Wigilia
Encyclopedia
Wigilia is the traditional Christmas Eve
vigil supper in Poland
,
held on December 24. The term is also often extended to the whole day of the Christmas Eve, extending further into the midnight Mass
held at Roman Catholic churches all over Poland
and large Polish communities worldwide at midnight preceding the Christmas Day. In this usage, the supper itself is rather called "wieczerza" or "wieczerza wigilijna", using an Old Polish word meaning "dinner", "large supper", stemming from Proto-Indo-European root *vesper - evening. The Last Supper translates into Polish as "ostatnia wieczerza".
The word "Wigilia" derives from the Latin
verb vigil
are, "to watch", and literally means 'eve'. The feasting traditionally begins once the First Star
has been sighted (usually by children) in the heavens at dusk (around 5 p.m.). Therefore Christmas
is also sometimes called "Gwiazdka" (the little star, referring to the Star of Bethlehem
).
on this day (if it has not been set up before). A bundle of hay
is placed under the tablecloth or in each of the four corners of the room to symbolize the fact that Jesus
was born in a manger
.
As a game, children would remove pieces of straw from under the table. Green would mean a year of wealth or possibly a marriage, while a black piece of hay would mean bad luck much like the "piece of coal" represents in modern Christmas lore. The drawing of hay was only for fun and was rarely paid attention to. Various other divination
s are semi-seriously practiced such as hiding a nut (or another small food piece) in a cake and dividing it among family members. Whoever finds the nut inside his portion is guaranteed to have a successful year.
Another tradition is leaving one extra empty place setting for a stranger, called the "Unexpected Guest". This is to celebrate the tradition of hospitality in Poland. The extra seat was left open just in case a traveler, family member, or a friend appeared at the door, so there would be a place for them to sit. It also represents a place for family members who have died or, in some traditions, symbolizes hospitality for baby Jesus.
Family members begin the celebration with a prayer and breaking of the Christmas wafer (opłatek - symbolizing the bread eaten daily — our day-to-day common life) and wishing each other good fortune in the upcoming new year. (After the prayer, usually done by the man of the house, the opłatek is broken and pieces are given to everyone attending the table. From there, everyone breaks off a piece of their opłatek, and shares it with everyone else, wishing luck and joy in the upcoming year, for Christ has been born. This wish is usually finalized by a kiss on the cheek.) Readings from the Bible
concerning the nativity of Jesus are practiced in more religious households. In the countryside, it is customary to feed livestock (though not dogs, cats, and other pets) with the wafer, as the animals of the household are to be treated as people that day and are traditionally believed to speak with a human voice.
and Borscht
(beetroot soup) with Uszka
(ravioli). Carp provides a main component of the Christmas Eve meal across Poland; carp
fillet, carp in aspic
etc. Wigilia is observed as a Black Fast
meaning that most Poles abstain from eating red meat on this day. Many households also prepare a great variety of special Christmas rollmops
, matjas herring
, poppy
seed cakes (makowiec), dried fruit compote
and other delicacies including edible Christmas ornaments. Common dishes are various fruits (oranges
, tropical fruits) and salads. Regional dishes include żurek
, siemieniotka
(in Silesia), mushroom soup, different salad
s, pierogi
filled with cheese and potatoes as well as cooked dried mushrooms and cabbage (kapusta
) or cabbage and yellow peas; gołąbki (cabbage rolls), kluski
with poppyseed, kutia
, and makówki (in Silesia).
The number of country courses is traditionally established to be either twelve
or an odd number (in Silesia
); Twelve is symbolic of the number of months in the year is good as well as to celebrate the twelve disciples of Jesus.
), where Christmas carol
s are also sung.
A major part of the Wigilia festivities is the opening of gifts. The children often open their gifts and hand out the gifts for the adults from under the tree. The gift-giver in Polish tradition is Saint Nicholas or the Gwiazdka – his feminine counterpart – the little Star of Bethlehem.
