How to Observe Polish Christmas Eve Customs

The major Christmas celebration in Poland takes place on "Wigilia," which is Christmas Eve. Traditionally, Wigilia is a time for forgiveness and a fresh start. A 12-dish, meatless dinner is served before other festivities begin.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Christmas Gifts
• Gift Ribbons
• Tissue Paper
• Polish Cookbooks
• Christmas Trees
• Dog Bones
• Dog Treats
• Gift Bags
• Gift Bows
• Mistletoe
• Wrapping Paper
• Wheat
• White Tablecloths
• Polish Christmas Carol CDs
• Tissue paper

1. Clean the house and trim the Christmas tree during the daylight hours. In rural Poland, these are traditional Christmas Eve activities, and Poles fast until dinnertime.

2. Decorate according to Polish folklore: Hang mistletoe over the front door to ward off evil; place wheat in the dining room corners and under the tablecloth to chase away misery.

3. Set the table with a white tablecloth. Set one extra place setting to remember absent family members or accommodate an unexpected guest. According to custom, the dinner begins with a prayer and sharing of blessed Oplatek bread to represent Communion.

4. Light the tree and serve dinner (see "How to Prepare a Traditional Polish Christmas Eve Dinner") after the first star appears in the sky. The first star commemorates the birth of Christ and represents the star of Bethlehem.

5. Exchange gifts after dinner is finished.

6. Give the family pet a special treat after dinner, as in Poland the head of the household would take a treat of dinner leftovers to the animals in the barn. Polish folklore explains that animals can speak in human voices on Christmas Eve.

7. Sing Polish Christmas carols. Carolers in Poland visit neighborhood households from Christmas Eve through the end of the holiday season on January 6, the Feast of the Three Kings.

8. Enjoy a brisk sleigh ride with friends and family, and serve refreshments afterward. In Poland, this is known as a "kulig."

Tips & Warnings

• Polish carols originated as folk songs in the 14th century and include both hymns and legends; many recordings are available through record stores and catalogs.