Szopka at Perth Museum

I'm going to be honest, when Linda at Perth Museum sent this story to us I thought she'd been on the George Street Gin! I had never heard of a Szopka before and had no idea how to even pronounce it.  

So let's start there! You pronounce Szopka as 'Shop-ka' and it is Polish Christmas nativity crib from Karkow that dates back to the 19th century. One of the most unusual and characteristic features of the szopka is the use of historical buildings of Krakow as the backdrop for the nativity. 

These are beautiful pieces of craftsmanship and the skills involved in creating the Szopka have been passed on through many generations. Perth Museum and Art Gallery is delighted to be the first venue in Scotland to showcase this beautiful tradition and has worked with our local Polish Community to make the whole thing happen.

The szopka on display is an award winning piece by Dariusz Czyz which was made to celebrate 40 years of his involvement in crib making. Dariusz built his first szopka at 5 years old with the help of his grandfather, himself a crib-maker whose work features in the collection of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków.

Szopka are made as seasonal decorations and were traditionally sold by masons and woodworkers in order to earn extra income during Christmas.  Since 1937, Kraków’s main market square has played host to an annual competition, held on the first Thursday of December, for the most beautiful szopka.

Celebrated for their intricacy and elaborate craftsmanship, szopka Krakowska are often inspired by the architecture of the historic centre of Kraków.  Turrets and spires are frequently adorned by an eagle, the national symbol of Poland, or by regional flags and colours.  Biblical characters and figures drawn from Polish folk culture, history and even politics, also feature. 

Here in Perth we are fortunate to have a vibrant Polish community and many of you reading this will have Polish friends and family members.  This is a wonderful opportunity to embrace one of their much-loved Christmas traditions and learn about this amazing culture that has become so wonderfully entwined in our own. 

And it doesn't stop there! Polish families from all over Perthshire will bring their own szopka creations along to Perth Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 5^th December between 2pm and 4pm.  These wonderful entries will be displayed in the museum foyer throughout the festive season and everyone is invited to vote for their favourite design to win. 

The museum is also holding a free drop-in Polish Crib craft session on Sat 12 December from 1pm where you can learn how to craft your own szopka to take home.  If you do drop in, please do send us your photographs.