{"id":2734,"date":"2021-01-04T23:33:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T22:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grandascot.pl\/?post_type=blog_&p=2734"},"modified":"2025-10-30T19:58:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:58:49","slug":"12-traditional-christmas-eve-dishes","status":"publish","type":"blog_","link":"https:\/\/grandascot.pl\/en\/blog\/12-traditional-christmas-eve-dishes\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas in Krak\u00f3w – 12 traditional Christmas Eve dishes"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Poland, Christmas Eve dinner (called Wigilia<\/em>) is the one of the most important celebrations of the year. <\/strong><\/b> Wigilia is celebrated with the closest family and traditionally includes 12 dishes. Although the dinner and the dishes may vary slightly between regions and families, meat is never served.
\nWhat specialties should you try during the holiday season in Krak\u00f3w? Here are our suggestions.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Christmas in Krak\u00f3w \u2013 the roots<\/h2>\n

Regardless of regional or family traditions, every Christmas supper begins with a wafer called op\u0142atek<\/em>. Before sitting down to enjoy the Wigilia meal, guests pass around a wafer. The vast majority of residents of Malopolska follow the principle that there should be exactly 12 dishes on the Christmas table. It is important to at least take a bite of each as it is expected to bring luck for the next 12 months. For Catholics, the 12 dishes symbolize the 12 apostles of Jesus. The evening of December 24th is also a fast period throughout Poland, so the dishes served do not contain meat.
\nIn some earlier times, Christmas dinner was prepared primarily from stocks accumulated in the autumn. It is not surprising, therefore, that many silage, dried fruits and mushrooms, nuts and groats could be found there. In the houses of peasants, relatively cheap and simple dishes prevailed. On the other hand, bourgeois and court kitchens served dishes that no good restaurant would be ashamed of to this day. However, the tradition of using the ingredients that gave birth to the field, garden and forest during the Christmas supper remained the same for everyone and for many people meant ensuring their abundance for the upcoming new year.<\/p>\n

Christmas Eve in Krak\u00f3w \u2013 get to know traditional Christmas dishes<\/h2>\n

Traditionally, the Christmas supper begins with a warm soup.<\/strong> As in most regions of Polish, red borscht (barszcz czerwony<\/em>) with mushroom dumplings (uszka<\/em>) is most served most served in Malopolska. Some families, however, also serve other soups: sour soup prepared on fish or mushroom broth, mushroom soup with pasta or pea soup. On the Christmas table the following are also found often:<\/p>\n