If you want to put some “Polish” in your Christmas traditions, there’s no better place to start than at PACT’s annual Wigilia Celebration. This year, Stan Machosky, PACT Board member and resident MC, did an excellent job explaining some of the Christmas Eve traditions observed in Poland. Some of this year’s Wigilia participants also shared their Polish Christmas Eve traditions with everyone. The first tradition of lighting a candle in the window to signify the start of Wigilia was performed by Nick.
Other traditions observed at the Wigilia were an 11 course meatless meal, sharing of oplatec and singing koledy. The koledy was led by our “singing nuns” otherwise known as the sisters of St. Francis. They included Sister Maurice Wodarski, Sister Geraldine Paluszak, Sister Aloise Paluszak, Sister Bernice Pasiowitz, Sister Rozalma Kmiec, and Sister Cabrini Warpeha. This year there was also a surprise visit by a mailman (Ken Stein) which will bring good fortune to all who were in attendance. There was also an opportunity to write a name of a loved one who would not be able to share Christmas with the family this year on a Christmas bulb and hang it on the memory tree. Thank you to all who attended this years Wigilia and a special thank you to those that volunteered to participate in the Wigilia traditions.
