Christmas with the Polish Seniors Group
Christmas is just around the corner. Shops are filled with decorations, and festive tunes play everywhere, reminding us to finalise our shopping or plan the Christmas Day menu. For many, it’s a joyous season, but it can also feel overwhelming at times.
That’s why spending the day with the seniors from the Polish Social Support Group yesterday was such a wonderful experience. It reminded me of the true spirit of Christmas in a way that felt pure and refreshing.
First, I spoke with Katarzyna, one of the group participants, who shared her memories of Christmas growing up with her family of nine in Poland. Her stories were filled with warmth and nostalgia, painting a vivid picture of a time when simple traditions brought families together.
“In Poland, Wigilia (Christmas Eve) is more important than Christmas Day. In the morning, my dad would go and bring a Christmas tree and then we decorate.
Everyone is helping my mum to prepare the food. We have to have 12 different dishes on the table, it’s a special dinner. On the table, under the tablecloth, we put bits of hay, because Jesus was born in the hay. We all dress up – it will be best you have, the nice white shirt, the nice dress.
And then when we see first star on the sky, we can start eating. Because there was Europe, five o’clock is dark already.
And then everyone sit down – the children sit like oldest brother, younger, younger, younger in order – and we share opłatek (Christmas wafers). First, my dad, start from like oldest to youngest. So, you share the bread with one another and say … “I love you, have a good year this year”.
We pray, and then after, we start the dinner.
We start with barszcz (beetroot soup), with uszka inside, which is like a dumpling with dry mushrooms. We’re not eating meat – only fish. We have pierogi (dumplings) with cabbage and mushrooms inside, and also, potato inside. Some have like jam from plums inside. We have a beetroot salad, potato salad, cabbage salad. We have a pasta with poppy seeds. Also, we drink compote made from dry fruit – pears, apple and plum.
After dinner, we sing Christmas carols. We don’t have presents – we were not very rich. But on the Christmas tree, we put apples and lollies. We feel lucky that we have food on the table and everyone’s like, happy, wishing, everyone hugging and stuff.
And also, you have to be good on Christmas Eve, like behave. If you feel naughty or something, you’ll be all year naughty!
After dinner we go to church for midnight Christmas carols. It’s winter there in Poland, and sometimes the snow is very light, like, nice. And we go walking maybe one and a half, two kilometres to church. And after about two o’clock, we go home. Maybe some friends come, or relatives. And next day we have to rest!”
Listening to Katarzyna’s childhood memories set the perfect stage for what came next—a cherished Polish Christmas tradition that filled the room with warmth and joy. The sharing of opłatek (a thin Christmas wafer symbolising unity and forgiveness) is a custom deeply rooted in Polish culture. Renata, the group facilitator, handed out wafers to everyone in the room. One by one, the seniors (and Spectrum staff) exchanged their wafers with each other, offering heartfelt wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity. Each exchange ended with a piece of the wafer being shared, a warm hug, and smiles all around. The process continued until every person had shared their wafer with everyone else.
When all the seniors were back in their seats, chatting away and enjoying their lunch, I couldn’t help but marvel at the impact of this simple act. Was it the way each person looked the other in the eye during the exchange? The careful choice of words? Or the hearty hug that followed? Perhaps it was all these things combined, reminding us that the essence of Christmas lies in connection and belonging.
As I watched, I realised that this beautiful celebration of hope and unity transcends the commercialisation of the Christmas season. Spending precious time with family and friends, sharing joy, and looking forward to the year ahead—isn’t that what Christmas is really about?
As music filled the hall and the seniors began singing carols in their native language, their voices carried the warmth of shared memories and tradition. In that moment, the stress of Christmas shopping lists and menu planning melted away. The true gift of Christmas had already been unwrapped—a celebration of love, hope, and togetherness.