For the last Family History for Children Blog Hop, I talked about some of the traditional Polish foods my extended family eats during the holidays. Today, I'll talk a little bit about the Polish tradition of opłatki, thin wafers shared among family members at Christmas Eve. Opłatki, which is pronounced 'O-pwat-ki,' are similar in composition and taste to the hosts used in Catholic masses, but they have not been consecrated by a priest.
Traditionally, at Christmas Eve dinner, the eldest family member breaks off a piece of the opłatki wafer and says a blessing. The wafer is then passed around to other family members around the table, each of whom breaks off a piece and eats it. Our family does it a little differently; each family member takes a piece of opłatki and then walks around the room to other family members. We individually share a hug and a 'Merry Christmas' and each person breaks off a small piece of opłatki from the other person's wafer. Here are a couple of photos of my uncle showing my 3 year old son how to do it.
Traditionally, at Christmas Eve dinner, the eldest family member breaks off a piece of the opłatki wafer and says a blessing. The wafer is then passed around to other family members around the table, each of whom breaks off a piece and eats it. Our family does it a little differently; each family member takes a piece of opłatki and then walks around the room to other family members. We individually share a hug and a 'Merry Christmas' and each person breaks off a small piece of opłatki from the other person's wafer. Here are a couple of photos of my uncle showing my 3 year old son how to do it.
This blog post is part of the December Family History for Children Blog Link-Up. Check out the other posts below!
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