Poland

1
Poland

• By Orla and Sarah

2
The flag of Poland

• The colours white and red were introduced as the
  national colours in 1831.

3
The national emblem

• The emblem of Poland appeared in the first half
  of the eighth century

4
Christmas in Poland

• In Poland, Christmas day is a day of rest,
  meditation, prayer, and gratefulness. The real
  celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. An
  extravagant feast, called Wigilia, which has been
  prepared many days before, is served when the
  first star is visible in the sky.

5
Pope John Paul 11

• On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II, who was
  born in Poland, passed away. He was in his 27th
  year as pope, one of the longest reigning popes
  in history. Despite illness and infirmity, he
  tirelessly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  He defended life in all its forms, wrote
  prolifically on Catholic topics such as the
  Eucharist and the Rosary, and pleaded for peace
  in the world.

6
People in Poland

• In a country of about 39.5 million citizens,
  Poland today is ethnically almost homogeneous --
  some 98 percent are ethnic Poles. The largest
  minority groups are Ukrainians, Belarusians, and
  Germans.

7
People in Poland

• By contrast, in the pre-World War II period,
  there were significant ethnic minorities-- 4.5
  million Ukrainians, 3 million Jews, 1 million
  Belorussians, and 800,000 Germans. The majority
  of the Jews were murdered during the German
  occupation in World War II, and many others
  emigrated in the succeeding years.

8
National flower

• Polands national flower is the corn poppy.
• A corn poppy blooms in June.
• The corn poppy has four petals with a black spot
  in the middle

9
National costume

• The noblewomen had their own variants of
  fur-lined kontusz with long slit-sleeves, and fur
  hats with jewels. Underneath their jackets, they
  wore long skirts and high boots. The whole body
  was covered and the fabric was heavy, lustrous
  and rich, though without bold patterns or widely
  contrasting colours.