In Poland preparations for Christmas are huge. Unlike the U.S., they do not rely on excessive buying gifts for yourselves, or all of your family and friends. They do not rely on competitions of showing off how richly we are able to decorate our house and Christmas tree.
In Poland we decorate our Christmas Tree on the morning of Christmas Eve or the day before. Sometimes, the week before (which is rather a new tradition), but not earlier than that. In Poland we keep the tree up till 6th January – the day when the Three Kings arrived to Bethlehem, but in some homes it is kept longer, sometimes even till the end of the carnival.
On top of the tree Poles usually put a glass star to represent the star which led the Kings to Bethlehem.
Presents are opened after the Christmas Eve meal. It might vary in every household, but in general that’s the rule. Poles teach their kids that christmas gifts are brought by Baby Jesus, Angel, Star (we start our Christmas Eve supper when a first star lights up in the sky), Father Christmas, Grandfather Frost, Saint Nicholas or simply by Santa Claus.
Preparing for Christmas is, above all, a thorough cleaning of the entire house. All the darkest and smallest corners are washed, swiped from dust, vacuumed like in any other time during the entire year. Christmas cleaning can begin two to three weeks before Christmas. The last week is focused on buying all the components of which we prepare 12 traditional dishes. Old tradition say that the number of dishes depended on how wealthy the household was. If people were poor they used to have 5-7 dishes, middle class 9 and wealthy families would have 12.
Those numbers represent:
7 – week days
9 – choirs of angels (In the Christian angelic hierarchy there are 9 choirs of angels)
12 – Jesus’ 12 Apostles
These days the number doesn’t matter in many houses. More often people make jokes about it if they have less or more dishes on the table. As a child, I clearly remember that my mom tried really hard to have all the 12 dishes. In addition, the tradition says that everybody has to try every single dish for good luck in the upcoming year. All the dishes used to be meatless.
Christmas Eve (before the Midnight Mass) is a day of fasting and abstinence. In 1983 the Code of Canon Law eliminated this fast altogether, but in Poland the church kept this tradition till 2003. Even these days during the mass before Christmas Eve, many priests encourage people to keep that fast for those following reasons:
1. in memory of the passion and death of the Lord
2. as a sharing in Christ’s suffering
3. as an expression of inner conversion
4. as a form of reparation for sin
Polish traditional dishes are mostly based on fish, mushrooms, sauerkraut and poppy seeds.
Common dishes are:
- carp (fish) – people would buy this fish alive a few days before Christmas and keep it the bathtub or some kind of huge container (if you had one). On the Christmas Eve morning one family member would have to kill it. In my family it used to be my dad, and every single year I would hate him for doing so. These days we are able to get already killed (in front of the buyer) carp.
- kutia – or Christmas Cooked Wheat Pudding, consisting of whole or cracked wheat more often rice, honey and nuts, and sometimes raisins, poppy seeds and cream
- red borscht with “uszka” (little dumplings with mushroom filling)
- mushroom or fish soups
- dried fruit compote
- pickled herring fillets called rolmopsy
- meatless cabbage rolls
- boiled or deep-fried dumplings known as pierogi with a wide variety of fillings (the most common is sauerkraut and mushroom filling)
As for dessert we have:
- makowiec (poppy seed roll or strudel)
- sztrucel migdałowy (almond roll)
- fruitcake
- gingerbread
- mazurek
- babka (something like a pound cake)
- cheesecake (it’s not like American cheesecake)
- angel wings (chrusty) – a traditional sweet crisp pastry made out of dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar
- all kinds of cookies
If you’re interested in knowing more details about these Polish dishes, I found a great website about it. Feel free to check it out!)
Most of those dishes are only made for Christmas. We do not eat them at any other time during the entire year. That’s why many people during Christmas Eve are so eager to sit at the table and enjoy so many good foods that they had to wait the entire year to eat them. I would always wait for one dish called moczka. Many Poles don’t know what moczka is, as it’s a dish known only in one region of Poland. I love it, and there is no better moczka than the one my mom makes!
Before we start our Christmas Eve Supper every member of the family needs to break an opłatek (Christmas wafer) with each other and exchange wishes for good health, long life and prosperity.
Christmas Eve ends with Christmas Mass called Pasterka.
The next 3 days Poles don’t do anything else other than eat, watch tv and nap.
