner or somebody for whom they

have romantic feelings. Cards and gifts are

traditionally sent anonymously.

February 14 is not a public holiday.

Fat Thursday in Greece, Poland

the last Thursday before Lent

Among the most popular all-national dishes served

on that day are pączki in Poland fist-sized donuts

filled with rose marmalade, and faworki, French

dough fingers served with lots of powdered sugar.

It is widely celebrated in Greece. Apart from the

festivities that take part in the streets, including

getting dressed and telling jokes, a lot of eating is

involved. Mainly people look for an excuse to eat a

lot of meat since a few days later fasting begins.

Carnival in Greece,Belgium, Spain in March

Carnival is celebrated nationwide in Spain. It

is defined by its music and costumes on the

street. People dress up, organise parties, take

part in parades and prepare their dancing and

singing along the year.

The Carnival in the Canary Islands was

declared a Festival of Tourist Interest, and

together with the Carnival in Cádiz are the

most important festival for spanish tourism.

Women's Day in Greece, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey,

March 8

In different regions the focus of the

celebrations ranges from general celebration

of respect, appreciation and love towards

women to a celebration for women's

economic, political, and social

achievements. Started as a Socialist political

event, the holiday blended in the culture of

many countries, primarily in Europe.

National Day of Greece, March 25

National holiday celebrated annually in

Greece commemorating the start of the War

of Greek Independence in 1821. It coincides

with the Greek Orthodox Church’s

celebration of the Annunciation to the

Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel

appeared to Mary and told her that she

would bear the son of God.

Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland, March 17

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the

Republic of Ireland,Northern Ireland. It is a

cultural and religious holiday celebrated

annually on 17 March, the death date of the

most commonly-recognised patron saint of

Ireland, Saint Patrick.

On St Patrick's Day it is customary to wear

shamrocks and/or green clothing or

accessories (the "wearing of the green").

Pancake Day in Great Britain

It is a day in February or March, preceding Ash

Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is

celebrated in many countries by consuming

pancakes. Shrove Tuesday, a moveable feast, is

determined by Easter.

The pancake race remains a relatively common

festive tradition in the UK, especially England,

even today. Participants with frying pans race

through the streets tossing pancakes into the

air and catching them in the pan whilst running.

Ash Wednesday in Poland, Spain

It is the first day of Lent in Western

Christianity. It therefore occurs 46 days

before Easter and can fall as early as

February 4 or as late as March 10.

Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads

of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by

being sprinkled over their heads or, more

often, by being marked on their foreheads as

a visible cross.

Clean Monday in Greece

Clean Monday begins the season of Great

Lent in Eastern Orthodox Churches. Clean

Monday is a public holiday in Greece and

Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor

excursions, the consumption of shellfish and

other fasting food.

Clean Monday is named like this because

Christians are `cleaned up` spiritually and

physically.

Celebration of Turkish National Anthem,

March 12

Turkey commemorates the anniversary of

the acceptance of Turkish National Anthem,

summarizing the great struggle of the

Turkish nation during the Turkish War of

Independence.

Çanakkale Victory in Turkey March 18

The Anniversary of the March 18 Çanakkale

Victory. In 18 March 1915 Turkish army won

the Çanakkale war(Chanakkale). Turkish

army fought army of

England,France,NewZealand and

Australia.This war happened on Gelibolu

peninsula in World War I. The leader of the

army was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Older Persons Day (Week) in Turkey, march 18-24

This holiday is similar to Grandparents` Day in Poland.

Turkey still has a young population in respect to most otherEuropean countries, although the proportion of the population

comprising older people is expected to increase in future years. This will necessitate a change in the perception and provision of

health and social care services. Current services are already insufficient to meet the

needs of the older population. Thegovernment and other institutions in Turkey

need to be ready to meet these ever increasing needs and enhance the quality of

existing services in order toimprove the health and living conditions of

older people in the country.

Easter

Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not

fixed in relation to the civil calendar. is a

festival and holiday celebrating the

Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

described in the New Testament as having

occurred three days after his crucifixion by

Romans at Calvary. It is the culmination of

the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent (or

Great Lent), a forty-day period of fasting,

prayer, and penance.

Wet Monday in polandeaster monday

Śmigus-Dyngus is a celebration held on Easter

Monday in Poland. Traditionally, boys throw

water over girls and spank them with pussy

willow branches on Easter Monday, and girls

do the same to boys on Easter Tuesday. This is

accompanied by a number of other rituals,

such as making verse declarations and

holding door-to-door processions, in some

regions involving boys dressed as bears.

April Fools' Day in Poland and Great Britain

April 1

It is celebrated as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as

"April fools". In Poland, prima aprilis is a day full of jokes;

various hoaxes are prepared by people, media (which sometimes cooperate to make the "information" more credible) and even public institutions. Serious activities are

usually avoided. In the UK, an April fool joke is revealed by shouting "April fool!" at the recipient, who

becomes the "April fool".

