Polish Christmas Traditions, Christmas eve supper

The table for this meal should be sufficiently large to accommodate the whole family.

A candle is placed in the centre of the table, the Holy Bible, also " Oplatek" - a thin, white baked wafer with an embossed religeous Christmas pattern.

A spare place is set at the table for a stranger or an absent member of the family, who may come unnanounced. It was also customary to invite the lonely for the supper, because on Christmas Eve no one should be left alone.

Another custom that has survived till this day is putting a little hay on the table as a remembrance of Christ's birth in a manger.

Meals eaten during the supper were prepared from the products of fields, orchards, woods and water, with the exception of meat because it was a fast-day.The traditional Christmas Eve supper consists of twelve dishes representing the twelve months of the year. No meat is served during the supper, only fish, usually herring, carp or pike. Other traditional dishes appearing on the table include red barszcz, mushroom or fish soup, sauerkraut with wild mushrooms or peas, Boiled or fried pierogi, Polish dumplings with a wide variety of fillings, are among the most popular Polish dishes. For the Christmas Eve supper, pierogis are usually made with sauerkraut and mushrooms.

Fruit compote made of all the dried fruits grown in the area and kutia, is served as a dessert. It is especially popular in eastern Poland.

The abundance of dishes on the Christmas Eve table was a readable manifestation of the paradisiacal abundance; it was meant to transfer this attribute to the next harvest.

Before the meal starts, Advent hymns are sung, and the father, being the head of the family, Iights the candle saying: Light of Christ, to which everyone replies: Thanks be to God.

Next the father reads the Gospel according to St. Luke 2,1-14:

Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census -the first - took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone won't to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.

In the countryside close by there were shepherds who Iived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said: "Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And there is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and Iying in a manger". And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising god and singing:

"GIory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour".

After the Gospel reading the father says: Before we take this wafer in our hands and share it with each other, let us now embrace with our prayers all those we wish to remember and be united with. Then he starts the prayer with: The Creed, The Hail Mary and a prayer for the dead, as they are always remembered during this time.

The father then takes the Oplatek and says: By sharing this wafer let us be at peace with each other, and exchanges wishes with all present. This is a solemn moment for all, when all wrongs are forgiven and affections are expressed, a moment more moving than any other in the year, awakening childhood reflections. Everyone then sits around the table and partakes in the meal.

Polish Traditions