Slajd 1

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Christmas in Poland
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Contents

Advent
Christmas Eve
Traditional dishes
Twelve traditional dishes
Recipes
Polish carols
Songbook
Summary
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Advent

• Traditionally, Advent is an important season
  in the Polish year, with special church services,
  known as Roraty, being held every morning at 6am.
  The four Sundays of Advent are said to represent
  the 4,000 years of waiting for Christ.

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Christmas Eve

• Christmas Eve in Poland is called Wigilia. It
  is an important part of the Polish Christmas, in
  fact, the most important rituals are celebrated
  on this day.
• Wafer
• Hay
• Christmas tree
• Christmas midnight mass

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Wafer

• Before the company seat themselves, the father,
  or head of the family, takes a plate containing a
  wafer. It has been specially prepared and blessed
  by the parish priest and has some sacred sign
  stamped upon it - IHS or a picture of the
  Nativity, with perhaps a border of flowers. The
  father makes a little speech bidding those
  present to be at peace with God. He then breaks
  the wafer with the mother, and then with everyone
  present. The absent ones are not forgotten. Where
  we send Christmas cards, Poles send these blessed
  wafers first tearing off a small corner to show
  those who are to receive them, that the donor has
  broken it with them as a token of affection.

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Hay

• In memory of our Saviour's birth in a manger,
  straw or hay is laid upon the table under a white
  cloth
• (it is connected with Christ's manger).

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Christmas tree

• Beautifully lit Christmas trees are placed in
  all public arenas, outside churches and in homes.
  Traditionally the trees are decorated with shiny
  apples, gift walnuts, beautifully wrapped
  chocolate shapes and many homemade decorations
  and candles. On the top of the tree is a star or
  a glittering top piece. In many homes, sparklers
  are hung on the branches of the trees giving it a
  magical air. Sometimes the trees are left
  standing until February 2nd, the feast day of St
  Mary of the Candle of Lightning.

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Christmas midnight mass

At midnight, people go to Pasterka or Midnight
Mass. Everybody attend except infants and very
sick. After the sermon, the entire congregation
sing Christmas Carols.
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Traditional dishes

• There are many traditional dishes that are
  served on this occasion, and rarely at any other
  time of the year. At least a month ahead of time,
  there is great activity in the kitchen. Because
  traditionally there are twelve dishes served on
  Christmas Eve, and many guests are expected,
  there is a lot of work to be done. Fortunately,
  many dishes can be prepared weeks in advance and,
  when properly stored, will still be fresh when
  the Holiday arrive.

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Twelve traditional dishes

• We celebrate with at least 12 diffrent
  vegetarian dishes
• Fried carp
• Dumplings with mushrooms
• Beetroot soup with mushrooms pockets
• Noodles with poppy seeds
• Hotchpotch
• Herrings
• Stewed fruit from desiccateds
• Millet
• Wheat with poppy seeds and honey
• Dimins with mushrooms
• Mushrooms soup
• Poppy sweet cake

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Mushroom pockets

• Ingredients
• 1/2 tsp. salt1/2 cup cold water1 egg,
  beaten2 cups sifted flour
• Make dough of the above ingredients and roll out
  on floured board. Cut into 3-inch squares. Place
  a teaspoon of stuffing (see recipe) on squares.
• Fold diagonally into triangles. Press edges
  together. Fold triangle once more to form a
  "sow's ear" and press edges together. Drop into
  salted boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes or
  until pockets float on top of water.

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Mushroom Soup

• Ingredients
• 1/4 lb dried wild mushrooms
• 9 cups vegetable or meat stock
• 1 cup butter  
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch salt white pepper sour
  cream chopped fresh parsley
• Cover mushrooms with cold water and soak
  overnight. Drain the mushrooms reserving the
  soaking liquid, strain the liquid through a fine
  cloth. Rinse the mushrooms in cold water to
  remove any remaining sand then slice into strips.
  Add the mushrooms, 8 cups of of the beef stock
  and the soaking liquid to a 3 quart saucepan,
  bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low
  heat 4 hours. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet,
  add the onion, saute until golden brown then add
  to the soup. Whisk the cornstarch with the
  remaining cup of beef stock, add to the soup,
  stir and simmer until slightly thickened. Season
  to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into
  individual bowls, top each with 1 tbls sour cream
  and sprinkle with parsley. 

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Dumplings

• Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Potato and Cheese Filling Cook the onion in
  butter until tender.Combine it with potatoes and
  cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  Vary the proportions and ingredients in this
  recipe to suit your taste. Mix the flour with the
  salt in a deep bowl. Add the egg, oil and water
  to make a medium soft dough. Knead on a floured
  board until the dough is smooth. Caution Too
  much kneading will toughen the dough. Divide the
  dough into 2 parts. Cover and let stand for at
  least 10 minutes. Prepare the filling. The
  filling should be thick enough to hold its shape.
  Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board. Cut
  rounds with a large biscuit cutter, or the open
  end of a glass. Put the round in the palm of your
  hand. Place a spoonful of filling in it, fold
  over to form a half circle and press the edges
  together with the fingers. The edges should be
  free of filling. Be sure the edges are sealed
  well to prevent the filling from running out.
  Place the pierogi on a floured board or tea towel
  and then cover with another tea towel to prevent
  them from drying out. COOKING Drop a few
  pierogies into a large quantity of rapidly
  boiling salted water. Do not attempt to cook too
  many at a time. Stir VERY gently with a wooden
  spoon to separate them and to prevent them from
  sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue
  boiling for 3-4 minutes. The cooling period will
  depend upon the size you made it, the thickness
  of the dough and the filling. .Pierogies will be
  ready when they are puffed. Remove them with a
  perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and
  drain thoroughly. Place in a deep dish, sprinkle
  generously with melted butter to prevent them
  from sticking. Cover and keep them hot until all
  are cooked. Serve in a large dish without piling
  or crowding them. Top with melted butter- chopped
  crisp bacon and/or chopped onions lightly browned
  in butter. REHEATING One of the great things
  about pierogies, is that they can be made in
  large quantities, refrigerated, frozen and
  reheated without lost of quality. .Many prefer
  reheated pierogies as compared to freshly boiled
  ones. To re-heat, you can 1) pan fry pierogies
  in butter or bacon fat until they are light in
  color or, 2) heat the pierogies in the top of a
  double boiler or in the oven until they are hot
  and plump or, 3) deep fry them.

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Noodles with Poppy Seeds

• Ingredients
• 3 tbls. poppy seeds3 tbls. sugar1 package wide
  noodles2 tbls. butter
• Scald poppy seeds with boiling water and soak
  for 3 hours. Drain. Force through food grinder
  and mix with sugar. Cook noodles in lightly
  salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  Place in baking dish and heat in oven for several
  minutes. Mix with butter and poppy seeds and
  server hot.

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Polish carols (Songbook)

• Bóg sie rodzi
• Dzisiaj w Betlejem
• Przybiezeli do Betlejem
• Gdy sliczna panna
• Aniol pasterzom mówil
• Mizerna cicha
• Carols

• Wsród nocnej ciszy
• Lulajze Jezuniu
• Jezus malusienki
• W zlobie lezy
• Cicha noc

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THE END
Executors Agata Pskit and Aleksandra Sowinska