Since I moved to US, I’ve discovered that I really miss all those Polish traditions that I didn’t care much about while living in Poland, and I’ve grown to really dislike the American Christmas. Since I came to the US, I had no chance to have my own Christmas in my own home. For the two first years, I was an Au Pair and celebrated Christmas with the family I worked for. Both times were totally different, and both times I learned something new (for example, that for Christmas Eve dinner you can have Chinese take-out). lol
After that, I met my husband and every single year we would go to his parents house for Christmas where the common Polish saying becomes the living truth: “You look good with your family only in photographs.” And we would have to sneak out after dinner in order to go to a restaurant because I was hungry. I’m not criticising my mother-in-law’s cooking skills… just the kind of food is NOT right up my alley.
Every single year I felt like so many things are missing (including the snow), and there are so many too big and over-the-top things that I am not used to and do not feel comfortable with.
In my entire life I had never seen a child crying because she didn’t get enough gifts until I came to U.S. In my entire life I didn’t know that you could spent the Christmas morning shopping, returning and exchanging your gifts in a mall… until I came to U.S., in my entire life I hadn’t known that the most important thing on Christmas is the size and the festivity of your christmas tree and the decorations of your house…until I came to U.S.
This list of “things I didn’t know about Christmas until I came to U.S” could go on and on…
Anyway, finally, this year I hoped for a quiet Christmas spent only with my husband and my daughter (+dog) with a bottle of sparkling apple cider, watching Netflix and eating whatever we would feel up to.
…until we got a call from my husband’s parents. Now I know that this year won’t be any better than the previous ones. I’ll be stuck in the kitchen cooking and baking and stressing out about the food because I have never cooked turkey or ham or any of those dishes that are served during Christmas Eve in the U.S. before. And, to be honest with you, I don’t like to eat them, as well. I already made my list of things I’ll be cooking and baking. Checked it with my husband. Got it approved by him. Now I’m only hoping that my 6 months pregnant self will be able to make all what’s planned.
I never would have thought how much I would miss the Polish traditions and foods. As an atheistic family (both, me and my husband) I know that I would not continue many of those Polish traditions, like going to the Church, breaking the Christmas wafer, praying before the dinner, singing (and listening to) Christmas carols, and teaching my kids about Baby Jesus or angels. At the same time, I will try, as hard as it’s possible, not to let them fall into this shopaholic and commercialized attitude of spending this holiday (as any other holiday).
At least this Christmas we are not traveling through California on the busiest days of the year…we’re staying home with no christmas tree or christmas decorations at all…
I might hire our dog to be a living christmas tree to make it up for not having a tree at all…
What do you think?!
Anyway, I want to wish to all of you Merry Christmas, Yule, Noel, Winter Festivals, Hanukkah or simply whatever you’re celebrating… I hope the next year will bring you joy, happiness, fulfillment and good health!
This is an original post to World Moms Blog from (Polish) Mom Photographer. You can find more of her writing on her personal blog, Mom Photographer.
Photo credit to the author.
I loved reading about the Polish traditions and food! I hope you have an enjoyable holiday in spite of everything.
thank you! all those tradtions, especially when it comes to a food might vary. It depends on the region of Poland. I have never tried a few of those dishes myslef but I think I’m good withouth the fish soup, for example 😉
You had me at pierogi.
I really enjoyed reading about the Christmas traditions in Poland! I have grandparents that were from Poland, but unfortunately, a lot of the traditions were lost by the time I came around. It made me wonder if this is how they did things back in Poland. 🙂 My mom is going to love this post.
Ok, now for the rest of it. I completely “cringed” when you talk about the kid who is crying because they didn’t get enough gifts. I’ve seen it, and it’s maybe not about the amount of gifts, but about the gifts they especially wanted and didn’t get. I know it all too well because I’ve been that kid before. Not something I’m proud of! There are also a lot of kids in the US that are appreciative for what they do get. I thought your perspective on it was interesting — like being on the outside looking in and it opened my mind here.
How do we as a large group of mothers make a difference? We can do a better job instilling the importance of giving and not receiving. We can talk about it more with our children. We can have better relationships with them. We can explain more. We can give more. We can value “things” less and people more. We can model the behavior that we want to see in our children.
Writing your thoughts out here about Poland, religion and traditions was probably really therapeutic. Now, look what you have here! You are missing Poland. Although you are no longer religious, who’s to say that you can’t keep some of the traditions alive for your daughter? You can still tell the stories that your ancestors believed in to your children even if they’re not your own beliefs. And you can explain to her that they’re no longer your beliefs. You can still prepare the food.
And, on the food. You can offer to make a Polish dish every year to bring to your in-laws and explain that this is really important to you because you want your daughter to know how her family at home is and has celebrating/celebrated.
Better yet, you can choose a day before or after the holidays and host a Polish celebration with a few friends. It can become an annual tradition. If I was in San Jose, I’d so be there!!! You can orchestrate the pieces of the traditions that you want to hold on to. But, it’s up to you, or like in the case of me and my ancestors, these things will be lost!