Labor Day May 1

Many people in Poland have the day off work or school on Labor Day (Święto Pracy), or May 1 (1 Maja). It is a time to celebrate both the spring

time and workers’ rights.Many people in Poland enjoy May 1 by being

outdoors, as it marks a time when the weather becomes warmer in the spring. It is part of a

holiday season known as Majówka, which includes Poland’s Constitution Day, celebrated on May 3.

In the United Kingdom, May Day is still celebrated in many towns with the crowning of the May

Queen. Maypoles can still be found in some towns and May Day traditions may include hobby horses

and local people dressed in costumes.

Flag Day in Polandmay 2

This feast is celebrated by organizing various types of events and political demonstrations. For example, in Swinoujscie, in 2011, more than 600 people gathered on the beach to the kept white or red cards to create a

Polish flag. There are two reasons historical, for which

established Flag Day is May 2. First, it was on this day winning Berlin soldiers from the 1st Division of the Kosciuszko put flag on the victory column in the Tiergarten in Berlin. Secondly, during the

communist period, May 2, citizens had a warrant to remove the flag, so that they were not posted

during the holidays not recognized by the authorities on May 3.

Constitution Day in Poland May 3

It is a Polish national and public holiday that

takes place on May 3. The holiday celebrates the

declaration of the Constitution of May 3, 1791.

Festivities date back to the Duchy of Warsaw

early in the 19th century, but it became an

official holiday only in 1919 in the Second Polish

Republic. Delisted during the times of the

People's Republic of Poland, it was reestablished

after the fall of communism in modern Poland.

Mother`s Day in Poland,May 26

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers

and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the

influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on

various days in many parts of the world, most

commonly in spring.

Mother's Day in Greece and Turkey is celebrated

on the second Sunday of May.

In Spain it is celebrated on the first Sunday of May.

Green week in polandjune 50days after easter

The festival celebrated in early June and closely linked with the cult of the dead and the spring agricultural rites. It usually fell upon the Thursday of the Green Week. Its name is derived from the Slavic word for "seven", because the Green Week was the seventh

(sometimes the eighth) week after Easter. The Rusalki were believed to be at their most dangerous during the

Green Week and were supposed to have left their watery depths in order to swing on branches of birch and willow trees at night. Peasant women sometimes

hung offerings to appease them. A cross, a magic circle, incense, garlic, wormwood, a pin or poker and

verbal charms were used to render the rusalki harmless. Swimming was strictly forbidden, lest

mermaids would drag the swimmer down to the river floor. Later, in the Christian liturgical year, it became a

feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ

Children` s Day in PolandJune 1

In Poland, Children's Day (Dzień Dziecka) is celebrated on June 1. The International

Children's Day was introduced in Poland in 1952. It coincides with the beginning of

summer and it is usually treated as a holiday, as it takes place near the end of the school

year. Schools usually organize special activities for the day of the celebration, and the first

week of June is a time of festivities organized in parks and entertainment centers for children.

Parents buy small gifts for their children. In Spain, this date is celebrated on the 2nd

Sunday of May, and it's called "Día del niño„. In Turkey, this date is celebrated on the 23rr

Sunday of April.

Corpus Christi in Polandin june

Corpus Christi is an official public holiday in Poland, so schools, banks, government offices and most private businesses are

closed. There is a trade prohibition on public holidays in Poland. Traffic is stopped during the Corpus Christi procession times in many places in Poland. People intending to travel via public transport during public holidays

must check with the public transit authorities

on any changes to time schedules.It is observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in villages, towns and cities all over

Poland.

Kupala Night in polandin june

The celebration relates to the summer solstice when nights are the shortest and includes a number of

Pagan rituals.On Kupala day, young people jump over the flames of bonfires in a ritual test of bravery and faith. The failure of a couple in love to complete the jump while holding

hands is a sign of their destined separation.

Girls may float wreaths of flowers (often lit with candles) on rivers, and would attempt to gain foresight into their relationship fortunes from the flow patterns

of the flowers on the river. Men may attempt to capture the wreaths, in the hope of capturing the

interest of the woman who floated the wreath.

Assumption of Mary in greece, poland, romania

august 15

The feast of the Assumption is a public holiday in many countries. Many people in Poland attend church masses on the Day of

Assumption. A number of churches have services to remember Polish soldiers who died fighting for their country. Gatherings

take place at some cemeteries where readings are made in honor of dead soldiers. Another ceremonious event on August 15 is the Change of Guards near the Tomb of the

Unknown Soldier in Warsaw. The Day of Assumption is an official public holiday in Poland, so schools, banks, government offices and most private businesses are

closed.

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THE FOUNDER OF THE PROJECT AGNIESZKA WÓJCIK