Thousands of Poles living in Ireland are expected to attend concerts, exhibitions and other events today to mark Poland's biggest charity fundraising day.
The annual Great Finale, a day of fundraising for children's hospitals held across Poland and among its diaspora, will be marked by events in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Last year's activities in Ireland attracted some 3,000 people and raised more than €20,000.
In Poland, where the initiative has become a major national occasion since it was conceived by media personality Jurek Owsiak in 1993, celebrations will be broadcast live on television and online.
Organisers encourage Poles to hold concerts, parties and other events on the first or second Sunday in January, and some €44 million has been raised for children's health services in the past 15 years.