OPLATKI: CENTURIES-OLD POLISH TRADITION PRESERVED BY MARIAVITE OLD CATHOLICS

OPLATKI CHRISTMAS EVE WAFER TRADITION FIRST ESTABLISHED IN POLAND AND ADOPTED BY LITHUANIA AND SLOVAK AND CZECH NATIONS HOLDS EXTREME IMPORTANCE IN PRESERVATION OF ETHNIC TRADITIONS< CUSTOMS AND HERITAGE. OPLATKI WAFERS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO LOCATE OR OBTAIN.

WYANDOTTE, MI. - Christmas Eve has always occupied a special place for those of Polish heritage. The sacred symbols, beautiful customs and festive foods, some served only once a year, set this season apart from all others. And, over the centuries, these timeless traditions have continued to strengthen the sense of national and religious identity. Probably more than any other set of customs, the tradition of the Oplatki WAfers have helped to keep the family together. The Oplatki custom which originated in Poland, was also adopted by the people of Lithuania and Czechoslovakia, and has made its way into countless other households which finds its rich symbolism an adoptable annual custom of profound meaning.

In a very real sense, the Wigilia (Christmas Eve) is what being Polish is all about. Rather than just another festive occasion, it is more of a mood, a feeling, a frame of mind that gives one, a sense of belonging and deeper meaning, the conviction that all is right with the world, at least this one night a year. To Poles and those who preserve the tradition, Christmas Eve is not simply the day before Christmas, it is even more than the main event of the holiday season. Many feel it is the single most important day of the year. Not only does everything important about Christmas take place on that day, Christmas Eve could indeed be described as everything held dear - God, country and family - are all wrapped into one. No other event contains such rich symbolism, so many time-honored customs and so much lore and legend.

The Oplatki wafers are thin unleavened wafers similar to communion wafers. The Oplatki wafers are large rectangular wafers which are embossed with figures of the Christ Child, or other Nativity scenes. The Oplatki wafers are specially baked and imported from Poland so that they may be made available to those wishing to preserve or to adopt this centuries-old tradition.

The ancient Christmas Eve tradition centers on the anticipation of the first star appearing in the eastern skies. In memory of the Star of Bethlehem, the festive Christmas Eve supper is not supposed to begin until the evening's first star has appeared. The family now gathers at the table to take part in the oplatek-sharing ritual. The great moment has now arrived. Members of the immediate family, dressed in their holiday best, now gather around the festively set table. AS a rule, only the nearest of kin - grandparents, parents and children - take part in the Vigil supper. A candle is lit on the table to herald the imminent arrival of Christ, the Light of the World. In the more devout families, St. Luke's Gospel account of the Nativity is read, usually by the eldest person present, and grace is said. The eldest member then takes the oplatek wafer, breaks it and shares it with the next in line. EAch then shares pieces of the oplatek with everyone else in the gathering. THe sharing ritual is accompanied by copious kisses, embraces and the exchange of best wishes. Typical wishes might go: "I wish you much health, happiness and the Lord's bountiful blessings as well as the fulfillment of all your plans and everything you wish for yourself." Children are often wished that they get good grades in school, be well-behaved and grow up to be their parents' pride and joy.

Needless to say, this is a tender and touching moment of love and forgiveness when past grudges are forgotten, a fleeting magical moment that has a spiritual dimension all its own. Except for the youngsters still unable to grasp the solemnity of the occasion, many are often moved to tears. They may feel so as they thing back to the Christmas Eves of their childhod and the smiling faces of those who have lomng since passed away. Perhaps they also nostalgically recall their own younger days, when they enjoyed good health, things were simpler and life in general seemed more beautiful.

The table at which the family gathers typically has some straw strewn beneath a fine white tablecloth to commemorate the birth of the Christ Child in the manger. In more modern adaptations, straw or sprigs of evergreen are placed on a serving platter and covered with a fine white napkin on which the oplatki wafers rest.
The Christmas Eve or Vigil supper now follows. This annual repast is anything but a fancy sinner party, and the symbolism that has marked the preliminaries carries on through the meal. The supper not only consists of certain types of food but evenn a specific number of sishes.. Although the origins are unclear, to this day it is customary to serve an odd number.. In the olden days, the number was determined by the affluence of a given household, with aristocratic families serving eleven dishes, the nobility - nine and the peasantry - seven.

