Christmas in Poland

nativity scene from Kraków

food

Christmas celebrations and traditions in Poland

Polish song and Christmas carol

Pasterka () is a midnight mass celebrated by Catholics during Christmas between December 24 and 25 across Poland. A close translation of the name would be the "Shepherds' Mass" (literally: 'that which belongs to the shepherds' in Polish), in reference to the Biblical shepherds, who were visited by an angel and told of the birth of Christ. During the Pasterka Mass, Polish people sing traditional kolędy, Christmas carols (from the Roman calendae) in the spirit of joy.

Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on 24 December. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka—midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland and in Polish communities worldwide at or before midnight. The custom is sometimes referred to as "wieczerza" or "wieczerza wigilijna", in Old Polish meaning evening repast, which is linked to the late church service or Vespers. The word Wigilia derives from the Latin vigil. The associated feasting follows a day of abstinence and traditionally begins once the

thumb|upright|A drawing of a podłaźniczka from the Lesser Poland region Podłaźniczka, polazňička is a traditional Polish and Slovak Christmas decoration. It was usually made from branches or the top of a conifer tree turned upside down, which was then decorated with colored paper cutouts (wycinanki), candies, apples, nuts, typical Polish świats, or stars and crosses made of straw. The podłaźniczka was then hung from the ceiling rafters over the Wigilia dinner table on Christmas Eve.