A Weekend before Christmas

I had a wonderful weekend as a single woman in Chicago of Polish descent.
I have done no decorating except to hang a live wreath outside my back door.

On Saturday I headed to the American Polish Museum located on Milwaukee here in Chicago. They were celebrating a "Christmas Eve Wigiela" the traditions of Polish Christmas. I didn't get to hear the explanation of a recreated Polish cottage I am sorry to say that I was in the gift shop too long and forgot it.

However I got to make a paper woven basket, you tuck in a treat for others, a card and a circle of colored paper, cut and it spirals down. I liked that decoration and it will be easy to make. I will do it with my grandchildren next year. There was also a beautiful paper star-three dimensional but we didn't get to make that one. They had about 5 trees all decorated with paper cutouts; the traditional folks designs.

We sang carols in both English and Polish-I tried to sing in Polish as I know nothing of the language. Our meal was meatless as the Catholic Polish fasted and abstained from meat on Christmas Eve. But of course the food was filling and oh so good. I had saurkrout and potato pierogis, deep fat fried fishI took off the batter. I think it was haddock? A European carp was the traditional in the USA, the Polish used pike or whitefish. I loved the meatless "pigs in a blanket" mushroom/rice wrapped in cabbage with tomato sauce. I had never had that either. I also had mushroom soup, first course so yummy. The Pres of the museum explained the foods had to come from the air, land, sea- grain, fish, potato, rice, mushrooms. All so yummy. It was great.

Then on Sunday a friend and I made plans to sing politically incorrect Christmas carols with Codepink then tea at the Russian Tea Time. We arrived only to find it all cancelled because of the ice storm that had left about 1/4 inch ice on everything. No one could drive, Charlotte and I came by train/bus. But we found two other folks at the tea room so joined them in a discussion about creating a place where peace activists could live and work for peace.

Charlotte and I had potato latkes, I used maple syrup on mine, I find sour cream cools them too quick. Charlotte and I agreed we missed the onion that our relatives had added to latkes. I added Russian cabbage borsht which I absolutely love and a ceasar salad. No room for desert!

Lots of good food and as Janet one of the Polish grandmothers I met at the Wigelia said, "I feel as if I have known you all my life." I replied "It is our Polish genes, cannot deny it!" What a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas.

I am thinking next year if I am here I would like to bring Ellie up so she could attend the children's Wigelia and learn about our Polish traditions.