St Sylvester's Day

New Year’s Eve in Poland is called SylvesterThe New Year’s Eve in Poland is called Sylvester, in the name of St. Sylvester, a Roman bishop who died in 335. The question “Where will you go to Sylvester?” means “Where will you celebrate the New Year?”

There is a legend that St. Sylvester caught Leviathan in 314, a terrible monster. It was believed that in 1000 the Leviathan would break free and the world would end. To universal relief, this did not happen. Since then, people have celebrated the event by dressing up in costumes and calling themselves Sylvester Claus.

Sylvester’s birthday is a working day in Poland, but at the fifth hour all establishments and shops are closed. Poles celebrate the New Year at parties, restaurants, clubs, balls, central squares of cities or at home. Some celebrate this day in nature, particularly in the mountains or abroad.