Many of the dishes are served only this once a year, and most feel they are well worth waiting for. The more so that many families abstain from all fod on Christmas Eve prior to the Vigil supper.

The complete meatlessness of the meal (even meat drippings or stock are not used) symbolizes the cleansing effect of abstinence in preparation for the great event at midnight. But judging from the variety and abundance of what is served, this supper is anything but penitential. The fish which dominate the table have long been a symbol of Christianity. The head of the pike, when dismembered, contains bones in the shape of a cross, ladder and nails: the tools of Christ's crucifixion. Horseradish is said by some to be a reminder of life's bitterness, while honey represents its sweetness and poppyseeds symbolize tranquility. Some families serve a compote (stewed fruit dessert or drink), made of 12 different fruits supposedly in honor of the twelve Apostles.

Unlike the typical meal, at which cold appetizers such as herring would be served first, the first course is traditionally soup. The most common is a clear beet broth with tiny mushroom-filled dumplings floating within or clear mushrom soup served over egg noodles. Next come the herring, usually marinated, in oil or in sour cream. This is followed by the fish dishes, the favorite being carp in various forms: fried, baked, in raisin sauce or in aspic. Pike has traditionally come in a close second, often served hot in horseradish sauce or cold, stuffed in its own skin and served as is or in aspic. Other common fish dishes include perch or walleye with hard-boiled egg topping, tench baked in red cabbage or crucean stewed in sour cream.

Other dishes include sauerkraut stewed with mushrooms and/or peas, pierogi with various meatless fillings - both savory and sweet, buckwheat groats and mushroom gravy, golabki (cabbage rolls) filled with rice or barley and mushrooms.
Rounding out the meal are such sweet dishes as almond soup, stewed prunes and dried fruit, noodles and poppyseed, wheat and honey pudding, rice and apple casserole plus nuts, raisins, dates and figs to nibble on. Traditional cakes include poppy seed rolls, fruit cakes, and honey-spice cakes. Although drinking is rather subdued, often a hot honey-spice cordial known as krupnik is served.

Singing koledy (Christmas carols) in the family circle has long been the crowning touch of the Christmas Eve Vigil supper. The feasters would ,move to the rom in which the Christmas tree was standing, light its tapers and joyously sing the age-old hymns in honor of Christ's birth. As the night grew late, then as now people's thoughts began turning to the Pasterka or Midnight Shepherd's Mass, a fitting culmination to this unique evening of nostalgic customs, good fod and good-natured merriment in the family's innermost circle.

The Christmas Eve Oplatki wafers, often hard to locate or obtain, are available by contacting the Most Rev. Archbishop Robert R.J.M. Zaborowski, O.M.,D.D., at the Mariavite Old Catholic Church, 2803 Tenth St., Wyandotte, MI 48192-4994. Envelopes containg three large rectangular oplatki wafers imported from Poland are available for a donation of $6.25 to cover costs and mailing. Requests for the Oplatki wafers will be honored until December 12, 2003. The proceeds from the Oplatki wafers will be used to assist a community of Sisters in eastern Europe whose Convent was totally destroyed by an electrical fire, and for charitable and humanitarian works most in need. All donations are tax-exempt

The Mariavite Old Catholic Church and the religious communities of the Mariavite Priests and Sisters were founded in Poland in 1893 and their labors in the United States were established in 1930. The injust persecution of their Eucharistic and Marian devotion led to the Orders' separation from Roman Catholicism in 1906 and their independence in 1909 as a seapare and distinct Church and Religious Order. The Mariavites preserve traditional religious practices and traditions and foster Christian fellowship with members of all religious backgrounds. Mariavite Old Catholics welcome all who seek the traditional faith and practices of times passed and especially those who favor the older forms of liturgical worship and meaningful spirituality in a world where such values have often been displaced or eradicated by the nuances of modernism, liberalism and relatism. The preservation of tradition and custom is a hallmark of Mariavite Old Catholicism.

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