Christmas

Christmas is the most widely celebrated holiday in Poland. Unlike other Christian countries, a greater emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve, or Wigilia in Polish meaning "a vigil" (from the Latin "wakefulness") than on Christmas day. Many Christian feast days include a vigil the day before.

Preparations for Christmas start with the Advent. This is an especially important time for religious Catholics.

All members at the dinner table share a thin wafer called Oplatek. Each member breaks off a piece of the Oplatek and says something they wish to happen to the person sitting next to them in the New Year.

The first course of the meal is a soup of some kind. The main dish served are pierogis. Pierogis are similar to ravioli. They are made from a dough consisting of flour, egg, and water. They are then stuffed with various fillings. Potatoes, noodles with poppy seeds, and fish are served with the pierogis. Dessert is then served.

After dinner gifts are exchanged and the family attends Midnight Mass or Pasterka ("Shepherds' Mass").

See also

• Wigilia the Christmas Eve vigil supper
• Christmas around the world

External links

• Polish Christmas.