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And if
you are wondering what 'szopki' might be, then pop along to the museum
and you will discover they are traditional cribs made to depict the
Christmas nativity.
The exhibition, which also celebrates festive traditions within Huddersfield's
Polish community, shows photographs taken during a visit to Poland
by Kim Strickson of the Kirklees Community History Service.
The
Polish city of Krakow holds a szopki making competition every year
and some families have been making these cribs for generations,
many of them spending the whole year preparing. Kim says: "The
tradition of the Christmas nativity scene is popular all over the
world but only in Krakow does the shape of the crib become connected
with the architecture of the town. Krakow's szopki are elaborate
constructions made in astonishing detail from cardboard, wood, tinfoil,
sweet wrappers, beads and braids.
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| A
"szopki" from Polish town of Bielsko-Biala, Kirklees'
twin-town in Poland |
"They
sparkle with all the colours of the rainbow and some elements are
mechanised and illuminated. They range wildly in size; the smallest
can fit into a matchbox while the largest are towers a few metres
high."
Kim's
visit to Kirklees' twin town of Bielsko-Biala can also be seen in
the exhibition. Here she was shown cribs, puppets, Christmas masks
and mechanical stars as well as photos. During her visit the town's
Deputy-Mayor presented Kim with a small crib showing the shepherds
at the manger as a gift from the town to the people of Kirklees
and now a much larger crib featuring the angels has arrived in Huddersfield
from Bielsko-Biala made specially for the exhibition by Danuta Zener.
The
third, and largest, crib on show was made by Huddersfield people
during a Christmas event at the Tolson Museum in 2000. Reflections
on Christmases past, present and yet to come are provided by Polish
families living in Huddersfield.
'Wesolych
Swiat' was at the Tolson Museum, Huddersfield on December 12th,
the Szopki In The Snow photo exhibition runs at the museum until
January 30th, 2005 and the Angels and Sheds are on display at Huddersfield
Parish Church until January 7th 2005.
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Wesolych
Swiat!
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