It can be difficult to wrap your brain around all of the Polish traditions at times. Poles are highly proud of their historical traditions and tend to adhere to them, especially during the Christmas season. Check out our special Christmas alphabet below to stay in touch with your Polish friends and family!

Advent is the four-week period (four Sundays) preceding Christmas. During Advent, you'll see a number of people strolling around early in the morning with small lanterns or candles - they've attended the Rorate Mass, a traditional church ceremony held before sunrise.

Animals - Did you hear that? Some believe that at midnight on Christmas Eve, animals have the ability to speak! It's an ancient legend, but it's still worth a look... On Christmas Eve, pay attention to your dog!

Barszcz, often known as borscht in English, is a traditional Polish beetroot soup served on Christmas Eve with small dumplings (called uszka).

Carols - Poles are proud of their lovely Christmas carols (koldy), the most well-known of which are “Bóg się rodzi”, “Wśród nocnej ciszy” and “Lulajże Jezuniu”.

Dishes - It is customary to serve and sample 12 classic Polish dishes (including barszcz) during your Christmas Eve dinner. The number 12 denotes either Jesus' twelve disciples or the twelve months of the year.

Epiphany is observed on January 6, two weeks after Christmas. The occasion celebrates the Magi's (also known as the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings) visit to baby Jesus.

Family and food - It should come as no surprise that Christmas in Poland is all about spending time with your loved ones. In addition to eating

Gifts - On Christmas Eve, gifts from Santa are placed beneath the Christmas tree and unpacked. There's no need to stay up late waiting for the guy!

Gwiazdka - literally "tiny star" - was a term used to describe the Christmas season. According to tradition, you should wait for the first star to appear in the sky before beginning your Christmas Eve feast.

Hay - On Christmas Eve, Poles place some hay beneath the festive tablecloth to remind them that Jesus was born in a manger.

Home Alone I'm alone at home and I'm watching this movie is probably one of Poland's most odd Christmas traditions. Most Poles are familiar with the film, but they have grown so accustomed to it since the 1990s that few can envision their Christmas holidays without Kevin McCallister and his family.

Laziness - Christmas celebrations in Poland begin on the evening of December 24 (known as Wigilia) and continue until St Stephen's Day on December 26 (known as the second day of Christmas) - be prepared for nearly three days of delicious sweet idleness!