Polish Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve, Peter invited me to join him and his family in Bolingbrook, a "village" of 73 thousand inhabitants in the western suburbs of Chicago. I caught the train out to Naperville, where he met me at the station.

I am getting used to what the suburbs of Chicago look like: I mention it so much on my blog that you probably are as well! Full of open space, and car-dominated.

I was again reminded how rarely I visit people who live in houses rather than apartments: the house felt "right" because it had the same orientation relative to the garage as Matt and Theresa's. And it had a beautiful Christmas tree: my apartment has no decorations unless you count the chocolate snowman sitting on my table waiting to be eaten.

We chatted for a while about the end of our years, and Peter introduced me to Polish Christmas Eve traditions.

The first was the eating of oplatek, a bread identical to that used at Mass, shared as a reminder of our unity with Christ and with one another. We each received a wafer, and broke off and ate a piece of each other guest's, wishing them a merry Christmas and blessed year ahead.

Next was the reading of the nativity from the Gospel of Luke: it was in Polish, but I recognised it by the proper nouns (Quirinius doesn't come up in many places). Then it was time for the 10 dish dinner. Or maybe 12. Or maybe 14. Peter wasn't sure exactly how many dishes there were, so decided the safest way to describe it was to pick the highest estimate, and say the last couple of dishes were vodka.

Dish 1 and 2 were uszka (mushroom tortellini) with borscht (beetroot soup). There was plenty left after everyone had been served, so I was encouraged to have more. It was delicious (my second favourite dish of the evening), so I did indeed, as did Brian, the other non-Pole, who was sitting next to me. Others thought this a dangerous strategy, and it might lead us to fail the challenge of eating every dish (it's not meant to be a challenge, but with a dozen dishes, how can it be anything but a challenge!).

Dish 3 was pickled herring with onions. I really enjoyed this one as well: the onions were a little strong, but the fish was smooth and creamy.

Dish 4 was pierogi with cheese. These were fine but not as tasty as the preceding dishes. There was a distinct theme among dishes 5-7: sauerkraut, mushrooms, and sauerkraut and mushrooms. My favourite of these three was the sauerkraut (which also had yellow peas: at first I thought they were corn). Then dish 8: sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi! I think that was better than the other pierogi: not as heavy.

Dish 9 was perhaps the main course: fried breaded fish. We had heard why carp became the traditional fish during the second half of the twentieth century: the waters were so polluted nothing else would live there. But no-one likes carp, so we ate orange roughy instead. It was served with a horseradish sauce, and some were surprised when I spooned extra quantities of it onto my fish: I'm not such a fan of hot flavours on their own, but I enjoy them with something heavier.

Dish 10 was a dried fruit compote, my favourite of the evening: after many savoury courses, I was ready for something sweet. Dish 11 was kluski (pasta) with kutia (poppyseeds and nuts) and dish 12 makowiec (poppyseed cake). There was distinct similarity, and I think these are good desserts for someone with less of a sweet tooth than myself. Last of all, sernik, or Viennese cheesecake. It arrived after we had eaten all the dishes, as if it were the punchline of a joke about central European hospitality (now that you've had your twelve courses of appetisers, here's a famously rich dish so that you don't starve). It was slow going getting through it, but I completed the Polish Christmas Challenge™.

Then it was time for caroling. Peter's uncle Jack led this: actually, he was the only one singing most of the time. Not knowing Polish, I didn't really follow it much, and we never got to what I was assured was a completely genuine and not made up on the spot Polish tradition that the strangers (Brian and me) have to perform a dance.

Various family members headed off to midnight Mass at 10:30, while Peter's parents (well, mostly mother) and I took advantage of the suddenly quiet house to chat. She and Peter drove this very full guest home to sleep and digest!