Wigilia facts for kids
Wigilia (pronounced "vee-GEEL-yah") is a very special traditional supper held in Poland on December 24, which is Christmas Eve. It's a big part of how Polish families celebrate Christmas. The word "Wigilia" comes from a Latin word meaning "vigil," which is a time of watching or waiting. This special evening often includes the whole day of Christmas Eve, leading up to a midnight church service called Pasterka (pronounced "pas-TER-ka"), or "Shepherd's Mass."
The Wigilia feast traditionally begins when the first star appears in the night sky, just like the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Wise Men. This is why Christmas is sometimes called "Gwiazdka" in Poland, meaning "little star."
Contents
Fun Traditions and Customs
Many fun traditions are part of Wigilia. Children often help decorate the Christmas tree. Sometimes, a small amount of hay is placed under the tablecloth on the dining table. This reminds everyone of Jesus's birth in a manger (a feeding trough for animals).
One old tradition says that if children playfully pull a piece of straw from under the tablecloth, its color can tell them something about the year ahead. Green straw might mean good luck or even a future marriage, while black straw could mean bad luck.
Another heartwarming tradition is setting an extra place at the dinner table. This is for an "unexpected guest," showing how important hospitality is in Polish culture.
The meal starts with a prayer, then everyone shares a special opłatek (pronounced "oh-PWAH-tek"). Breaking and sharing this wafer with each other is a way to wish blessings and good things for the coming year, symbolizing the gift of daily bread. In the countryside, people used to share a special pink wafer with their farm animals, like cows, dogs, and cats. This was to honor the animals that were present in the stable when Jesus was born. There was even a belief that at midnight on Christmas Eve, these animals could speak like humans!
The Wigilia Supper: A Feast of Twelve Dishes
The Christmas Eve dinner is unique because it doesn't include any meat. This is a tradition of fasting before the big Christmas celebration. The meal usually has twelve different dishes, one for each of the twelve Apostles.
Delicious Dishes to Try
The supper often begins with a warm soup, like borscht (a beet soup) with small dumplings called uszka, or a clear wild mushroom soup (grzybowa). After soup, you might find different kinds of herring fish.
Fish is the main dish for the Christmas Eve feast in Poland. You'll often see different ways of preparing carp, such as carp fillets, carp in a jelly-like sauce (aspic), or even gefilte fish (a Jewish-style carp dish) served with onions, carrots, almonds, and raisins. Side dishes often include cooked red cabbage or sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) with apple salad.
The bread served with the meal is often challah (pronounced "HAH-lah"), a braided bread that came from Poland's long history with its Jewish community.
For dessert, there's usually a dried fruit compote (a sweet fruit drink). Then comes a variety of cakes and sweets, like poppy seed cakes (makowiec), babka (a sweet, often brioche-like cake), and other treats, including edible Christmas ornaments.
Some regions have their own special dishes, such as żurek (a sour rye soup), siemieniotka (a hemp seed soup from Silesia), pierogi (dumplings filled with cheese and potatoes or mushrooms and cabbage), gołąbki (cabbage rolls stuffed with mushrooms and rice), kluski (soft dumplings) with poppy seeds, and makówki (a poppy seed dessert from Silesia).
Gifts and Midnight Mass
A big part of the Wigilia celebration is opening gifts! After everyone finishes supper, the children often get to open their presents first and then help hand out gifts to the adults from under the Christmas tree.
Who Brings the Gifts?
In Polish tradition, different characters might bring gifts. It could be "Święty Mikołaj" (Saint Nicholas), an "Aniołek" (a little angel), "Gwiazdka" (a star, who is like Saint Nicholas's female helper), or the "Gwiazdor" (a male gift-giver, sometimes linked to older traditions or representing the Star of Bethlehem). Saint Nicholas traditionally brings gifts on December 6th, but in some families, he brings presents on both December 6th and at Christmas.
The Midnight Shepherd's Mass
Many families and individuals attend the traditional midnight church service, known as the "Shepherd's Mass" (pasterka). During this beautiful service, Christmas carols are sung, adding to the festive spirit.
Christmas Day Breakfast
Christmas Day is a national holiday in Poland, and most Poles spend the day enjoying time with their families. After Wigilia, there are two more days of celebrations. Christmas breakfast is often a delicious spread that might include scrambled eggs, cold meats served with horseradish sauce, smoked or fried salmon, marinated salads, and various cakes. You might find pierniki Toruńskie (a famous gingerbread from Toruń), other cakes, and decorated biscuits.
Images for kids
-
Christmas wafer opłatek symbolizing bread
-
Rollmops, fish commonly served at Wigilia, important as a non-red-meat offering
-
Wigilia table setting around Kashubia region
pl:Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia
