Free Christmas Eve alternatively of Christmas 3 Kings? Liberals want to repeat what communists did in 1960

“The failure of the Polish State to recognise the Feast of the 3 Kings as a state vacation and a day off from work is 1 of the symbols of the continuity of communist influences in today’s Poland”, it was argued in 2011 erstwhile thanks to the citizens’ initiative on 6 January – the celebration of the Lord’s Revelation – became a day off from work for the first time since 1960.

Last Friday, in the Sejm, the first reading of the draft prepared by Members of the Left was held, according to which Christmas Eve would be a day off from work this year. The task was aimed at further work in 2 parliamentary committees – social and household policy, economy and development.

The celebration of the Lord's Revelation, which is now legally free in Poland from the work of 6 January, the feast of the 3 Kings, is inseparable from Christmas, which was celebrated in this form at the beginning. As early as the 3rd century of that day, the Greek Church celebrated Christmas, but in a much enlarged text: as a celebration of Epiphany, or the presence of God on earth in the mystery of incarnation. In the West, the celebration of the Lord's Revelation dates from the end of the 4th century. From the beginning, it was celebrated separately from Christmas.

For centuries, the Feast of the 3 Kings has been invariably associated with the tradition of displaying nativity scenes. Initially, they were known in Italy, later in France. In the mediate Ages, Franciscans distributed them. The tradition of exhibiting nativity scenes (as well as the construction of Christmas nativity scenes) was initiated by Saint Francis of Assisi himself.

Since the 15th/XVI century in churches, the feast of the Lord's Revelation is devoted to incense and chalk. With a chalk, we mark the door as a sign that in our flat we have accepted the Incarnate boy of God. We compose on the door the letters K+M+B, which are meant to signify the names of the sages, or may be the first letters of the Latin sentence: (Let Christ bless the dwelling – in Latin: "Christus mansionem benedicate".

In pre-war Poland, the celebration of the 3 Kings was besides a day off from work – until 16 November 1960, erstwhile that day off was abolished by the Law of the Polish Parliament.

The wording of the amendment of the Act was laconic, he only referred to the deletion of letters (b) and (i) in Article 1(1) of the Act of 18 January 1951 on days of leave from work. The amendment came into force on the date of the announcement.

In September 2010, legislative work began to re-establish the day off. The task was then submitted with representatives of the Legislative Initiative Committee by president Jerzy Kropiwnicki. According to him, over a million signatures were collected. The bill, introduced as a citizens' initiative, was signed by president Bronisław Komorowski on 19 November 2010.

Its justification emphasizes that the Feast of the 3 Kings is the oldest Christian Christmas associated with the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated even earlier than Christmas. It was recalled that in the I and II Republics this day was celebrated as a vacation and it was at the same time a free day. Only after the failure of independence, during the period of communist power, by the decision of the PZPR, this vacation in the state dimension was abolished. Of course, it inactive remains 1 of the most crucial church holidays.

At the same time, the justification for the draft law pointed out that Poland is not leading the way among the European Union countries with respect to the number of holidays per year. In this respect, it is ranked 12th among EU countries [2011]. "This balance sheet will be even more unfavourable for Polish workers, given the hourly working dimension in force in Poland. This comparison shows that in the European Union Poles belong to the longest working people" – it was awarded.

It has besides been explained that the experience of setting up fresh days off from work (e.g. free Saturdays) shows that they have increased alternatively than reduced the economical performance of Polish workers and present no 1 remembers the arguments of opponents of free Saturdays. "The remaining working days show higher productivity (at least 0.5% per day) to compensate for the simplification in activity associated with the day off. A akin mechanics is expected to work after the day off from work on the feast of the 3 Kings," is the justification for the bill.

Thanks to Parliament's decision, 6 January 2011 was the first day since 1960 of the Lord's Revelation free of work.

It is besides a day off from work in 3 German states (Badenia-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt), Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Venezuela and Italy.

Source: KAI

TG

‘K+M+B’ or ‘C+M+B’? Let's end this dispute!