BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture Christmas traditions

Hey, this is way to complicated..I was just asking Barbara because she is the editor..and the thread topic is Christmas Traditons.


Sundancer
www.msgembroidery.com
www.mikessportinggoodsonline.com

Hello,

The decision is really up to you. You can post the recipe here or in a new thread. In any part of the forum, it will be lovely to have it:)

I am a first generation baby boomer of Polish heritage. I did not realize people celebrated anything other than Wigilia on December 24th until I went to high school. Meals served were always meatless and began after the first star was sighted. Since carp in the US was considered a trash fish, we substituted Blue Pike (now extinct) Walleye and Perch. Depending on what region of Poland someone was from, so was the menu. Carp is still served fried in Poland as well as Carp in Aspic or �po grecku� and is purchased live. Herring is normally served in the northern region and is considered a humble fish prepared in sour cream or pickled. Soups vary with red beet (Barszcz) sour rye (Zurek) or Mushroom made from boletus mushrooms. Some families make a white bean soup, but I am not a fan. Uszki look like tortellini and are made from ground mushroom filling to be served with the Barszcz; a boiled egg with the Zurek. If serving herring, boiled potatoes are a usual accompaniment. Pierogies are a peasant food and simple to make with white dry cottage cheese, potatoes, or sauerkraut (Kapusta). Many families also serve a Kutia, ground wheat with honey, or Kluski z makiem (Noodles with poppy seed). Groch z Kapusta (Peas with sauerkraut) is served as well and served with the fish, boiled potatoes or frytki�french fries in some households. Sour cream and butter accompany the pierogi and salads of diced vegetables or beetroot or Celeriac may also be served. Compote, made from re-hydrated fruit is the refreshing drink after the meal and poppy seed rolls, nut rolls, czasto (Sweet Bread) and piernik (Honey Cake) are the common deserts. The table is set with white linen and the finest china, with one extra place setting for unexpected visitors or to represent deceased family members. Hay is under the table cloth to symbolize the manger where Christ was born, candles to represent the new birth and light of the world in Christ�s birth are lit. Oplatek (Christmas) wafer is shared from oldest to youngest with each family member asking forgiveness and wishing good health and fortune in the new year, therefore the kissing (three times). Much symbolism is from pagan days: the spirits roaming and entering each house and the belief that a guest in the home is God in the home. My grandmother always had a meal served after Midnight Mass which included kielbasa and ham with bread and horseradish in beetroot. The rest of the day was spent at home eating leftovers and then the December 26 was visiting non-family members. In Poland, it is considered a holiday much like Christmas.

Ira, just want to welcome you to the forum, we hope that you enjoy your stay!
Rosie

Ira, thank you for sharing. It is very explicite and it is indeed just like in Poland it is done:)

At my home we also wait for the first star. Then my Father reads the Bible and we share oplatek. At this point one can already smell all the dishes and I am always imatient to get food:) but if there are many relations taking part, then one needs to go to each one to share oplatek with him. It takes time...

Than my Mum serves red barszcz. (Zurek or so called white barszcz - sour rye - we personally serve for Easter). There are of course 'uszka' inside (with self-picked up ground mushrooms... my parents are really 'mushroom freaks' so we have a lot of dried ones waiting to be use). Then we serve krokiety (cabbage with mushrooms rolled in crepes). Then my family eats Carp with chala (I am a vegetarian so I get one more krokiet...) we also drink kompot of dried fruit. Oh, I hated compot when I was a child... it has very specific taste...

Then we eat all the cakes! sometimes we have kutia (but it comes from the eastern parts of the country). My aunt makes noodles with poppy. My other aunt makes pierogi and mushroom soup...

On 25th we visit my grandma (and meet there other relations). On 26th we visit my second grandma (where we meet other part of the family).

There is always white linien on teh table, hay under it, and one additional dish - for unexpected guest. Couple days before Wigilia my Father buys live Carp. It swims in our bath (we take it out to the basket when we take a bath).

Oplatek is each year distributed by the church. there is a person going from flat to flat to give it to us. It is already waiting for Wigilia:)

Soon, soon... I really cannot wait:)

Sundancer's Pierogi Casserole

6 cups mashed potatoes
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese softened
1 large jar cheese whiz
l large onion diced
1/2 stick margarine
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, cheese whiz in bowl. Saute onion in margarine. Layer noodles, potato and onion mixture alternately in a buttered 9x13 baking dish ending with onion mixture.
Bake covered 20-30 minutes At 300 degrees
you can uncover and broil til brown if you want.

WOW:) never heard of using lasagna noodles to pierogi...

But once I will post here the recipe to make crepes with the stuffing for pierogi. They are delicious too:)