What is a Polish Christmas Eve dinner?

Among the traditional Christmas, dishes are Christmas Eve carp, Jewish-style carp, the herring, pierogi, and poppy seed cake. After dinner, people start gifting the presents and singing carols. Christmas carols.

What is traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner?

Wigilia, which translates to ``vigil'' in English, is the epic Polish Christmas Eve feast. A solemn, sentimental celebration, it lasts hours and includes twelve meatless courses, featuring mushroom soup, carp, herring, rye bread, pierogi, sauerkraut, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), honey vodka, and desserts like kołaczki.

What special dish is often served at Christmas Eve dinner in Poland?

Christmas Eve dinner often starts with barszcz, a beetroot soup sometimes known as red borscht – it's probably the most popularly served soup on this day. The Christmas version varies from the usual one. Christmas barszcz requires a sour base (zakwas) which needs to be made a few days in advance.

Why do the Polish not eat meat on Christmas Eve?

Babies here are fed with milk and sausages. A table without meat is a table without food. But on Christmas Eve (and before Eastern) the world is turned upside down: No meat allowed! This derives from the Catholic tradition of fasting before the biggest celebrations.

What is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner?

On Christmas Eve (Noche Buena), the extended family join for a dinner of roast turkey and white rice seasoned with garlic. Roast potatoes and cooked sweetened apple puree are often served as well. The main dessert is panettone. It is usually accompanied by a cup of thick hot chocolate.

Wigilia: Why Poland celebrates Christmas Eve with 12 dishes

What is the Catholic Christmas Eve meal?

Feast of the Seven Fishes.

What's a good Christmas Eve meal?

What are you supposed to break before eating your Christmas Eve dinner in Poland?

Before dinner: sharing Christmas wafer

Don't eat it immediately – instead, you're supposed to approach every person present, wish them Happy Christmas (you can be more elaborate if you know them), break a little piece of their opłatek and let them do the same with yours.

Why do Polish people leave an empty chair on Christmas Eve?

The 12 Dishes of Polish Christmas

One of these rituals was called Obiat. It was a huge feast, celebrated in memory of ancestors and recently-deceased tribe members. A participant would have to sweep their empty chair before sitting at the table to 'excuse' the soul that might be seated on it.

What do Polish people celebrate on Christmas Eve?

Wigilia, the Christmas Eve supper. In Poland, Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting. The Wigilia feast begins at the appearance of the first star. There is no red meat served but fish, usually carp.

Do Polish drink on Christmas Eve?

This dessert is prepared only once a year for Wigilia. As a rule, Poles do not drink alcohol on Christmas Eve. A special compote is made of dried fruits, primarily plums and apricots.

What fish do Polish people eat on Christmas Eve?

Eating carp at Christmas is a widespread tradition in Central and Eastern Europe. For centuries, families have enjoyed this freshwater fish as the main course for their Christmas Eve dinner. The tradition of eating fish for Christmas Eve is particularly alive and well in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

What is a traditional Polish Easter dinner?

Easter is a feast of smoked meats and ham, where biała kiełbasa ('BYA-wah KEEW-basa') takes centre stage. This white sausage is made of unsmoked minced pork, with the addition of beef and veal, covered in a thin layer of pork casings and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and marjoram.

What is the Polish Christmas dessert?

Kutia: Poppy Seed Dessert, a traditional pudding-like dessert abundant with poppy seeds, wheat berries, nuts, and dried fruit soaked in honey.

How to wish Christmas Eve in Polish?

Just as you would use Merry Christmas - you could say Wesołych Świąt (literal translation being Happy Holidays in Polish) to all people a few days prior to Christmas Eve and on the first days of Christmas.

Do Polish people open their presents on Christmas Eve?

Christmas Eve is a bigger day than Christmas Day in many ways, despite being a normal working day for many people. There's a traditional feast eaten after sunset followed by attending church. Kids are usually allowed to open their gifts after dinner.

What is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve?

On Christmas Eve, the 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' involves eating seven different types of seafood – perhaps a seafood linguine, roasted fish or sea bass one-pot. In America, families with Italian heritage may also take part in this popular tradition.

What is a traditional Catholic Christmas Eve dinner?

Over time, fasting evolved into abstaining from meat. And so, Catholics from much of Europe celebrate their big holiday family meal on Christmas Eve, highlighting fish. Although the Church dropped the meatless rule in 1966, fish still holds pride of place on the evening of Dec. 24 for many families.

What to eat on Christmas Eve night?

What can't Catholics eat on Christmas Eve?

Avoiding meat and other animal products such as dairy and eggs is a standard custom for Catholics during Holy days and Fridays. For Christians, one of the most important Holy days is Christmas Eve, so for many Catholics, eating fish was expected, as they were abstaining from meat and all animal products.

Which country eats 12 dishes on Christmas Eve?

Wigilia: Why Poland celebrates Christmas Eve with 12 dishes - YouTube.

What is an Italian Christmas Eve dinner?

An Italian Christmas Eve Dinner—only fish, please!

According to tradition, the meal for Christmas Eve, La Vigilia, doesn't include any meat. It's all about fish and vegetables. This tradition stems from the concept of a giorno di magro, or “lean day,” meant to purify the body before the holiday.

What is served at a Polish Christmas Eve dinner?

Fish provides the main dish of the Christmas Eve feast across Poland. There are variations of carp fillet, carp in aspic, gefilte fish (Jewish-style carp), sweet with onions, carrots, almonds and raisins or fish in the Greek Style. Accompaniments consist of cabbage, cooked red or sauerkraut with apple salad.

Do Polish people eat meat on Christmas Eve?

You'll notice that meat is missing – during the Wigilia dinner, we don't eat meat (besides fish). This is a Polish pagan tradition, not a Catholic tradition, which reminds us of the fruits of the earth, forests, and water that primarily fed our ancestors. After Wigilia, it's time to open presents!

Why is Christmas Eve more important than Christmas in Poland?

Poles see Christmas Eve as probably the most important day of the month, because it is the last day to prepare for the arrival of Jesus. Traditionally, it is a day of fasting and meat was not eaten in any form. Christmas Eve is known as Wigilia (pronounced vee-GHEE-lee-uh).