Thoughtful post!
Jen 🙂
Hi Jen!
Yes, I am really happy I could write that post. I actually feel much better about upcoming visit of my in-laws and I’ve already decided that I’ll make something Polish as well. Probably barszcz (borsch). For my first Christmas in U.S with my host family I made moczka, but as I expected it wasn’t very popular among the guests. It’s just the beauty of this dish. You love it or you hate it…
And Yes, I am planning to talk with my kids about all the traditions I grew up with, and if we still live in a place where there is a Polish community big enough to have it’s own church like here in San Jose I plan to take them to Midnight Mass as well (just so they see it and know what I am talking about) and show them the tradition of breaking the christmas wafer. It Poland it has to baptised by priest but I don’t care about it now and I always could ask my mom to send me a few in a letter (as that was a one of the tradtions as well – sending one wafer with a christmas card to a family members or friends who live far away).
Speaking about organizing Polish celebration with a few friends… I’ve thought about it but so far I was always gone for Christmas and a few days after and when I came back all the Christmas spirit is already gone and everybody is back to their own normal life. That’s ok. When the economy changes and we are better off with our budget we plan to go to Poland every few years for Christmas.
Thank you for you comment, Jen
I grew up in Northeaster Pennsylvania where families still cherish their European roots. My moms family was Italian so we had a 7 fish dinner on Christmas Even. My dads family was Slovak. We belonged to a Polish Catholic Church. On Christmas Eve we broke the wafers and attended Midnight Mass. Your post brought back many wonderful childhood memories. But now, we live in San Francisco, CA. My children won’t go to church on Christmas – I recall as a child the churches being packed on Christmas and the priest making remarks about those who do not attend year round – so I won’t be THAT person. But we are teaching our children to celebrate the holidays. Most of all, enjoy the day with their family and loved one regardless what we eat for dinner 🙂
You made me laugh talking about the priest making remarks… yes, it happens even in Poland, but I don’t really care. If I went to the church I woldn’t be doing it for the priest but for myself and for my personal reason. What he says doesn’t matter… .
For the food I know that in the future I won’t be making only Polish traditional dishes as most of them are not very “atractive” to my husband. I know that I will try to make a few every year, and a few American so everybody is happy. As for this year Christmas I HAVE to make a few particular dishes because if I didn’t I know my in-laws would ended up in a restaurant or in a grocery store buying them 🙂
It’s so wonderful to learn about your Polish Christmas traditions and those pictures are just so gorgeous! Also, I admire your attitude. May you have a wonderful holiday seasons with your beautiful family and what a cute ‘Christmas dogtree’ you have! 😀
this year I was trying to hire my daughter to be the Christmas Tree but she was about to distroy the lights so we all agreed for the doggy tree. works perfect 😉 Wonderful Holidays to you, too!
Great to hear about your traditions! Norwegian christmas sounds similar – all though it is getting more an more commercialised. We celebrate and open presents on the 24th, and we don’t decorate the tree until the evening of the 23rd. The first time I celebrated Christmas in England (http://worldmomsblog.com/2010/12/14/english-or-norwegian-xmas/) I was quite shocked as we went to the pub for dinner! I am used to it now – but I think deep down I still prefer a (proper) Norwegian Christmas 🙂
My childhood memories abour Christmas are very similar to yours, and as you wrote in you post, I want it to be perfect for my kids as well. Because of that I need to make it work for all of us, but this year is especially hard as we really struggle financially… so there is no christmas tree or gifts (just for the little one) nor ordering food from a restaurant. I know that everything will be just fine, but that’s me… always stressing about things too much 😉
I hear your frustration and it makes me sad. It wasn’t always like this. Like in my grandma’s day or even my mom’s. 🙁
Not like it is now. I don’t think they even had Black Friday. That has to be a recent idea.
Don’t knock yourself out making food in the kitchen you don’t even like to eat. Make what you like to make. If they don’t eat it, it’s their loss. The holidays are supposed to be happy and festive. I’m sending you happy thoughts of snow. I want you to be happy during the holidays, and all the time!
Thank you Jennifer for taking your time and reading this post. I appreciate it. You’re right that I should make what I like to make and eat. It looks like the clostest we get to Christmas the less worried I am about all of that. I’ll do my best and if that’s not enough I don’t know what would be. At the end it’s not about the food it’s about the time spent together. Right?!
That’s right! Time spent together….and the food (Just kidding!) I hope it all turns out much better than you expect. I’m dreading it too. I am SO right there with you!! I’d rather escape to the woods again!