Warsaw traders belonging to the Nowy 安iat Association will launch the Christmas shopping season by switching on the Christmas lights at Zamkowy Square on Dec. 8 and Nowy 安iat Street on Dec. 9.

Popular singers will perform Polish Christmas carols and Santa Claus will provide gifts for the youngest. Residents of Warsaw will once again vote to pick the most beautifully decorated store window and the organizers will award a "Smile Trophy" to the company offering the most money to a designated orphanage.

The lighting of the Christmas tree on Zamkowy Square and the illumination of Nowy 安iat Street are considered as the start of the Christmas-New Year season in Warsaw.

This year it will be a special event. For the first time it will span two days-Saturday on Zamkowy Square and Sunday on Nowy 安iat and Chmielna streets. The event will be ceremonious in character in order to make sure it has an appropriate tone. The mayor of Warsaw will take part. A major attraction will be a visit by Santa Claus from Lapland. Invited by the embassy of Finland, Finnish companies, and the Nowy 安iat Association, Santa will be the master of ceremonies during the event.

Gala dinners for the business community will be organized with the participation of the honored guest. Proceeds will go to charity. An occasion for giving the collected money to charity will be during dinner with Santa Claus at the annual Christmas meeting of the Warsaw mayor with children. This meeting traditionally takes place at City Hall.

An additional attraction this year will be a fair of traditional Christmas products organized in Zamkowy Square by City Hall, the 字鏚mie軼ie district authorities, the Polish Chamber of Regional and Local Products, and the Public Lands Authority.

New Year's Eve
Don't know where to spend New Year's Eve? If you enjoy fun in the open air, come to Defilad Square. If you love the theater, attend a play combined with an all-night ball.

This year Warsaw residents will enjoy large scale festivities on Defilad Square organized by City Hall for over zl.3 million. "Fall in love with Warsaw" will be the theme of New Year's Eve in the capital. There will be a combination of outdoor entertainment and a television event broadcast live.

Defilad Square, together with Marsza趾owska Street, will turn into a huge fun arena from 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1. Two stages will be built. They will be separate, but their programs will be complementary. The organizers have lined up appearances by leading Polish performances and expect about 40,000 viewers to take part in the festivities.

Music will be played the whole time. The festivities will start with family fun to the rhythms of Jet Set and Feel.

There will also be performances by Kasia Kowalska, Ryszard Rynkowski, the Blue Cafe and Volt bands, Teatr Uliczny Street Theater, and the Academic Choir of the University of Warsaw. At midnight, all the entertainers will sing a song about Warsaw and angels specially written and composed by Jacek Cygan and W這dzimierz Korcz for the occasion.

There will also be an impressive fireworks display at midnight on Defilad Square around the Palace of Culture and Science. After midnight, dance music will be provided by popular DJs. The organizers also promise an impressive light show synchronized with computer graphics.

Those who prefer calmer amusement can visit the theater. Almost all the capital's theaters are offering special shows along with a glass of champagne or all-night entertainment. Below we list musical events.

New Year's at the Opera
The evening at the Wielki Theater-National Opera will be filled with hits from classical, pop, and film music performed by the best young Polish and Italian opera and operetta soloists.

Songs will include hits by Jan Kiepura, Luciano Pavarotti, Elvis Presley, and Abba. Valentina Panini, Anna Cymerman, Iwona Tober, Marco Voleri, Leszek 安idzi雟ki, and Tadeusz Szlenkier will appear. The Zabrze Philharmonic Orchestra will by conducted by S豉womir Chrzanowski.

Roma Theater
This theater is offering a New Year's Eve Jazz Gala with contemporary jazz standards performed by Ewa Bem and by Roma artists. They will be accompanied by the Big Roma Band conducted by Maciej Paw這wski and a dance troupe.

Roma Musical Theater, 7 p.m., tickets zl. 200-220, including a banquet and raffle.

Ateneum Theater
The Ateneum is offering A Night With Alexander Vertynski. This will be a show with music consisting of hits by the legendary Russian singer, performed by Olena Leonenko.

Ateneum Theater, 2 Jaracza St., 7:30 p.m., tickets zl.100-150, including champagne and a surprise gift.