, cold-cuts served with horseradish sauce, smoked or fried salmon, marinated salads, coffee, tea and cakes, i.e. chocolate cake,piernik(gingerbread cakes, etc.
It is still believed that whatever happens on Wigilia has an impact on the following year. So, if a quarrel should arise, it foretells a quarrelsome and troublesome year.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
vigil supper in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
held on December 24. The term is also often extended to the whole day of the Christmas Eve, extending further into the midnight Mass
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is a Christmas Eve liturgical tradition in the Roman Catholic church.Midnight Mass may also refer to:* Midnight, Mass., a Vertigo comics series* Midnight Mass, a 2004 novel by F...
held at Roman Catholic churches all over Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and large Polish communities worldwide at midnight preceding the Christmas Day. In this usage, the supper itself is rather called "wieczerza" or "wieczerza wigilijna", using an Old Polish word meaning "dinner", "large supper", stemming from Proto-Indo-European root *vesper - evening. The Last Supper translates into Polish as "ostatnia wieczerza".
The word "Wigilia" derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
verb vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
are, "to watch", and literally means 'eve'. The feasting traditionally begins once the First Star
Star of Bethlehem
In Christian tradition, the Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, revealed the birth of Jesus to the magi, or "wise men", and later led them to Bethlehem. The star appears in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew, where magi "from the east" are inspired by the star to travel to...
has been sighted (usually by children) in the heavens at dusk (around 5 p.m.). Therefore Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
is also sometimes called "Gwiazdka" (the little star, referring to the Star of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
).
Traditions and customs
Children usually decorate the Christmas treeChristmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
on this day (if it has not been set up before). A bundle of hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
is placed under the tablecloth or in each of the four corners of the room to symbolize the fact that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
was born in a manger
Manger
A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals . Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising. They are also used to feed wild animals, e.g., in nature reserves...
.
As a game, children would remove pieces of straw from under the table. Green would mean a year of wealth or possibly a marriage, while a black piece of hay would mean bad luck much like the "piece of coal" represents in modern Christmas lore. The drawing of hay was only for fun and was rarely paid attention to. Various other divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
s are semi-seriously practiced such as hiding a nut (or another small food piece) in a cake and dividing it among family members. Whoever finds the nut inside his portion is guaranteed to have a successful year.
Family members begin the celebration with a prayer and breaking of the Christmas wafer (opłatek - symbolizing the bread eaten daily — our day-to-day common life) and wishing each other good fortune in the upcoming new year. (After the prayer, usually done by the man of the house, the opłatek is broken and pieces are given to everyone attending the table. From there, everyone breaks off a piece of their opłatek, and shares it with everyone else, wishing luck and joy in the upcoming year, for Christ has been born. This wish is usually finalized by a kiss on the cheek.) Readings from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
concerning the nativity of Jesus are practiced in more religious households. In the countryside, it is customary to feed livestock (though not dogs, cats, and other pets) with the wafer, as the animals of the household are to be treated as people that day and are traditionally believed to speak with a human voice.
The evening Supper
After the First Star appears in the sky and after sharing the Christmas wafer (opłatek), the Supper begins. A traditional Christmas meal in Poland includes fried carpCarp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
and Borscht
Borscht
Borscht is a soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. In most of these countries, it is made with beetroot as the main ingredient, giving it a deep reddish-purple color...
(beetroot soup) with Uszka
Uszka
Uszka, , are small dumplings usually filled with flavoursome wild forest mushrooms and/or minced meat. They are usually served with barszcz, though they can be eaten simply with melted butter and herbs sprinkled over...
