So, have been naughty or nice? Did Święty Mikołaj bring you anything exciting? What? Don’t tell me that you forgot about Mikołajki (6 grudnia – December 6th).
I wrote about Mikołajki last year, and I’m sure you remember that I think it’s a totally unnecessary tradition. I would much rather hold off for a bigger and better present on Christmas.
And how is your writing of Christmas cards (pisanie kartek świątecznych) coming along? I’m very proud to say that I only have a couple left to send out. And after that’s done, I’ll finally have enough time to sit and ponder how I’m going to throw a traditional Polish Wigilia (Christmas Eve dinner) in this foreign land.
And actually, I have a question for those of you with Polish spouses: how do you celebrate Christmas? Do you do it the Polish way? Or the “foreign” way? Or a combination of both, perhaps?
Do you do the whole Wigilia bit with 12 different dishes and hay under the tablecloth? With opłatek and gifts on the 24th?
Barszcz – one of the traditional Christmas Eve dishes.
I am asking because this year I was drafted to prepare tradycyjne polskie święta – a traditional Polish Christmas. And frankly, I’m worried. Very worried. My utter lack of culinary skills combined with the utter lack of Polish products here is a very bad combination. So your suggestions regarding how I can solve this problem will be much appreciated.
And descriptions of your traditional polskie święta na obczyźnie (Polish Christmas in foreign lands) will be very helpful as well.
So please, don’t be shy and do share! I’m sure we all can learn something new and interesting from each other.
Comments:
Michael:
Why have 12 different dishes? It must be hell for anyone on a diet!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol, especially with all that pastry in the Polish food or am I wrong?
Mary:
We tend to do both when we’re in the UK and have more of a Polish Christmas when in Poland.
Oddly, I only do the church thing in the UK.
We don’t have the 12 dishes and the only person who’ll eat the fish with Mr K is my dad.
We do try to have different things each year through and people tend to enjoy it. Or they dsay they do anyway!
Presents are still a 25th thing as is the usual christmas dinner (which i miss every other year.)
It does tend to spread things out because we see our extended family on the 26th!
So, that’s how we do it. It’s generally an amalgamation of traditions because neither of us wants the other to feel home sick.
Kaz Augustin:
We do both, which is interesting in equatorial Malaysia! J, my Polish hubby, was adamant that we wouldn’t have wet tissue; i.e. carp! But it’s Christmas Eve dinner, Portuguese Eurasian food (roast chicken, curry, rice), salads, pates, mulled wine, fake fireplace. And we go truly international for dessert…NY baked cheesecake, crepes suzette. I should take photos, shouldn’t I?
Kaz Augustin:
Oh, and we had Mikolaj with the kids, and are looking forward to post-breakfast Christmas Day for the family loot-swapping!
Kim:
My husband is Polish, we live in Boston. I surprised him our second married Christmas with a Polish feast I had researched and cooked. We read the Christmas story from Luke. We do a reading about the importance and symbols of the Polish Christmas traditions then break the blessed wafer with any guests we have. I set an extra place at the table and place straw under the tablecloth. Like his family, we include meat and do a smaller variety of Polish dishes but with my own twist – mushroom/barley soup, several varities of pierogi, meat filled cabbage rolls, prune stuffed pork roast, beet salad, kraut w/polish sausage, rye bread, fruitcake, chocolates and cookies. On Christmas Eve we exchange a Polish gift – book, crystal, ornament…use our Polish names, listen to Polish music and so on. On Christmas day we have a traditional American Christmas with stockings and ham and turkey. We open the remainder of our gifts Christmas night.
We also began the tradition of inviting friends over for Sunday evening suppers during Advent for a “Polish Christmas Eve” Everyone has loved it, in spite of my husbands family being offended – it’s not traditional and I’m not Polish and blah, blah, blah!
Michael:
– it’s not traditional and I’m not Polish and blah, blah, blah!
Lol 🙂
Kaz Augustin:
Wow Kim, I was horrified to read your comment. That’s way harsh! Not only am I NOT Polish, but I’m a small, brown Asian woman! LOL And I get on better with J’s side of the family than I do my own. Commiserations. Personally, considering all you’ve done, I think your hubby’s family is lucky to have you! Have a great holiday season and stay relaxed.
Barbara Toner:
Christmas Eve
We live in Delaware, all 4 of my grandparents came here from Poland about 1910.I married an Irishman who is Polish at heart & we’ve always celebrated Wigilia as my Mother & hers did.
We set the tables with a white cloth over hay & with white candles and always with an extra place setting. After the first star we share the traditional oplatek and sit down to a meatless meal. The first course has always been mushroom soup followed by sledzie & rye bread. Then the feast of potato pierogi & mushroom pierogi followed byat least 2 fish dishes, 2 vegetables, Polish sweet bread, kutia (if our daughter-in-law brings it!), cookies, cream puffs & eclairs. Babcia’s Polish recipes have been handed down. After dinner Christmas Carols & Koledy. When the grandchildren were little, we opened gifts after dinner. After clean-up we’re exhausted & no longer go to Midnight Mass but attend Mass at St Hedwig, a Polish Parish in Wilmington. Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia!!
dorothy:
WESOLYCH SWIAT-MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALLOF YOU WHO ARE 100 PERCENT POLISZ, GOOD FOR YOU TO KEEP UP OUR TRADITON, OF WIGILIE TO PIEROGI AND ECLAIRS AND SINGING CARLINES, WONDERFULL TRADITIONS IS WHAT HAS BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, I AM FROM THE COUNTRY OF POLAND AND IN CLEVELAND POLISH CHRISTMAS IS TRULU SOMTHENIG TO REMEMBER, RUNNING TO WEST SIDE MARKET WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF FOOD PREPARED THE WAY WE USE TO MAKE IT, CRUSTY BREADS, HOME MADE SAUSAGE ETC. KEEP THIS UP PASS IT ON TO YOUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN AND SO ON, LIVE DRINK BE HAPPY, TO US IMMIGRANTS WE NEVER FORGET WHERE WE CAME FROM AND OUR MOTHER HOMELAND POLSKA, I FINISZ WITH THE POLISZ HYMN JESZCZE POLSKA NIE ZGINELA PUKI MY ZYJEMY.STO LAT MESRRY CHRISTMAS FROM DOROTHY IN CLEVELAND