Traditionally a family-focused occasion, the evening is marked by a ceremonial meal that begins after the appearance of the first star.
Customs include sharing the opłatek wafer, decorating the Christmas tree, exchanging gifts and leaving an empty place at the table for an unexpected guest.
The supper is preceded by prayer and readings from the Gospel, and typically features twelve meat-free dishes, symbolising the twelve apostles.
Many families also place hay beneath the tablecloth, recalling the biblical account of Jesus’s birth.
At midnight, Catholic churches across the country hold Christmas Mass, known as Pasterka, commemorating the shepherds who were said to be the first to visit the newborn Christ.
Last year, Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, passed a bill designating Christmas Eve, December 24, as a public holiday.
(ał)
Source: PAP