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  What it means

  “On Saint Barbara’s day, get your czamara out of the chest.” December 4th signals serious cold — time to dig out the heavy traditional coat stored away since last winter.

  Vocabulary

  • święta Barbara — Saint Barbara (feast day December 4)
  • dobądź — get out, retrieve (imperative)
  • skrzynia — chest, trunk
  • czamara — czamara (long traditional Polish coat)

  Grammar note

  'Dobądź' is the imperative of 'dobywać/dobyć'. 'Ze skrzyni' uses the genitive after 'ze'.

  Cultural context

  The czamara is a long, buttoned coat from Polish noble and folk tradition. Saint Barbara's day (December 4) marks the start of deep winter.

  Intermediate

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