DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
On the day before Christmas, not quite yet eve, my daughter, Tina, and I did some baking. We took some goodies to our neighbor Ron.
On the day before Christmas, not quite yet eve, my daughter, Tina, and I did some baking. We took some goodies to our neighbor Ron.
Then took more to the Stokowski’s.
OPLATEK FOR WIGILIA – A POLISH CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION!
We were honored to be included in the Polish Christmas Eve traditions at the home of the Stokowski’s in Lewisville, TX, this year! The meatless dinner starts with the breaking of Holy Bread, similar to manna (Exodus 16:31).
We were honored to be included in the Polish Christmas Eve traditions at the home of the Stokowski’s in Lewisville, TX, this year! The meatless dinner starts with the breaking of Holy Bread, similar to manna (Exodus 16:31).
Each person breaks the bread with another at the table with best wishes and expressions of forgiveness, so the bread is broken with each person, so several times with personalized expression for each person. It was intimate and beautiful! The word Oplatek is from Latin, Oblatum, for Holy Bread. The word Wigilia is Polish for the observance of this beautiful Christmas tradition. I also learned the word Bethlehem means house of bread.
Once we broke bread then we had pierogis and placki kartoflanes with applesauce. This took me back, to a time when I lived in a Polish neighborhood in Chicago, when it seemed so often there was a feast day or celebration with lots of Polish food! Henry made the pierogis and placki kartoflanes, and boy were they GREAT! My son, Tom, remembered the food from his toddler/pre-K days when we lived in that neighborhood. He filled up and kept some in his cheeks! Then Henry told him he could take some home!
I had a chill and was glad to have wine, for some reason it warms me up and slows me down all at once. We always spend a good amount of time with the dogs, Odie and Lily, though Odie is more assertive in getting his petting! He’s also a ham!
After the breaking of the bread and aahhh the food! I felt so comfy and honored in their beautiful home on Christmas Eve! We each got a gift bag when we left, even me. It had tea and a big tea cup, obviously they know me because I have green tea every morning and chamomile tea every evening.
MIDNIGHT MASS
A beautiful Catholic tradition is the midnight Mass! We go to St. Ann (http://www.stannparish.org/) church in Coppell, TX. We went for the night caroling so we arrived around 10:30 PM and left at 1:30 AM. It is a rich tradition, filled with thousand plus year old rituals.
Once we broke bread then we had pierogis and placki kartoflanes with applesauce. This took me back, to a time when I lived in a Polish neighborhood in Chicago, when it seemed so often there was a feast day or celebration with lots of Polish food! Henry made the pierogis and placki kartoflanes, and boy were they GREAT! My son, Tom, remembered the food from his toddler/pre-K days when we lived in that neighborhood. He filled up and kept some in his cheeks! Then Henry told him he could take some home!
I had a chill and was glad to have wine, for some reason it warms me up and slows me down all at once. We always spend a good amount of time with the dogs, Odie and Lily, though Odie is more assertive in getting his petting! He’s also a ham!
After the breaking of the bread and aahhh the food! I felt so comfy and honored in their beautiful home on Christmas Eve! We each got a gift bag when we left, even me. It had tea and a big tea cup, obviously they know me because I have green tea every morning and chamomile tea every evening.
MIDNIGHT MASS
A beautiful Catholic tradition is the midnight Mass! We go to St. Ann (http://www.stannparish.org/) church in Coppell, TX. We went for the night caroling so we arrived around 10:30 PM and left at 1:30 AM. It is a rich tradition, filled with thousand plus year old rituals.
Every year I catch a photo with our Music Minister, Curtis, who had mentored my son, Tom, in the music ministry. Minister Curtis is married with a baby at home, so I imagine he was very tired!
Our church is huge, a traditional basilica and for Christmas a full choir and orchestra. It was beautiful but the long day and now deep into the night did find me struggling to stay awake on the drive home.
HOME but NOT sleeping
On the drive home my teens, Tom and Tina, convinced me to let them open their gifts when we got home. There were not many gifts, due to my unemployment, but by the generosity of my friends/professors at University of North Texas there were some. I thought this would allow me to sleep in tomorrow, so I said sure, why not! They ripped and pulled and discovered gift cards for Old Navy, Best Buy, Subway… and some basics like socks and underwear.
Our church is huge, a traditional basilica and for Christmas a full choir and orchestra. It was beautiful but the long day and now deep into the night did find me struggling to stay awake on the drive home.
HOME but NOT sleeping
On the drive home my teens, Tom and Tina, convinced me to let them open their gifts when we got home. There were not many gifts, due to my unemployment, but by the generosity of my friends/professors at University of North Texas there were some. I thought this would allow me to sleep in tomorrow, so I said sure, why not! They ripped and pulled and discovered gift cards for Old Navy, Best Buy, Subway… and some basics like socks and underwear.
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