Polish special occasions
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
The majority of Poles are members of the Roman Catholic Church. An
estimated 3 million out of the total population of over 35 million were of
the Jewish faith before 1931, but members of this group were almost all
victims of Nazi annihilation before and during World War II. Very small
groups of Poles are members of the Orthodox Church and of some Protestant
denominations.
Since Poland is a Christian country, Christmas and Easter are occasions
for lavish preparations of feasts, singing and dancing and family
gatherings. A day of abstention from meat is culminated in a somber and
ritualistic dinner (called the Vigilia) on Christmas Eve. The meal
contains no meat dishes and opens with the ceremony of bread-breaking; the
mother holds in her hand a white communion wafer – symbol of love,
forgiveness and friendship – and all at the table share it. An old
tradition of a sheaf of wheat or a bit of hay sprinkled under the white
table cloth is still carried on in many homes today as a remembrance both
of the agricultural blessings and the holy manger.
Some still carry on the tradition of twelve meatless dishes served in
remembrance of the twelve apostles: three types of soups, three different
fish dishes (one of which is sure to be jellied sweet and sour carp
slices), three side dishes of grains or vegetables or noodles, and finally
three desserts. Diners helps themselves to at least one serving of each
dish.
And out of Poland's pagan past, there will surely at least one dish with
poppy seeds to symbolize the peaceful sleep of the dead. Another dish will
be sure to contain honey to provide a year of sweet content for all.
Christmas Day is one of quiet family togetherness. Even the mother of the
house enjoys peace and rest, for all the cooking and baking has been done
in the frenzied days before. On this special day the family enjoys a
buffet of cold meats: sliced ham and chicken, salads made with potatoes,
pickles or sauerkraut, delicious pastries and finally coffee. And what
better way to combine all the leftovers than in a hunter's stew (bigos)
to be served the next day.
To the Poles, a party is always a reason to dress up, and at no time is
this more meaningful than on New Year's Eve. Candy, flowers, and wine are
brought by the guests, and the evening's food will include an impressive
diversity of zakaski, hot and cold meat dishes, pickled salads and
vegetables, bigos, and finally dessert pastries, liqueurs, coffee,
and of course vodka.
Members of the predominantly Catholic population celebrate Easter with
deep devotion. The fast period of Lent is usually observed with two to
three meatless days a week; meals on these days consist of pasta or noodle
dishes or a main course of cold fish, poached, baked, or pickled.
The final week of Lent includes many special prayer services at church and
a frenzy of cleaning and painting in the homes. Special baking and cooking
for the Easter luncheon increase the anticipation of the Holy weekend.
Good Friday is traditionally spent visiting the church displays of Christ
in a tomb, surrounded by floral displays, bathed in colored lights, and
guarded by groups of costumed children. A humble dinner of vegetable or
barley soup followed by bread and herring or potatoes and the decorating
of Easter eggs completes the day's activities.
The large traditional buffet table for the Easter Sunday luncheon is
arrayed with the finest foods of the year: cold sliced Polish ham, roasted
pig, beef or veal, pickled salads and relishes and cwikla
(traditional Easter relish of grated beets and horse radish). Sliced
babka, fingers of mazurka, tortes and cakes with nuts, fruits,
and poppy seeds will be served for dessert with vodka or liqueurs. But
before the Easter meal is enjoyed with family and guests, a special food
basket containing hard-boiled eggs, salt, butter, sausages, and sliced
babka will be taken to church for blessing. The Easter table itself
will not be considered complete unless a display of painted eggs shares
the center of the table with a molded lamb (a symbol of Christ) made of
sugar and candies.
Easter Monday is a restful day, the quiet broken only by a meal of
bigos and often a surprise dousing of cold water – a bit of
traditional fun which is considered good luck and called smigus or
dyngus.