Meeting of the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts

“Polish Christmas Customs, Wigilia, and Opłatek,” presentation by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab.

Please join us for program that is just in time for the holiday season! The sharing of the opłatek (Christmas wafer) on Christmas Eve is the most cherished of all Polish Christmas customs. On the eve of Christ’s birth, the people of Poland and their descendants scattered all over the world, gather together at the table where they are about to share the evening meal, and first offer each other a thin piece of unleavened bread called opłatek. This presentation will discuss some of the historical origins and symbolism associated with the unleavened bread called opłatek.

Sophie Hodorowicz Knab immigrated to the United States with her parents and siblings in 1954. She grew in a Polish American community, learning how to speak English and becoming American in all ways but her Polish parents also instilled within her all the traditions and customs of their native land of Poland. As an adult, she cherishes her heritage and is always willing to share what she knows with others. She is a noted lecturer and author whose books include Polish Customs, Traditions and Folklore; Polish Country Cottage Cookbook; and her most recent release is titled Polish Herbs, Flowers and Folk Medicine. She is a contributor to the Polish American Journal and the Am-Pol Eagle.