Saint Barbara Day

4th December is an annual celebration day for miners in Poland. It is the Saint Barbara Day. She is the miners patron. The biggest attention to Saint Barbara is given in Silesia, where plenty of coal mines are located. During the celebration day miners thank their patron for another safe year without danger accidents and also pray for another lucky year. The prayers are done in the morning at the chapel in Mines or in the Church in the neighborhood during the morning mass. Ordinary day for coal miners in the Silesia looks quiet different, their work is hard and dangerous. Every year couple of them die in accidents underneath the ground. Pictures that I made in the underground coal mine present a small part of the daily hard work of these guys. Regards (Szczesc Boze) Pictures and text ©Grzegorz Lizurek