Presented by Slawek Szefs

All the Christmas Eve editions of Polish newspapers abound in season’s wishes, highlighting hope, joy, peace and prosperity, faith, trust, family love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Keeping especially the last two virtues in mind, DZIENNIK wishes all participants in what it describes as the Polish-Polish war, less energy in pursuing political and personal feuds and more overwhelming love instead.

As if following this Yuletide line of thought, GAZETA WYBORCZA headlines on its front page ‘The Miracle of Dialogue In A Crisis’, referring to an unprecedented stand uniting trade unions, employers and the government in an attempt to protect the Polish economy from threats posed by various external factors which have already become visible in many sectors. To avoid mass redundancies at the start of next year the unionists have agreed on freezing, or even lowering wages. Employers confederations have applauded them for displaying a responsible approach towards the problem. Representatives of the three sides are to iron out the details of an action plan right after Christmas.

ZYCIE WARSZAWY the Warsaw city paper, pays a visit to the Parczynski’s, a Polish family that just returned to the Homeland from Kazachstan just in time for their first Christmas Eve supper in a new home. Their bureaucratic struggle to complete resettlement formalities lasted a long six years despite a formal invitation by the Polish side. Warsaw authorities have assigned an apartment in a community house for the family with four children and helped the parents find work. They were all born in Kazachsatn, but have lived the dream of their grandparents to return to Poland since 1936 when the family had been forcibly moved by the Soviets who took over parts of eastern Polish territory. Presently there are some 50 thousand such Poles living in that post-Soviet republic. Annually, about one and a half thousand of them manage to resettle to Poland. Though bound to Polish tradition, many still have to learn the language of their ancestors.

To retain peace and happiness among the Family the SUPER EXPRESS tabloid gives good advice on subjects to be avoided at the Christmas Eve supper – the ceremonious Wigilia. Firstly, parents and in-laws should not bombard their grown up married children with questions on the birth of their impatiently awaited potential grand children. Secondly, do not use the occasion to discuss school failures of the youngest Family members. Then, avoid complaints regarding the lack of salary hikes in your company. Also, do away with analyzing political developments as this almost certainly leads to heated disputes and quarrels. And finally, don’t even think about sharing your health problems, because:

a) it will quickly turn out others are far more sick than you are

b) the exchange of health related complaints will spoil the festive atmosphere and make everyone feel just plain miserable!

Think you can remember the commandments?

RZECZPOSPOLITA tests traditional Polish hospitality displayed not only at Christmas time. The probe comes with regard to the latest American proposition addressed at several European governments to take over terrorist suspects held prisoner by the US at the Guantanamo base in Cuba. President Obama has vowed to close the controversial high security detainment center and began searching for assistance among Washington’s allies. Obviously, this might include Poland, though no official confirmation of such talks has come from Warsaw. Opinions voiced by Polish politicians can be summed up in the following: It would be hard to say no, but even harder to accept such a proposition…