(ravioli). Carp provides a main component of the Christmas Eve meal across Poland; carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
fillet, carp in aspic
Aspic
Aspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock or consommé. Non-savory dishes, often made with commercial gelatin mixes without stock or consommé, are usually called gelatin salads....
etc. Wigilia is observed as a Black Fast
Black Fast
The Black Fast is a severe form of Catholic fasting. It is the most rigorous in the history of church legislation and is marked by austerity regarding the quantity and quality of food permitted on fasting days as well as the time when such food is legitimately taken...
meaning that most Poles abstain from eating red meat on this day. Many households also prepare a great variety of special Christmas rollmops
Rollmops
Rollmops are pickled herring fillets, rolled into a cylindrical shape around slices of onion, pickled gherkin, or green olive with pimento. Rollmops can be served held together with one or two small wooden skewers....
, matjas herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, poppy
Poppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
seed cakes (makowiec), dried fruit compote
Compote
Compote is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder,...
and other delicacies including edible Christmas ornaments. Common dishes are various fruits (oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, tropical fruits) and salads. Regional dishes include żurek
Zurek
Zurek may refer to:* Żurek, a kind of soup* Libor Žůrek, footballer* Teresita Román de Zurek, writer and chef* Wojciech H. Zurek, physicist...
, siemieniotka
Siemieniotka
Siemieniotka is a Silesian soup made of hemp seed, often eaten at the traditional Christmas Eve meal, Wigilia.The name of the dish comes from its main component: seeds ....
(in Silesia), mushroom soup, different salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s, pierogi
Pierogi
Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough - first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions - traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit...
filled with cheese and potatoes as well as cooked dried mushrooms and cabbage (kapusta
Kapusta
Kapusta [kah-POOS-tah], the Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Ukrainian, and Slovak word for cabbage, is a popular dish in Polish and Slovak cooking. Its primary ingredient has been pickled into sauerkraut and, in some places, kapusta simply refers to this plain sauerkraut...
) or cabbage and yellow peas; gołąbki (cabbage rolls), kluski
Kluski
Kluski is a generic Polish name for all kinds of dumplings without a filling, though at times the word also refers to all varieties of noodles as well. It is usually made of chunks of boiled dough. There are several varieties of kluski, depending mostly on the dough...
with poppyseed, kutia
Kutia
Kutia is a sweet grain pudding, traditionally served in Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Belarusian and Polish cultures. Kutia is often the first dish in the traditional twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper...
, and makówki (in Silesia).
The number of country courses is traditionally established to be either twelve
Twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper
A twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper is traditionally prepared in many Eastern European cultures, including Lithuanian, Polish, and Ukrainian . The meal consists of twelve meatless dishes representing the twelve Apostles...
or an odd number (in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
); Twelve is symbolic of the number of months in the year is good as well as to celebrate the twelve disciples of Jesus.
The Shepherd's Mass
Some families as well as individual worshipers attend the traditional midnight mass/Shepherd's Mass (pasterkaPasterka
Pasterka is a midnight mass celebrated between 24 and 25 of December in Poland. A close translation of the name would be "Shepherds' Mass". This is a reference to the biblical shepherds, who were visited by an angel and told of the birth of Christ. During the Pasterka, the Poles sing traditional...
), where Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
s are also sung.
A major part of the Wigilia festivities is the opening of gifts. The children often open their gifts and hand out the gifts for the adults from under the tree. The gift-giver in Polish tradition is Saint Nicholas or the Gwiazdka – his feminine counterpart – the little Star of Bethlehem.
The Christmas breakfast
Christmas Day is a national holiday in Poland and most Poles spend the day feasting with their family. Christmas breakfast often consists of scrambled eggsScrambled eggs
Scrambled eggs is a dish made from beaten whites and yolks of eggs . Beaten eggs are put into a hot pot or pan and stirred frequently, forming curds as they coagulate.-Sample preparation:...
, cold-cuts served with horseradish sauce, smoked or fried salmon, marinated salads, coffee, tea and cakes, i.e. chocolate cake,piernik(gingerbread cakes, etc.
It is still believed that whatever happens on Wigilia has an impact on the following year. So, if a quarrel should arise, it foretells a quarrelsome and troublesome year.