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Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Merry Christmas in Polish
On Monday, Soeren’s mom and dad came in to share how they follow the Polish traditions to celebrate Christmas. Soeren’s dad, Austin, lived in Poland for a year and his family continues to share these family traditions to this day. The traditional Christmas dinner is called Wigilia which means “the vigil.” The table is prepared with a thin layer of hay under the tablecloth in remembrance of Jesus being born in a manger. They shared the idea that the family tries to not have an odd number of people at the table in fear of having a bad year, so they put a candle in the window to notify travelers that they are welcome to come enjoy the meal if they need a place to stay.
The dinner is served in an odd number of courses typically 7, 9, or 11. There are several foods served at the meal including perogies and borscht. There is no meat served at the Christmas Eve meal. We also had a chance to break the wafer called the oplatke which means "bread of love." When you break the bread with a friend or family member you say, “I wish you good health” or something that you’re thankful for. Soeren’s family opens their gifts for one another on Christmas Eve and some families attend a midnight mass. Christmas Day is a day for rest and visiting with family. The Christmas season lasts until February 2nd.
Soeren’s favorite part of this tradition is the idea of welcoming a lonely guest into your house if they need a place to have a meal or celebrate. He also mentioned he likes mushrooms which is prevalent in Polish meals. One of Austin’s fondest memories is his jaja, or grandfather, taking his and his sister out on a walk to find the 1st Star of Christmas. He emphasized the most important part of this tradition is being together as a family.