How to Keep Polish Christmas Traditions

Many of the Polish Christmas traditions resemble American traditions, yet they are all unique to Polish culture. If you long for some Polish nostalgia this Christmas, incorporate some of the following traditions into your family's routine. They are sure to be photo-worthy and memorable for years to come.

Instructions

1. Ask older Polish family members for any childhood memories they would love to see brought back this year. Find any old photos that could help jog their memory. This alone may become a Christmas tradition when you see their faces light up as they walk down memory lane.

2. Get your hands on a Polish Christmas carols CD. Stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble carry a wide selection of world beats and unusual instrumentals like "Bog sie Rodzi" ("God is Born"), so check them out. If the lyrics aren't included in the CD sleeve, look them up online so you can read the actual words and figure out as a family what they mean.

3. Prepare a Wigilia (Christmas Eve) meal. Some families serve 12 dishes to represent the 12 apostles, but others serve an odd number of dishes (seven, nine or 11). Either way, this is a meatless meal. There are four staples that represent the four corners of the earth: mushrooms of the forest, grain of the fields, fish of the sea and fruits of the orchard. Begin with mushroom borscht soup with dumplings, include a fish and vegetable dish, cabbage rolls, kluski noodles with cabbage and of course, Polish pierogies.

4. Make predictions like the women used to do. Place a handful of straw under a white table cloth. After dinner, take turns pulling one out. A green piece predicts marriage, a yellow piece means spinsterhood, a dead piece signifies waiting, and a short piece predicts an early death. Keep this lighthearted and just have fun with it.

5. Decorate the Christmas tree with apples, oranges, candies and colorfully-wrapped chocolates. Foil-wrapped nuts, paper chains, and candles or lights are also traditional Polish decorations.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out "The New Polish Cuisine" by Chef Mike Baruch for traditional Polish recipes.