Our First Polish Christmas

This year, Christmas Eve was a very special one for us. Although we were not able to spend it with our families, we got the chance to spend a real traditional Polish Christmas with a family here in Warsaw. They are family of our good Polish friends back in Houston and they so graciously opened their homes to us and let us in on such a special evening! We learned so much about the traditions of a Polish Christmas and I thought it would nice to share with you what we had the privilege to experiance.

As soon as we entered their home we noticed the lights had been dimmed and candles were beautifully lit, while classical music played in the background. We were then directed to the family room where we all sat and talked for a while. After getting to know some of the other family members we had not yet met, we were asked to proceed into the dinning room where we would have the breaking of the Oplatek before the meal begins. This is where everyone at the table breaks off a piece of a bread/flour waffer and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. Everyone shares a piece with each family member giving a hug and kiss for good wishes for the following year. We then sat at the gorgeously set table where a seat is always kept for somebody unknown at the supper table. I learned that the Poles believe that no one should be left alone at Christmas, so strangers are welcomed to the Christmas supper. This is to remind us that Mary and Joseph were also looking for shelter. The vacant chair is reserved for an unexpected guest, so obviously two chairs were left for Josh and I, how very nice!!! =)

We would then have our twelve meatless dishes, a symbol of the Twelve Apostles and the twelve months of the year. Traditionally in Poland, there is no meat eaten on Christmas Eve since it is still considered fasting time, a time of hope for baby Jesus to be born. First we passed around our 1st dish- a basket of bread, 2nd-a platter with tomatoes and other veggies, 3rd Herring Fish in a creamy white sauce, 4th-Herring Fish in a oil based sauce, 5th-Smoked Salmon, 6th-Mushroom soup, 7th- boiled dumplings filled with sauerkraut (otherwise known as Pierogis). 8th- Trout with two different horseradish like sauces, one was made of beats and the other was made of a cream like sauce.  9th- Bowl of Sauerkraut. 10th- The deserts begin with a popular poopy seed like pudding. This can also be made into a bread roll that is eaten year-round. It is most popular to be eaten during Christmas and New Year’s because the Poles believe it brings good luck. 11th-Carrot cake and last but not least the 12th dish- was a platter with a variety of cookies, including gingerbread cookies and Kocie oczka (cat’s eyes cookies) which are cookies with jelly sandwiched in between two cookies. I bet you can imagine how stuffed we were by the end of the night!


Josh and I headed home shortly after having desert and tea. Typically most of the Poles wait until midnight to attend midnight mass. Josh and I had planned to go but Josh had started to not feel well the day before, as he was starting to come up with a cold. So we decided to head home so we could snuggle with our baby girl Mia, as we fell a sleep watching a movie. The next morning we woke up late and I made a huge Christmas breakfast while we listened to our favorite Christmas music. We had promised each other that this year there would be no gifts and that instead we would use our money for traveling, taking advantage of being so close to European destinations. We did get to open one gift and that was a package Josh's Mother had sent us full of yummy cookies and sweets! We were incredibly excited!!! Thank You Veronica!!! We later snuggled on the couch, drinking hot tea watching Home Alone, one of my favorite Christmas movies.  Toward the end of the day we sat to eat homemade lasagna while we skyped with our families reminiscing about our experience the night before.


We feel so blessed and thankful to our Polish friends that we were able to share with them in such a special time.  They truly made us feel right at home and we are sooo grateful for their generous hospitality!  Our first Christmas away from family truly was not as bad as we had imagined and Josh and I realized more than ever how grateful we are to have each other. This Christmas was definitely one to never forget and we hope that everyone's Christmas was just as wonderful! Much love to you all and wishing you a wonderful New Year!!!

Our Polish friends the weekend before Christmas

Josh on Christmas Eve

Such a sweet Hostess

Christmas Eve

Yummy Mushroom Soup and
Sauerkraut filled dumplings

The wonderful family that let us Join them
for Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas morning

Me cooking our Christmas breakfast

Sweet girl is patiently waiting to eat Breakfast

Our Breakfast

YAY!

No one takes my cookies!

Dad's little girl..so sweet!

Our Christmas Shrine...Thank you to all of you

who sent us gifts and cards! It definitely

felt like a piece of home. =)

Wesołych Świąt!

Wishing all of you a Wonderful Christmas
and Nothing but the Best for
The New Year!  

Josh, Mia, and I will miss
you guys dearly!!!

Wesołych Świąt!

All the way from Poland,
We love you!!!

Ouch!

Soo Mia has been having soooo much fun outside that somehow she managed to slice her nail in half.   Poor girl left a bloody mess and began to limp from the pain. =(  So my dog expert sister comes to the rescue and patiently explains to us what we should do as Josh and I nursed her back to health. She was a such a little trooper, never whimpered and patiently let us bandage her foot so we could stop her from licking her nail.  Thankfully we bought her some snow booties before we left, because this past week she has been sporting a cool red boot on her left hind leg.  With her new shoe Mia gets to go on her daily playtime at the park and will soon be boot free!

Poor baby...She looks Sad =(

She is loving the attention from Dad!

Ouch! 

Not a bad wrapping Job! I knew
my nursing skills would come
in handy while I was here! 

Just like new! Nothing stops this pup
from getting to play in the snow!

Nowy Swiat & Old Town

So this past weekend we ventured out of our cozy apartment and headed for "Nowy Swiat" one of the beautiful main streets here in Warsaw where you can find tons of restaurants, cafes, and shops.   People here love to stroll this street especially during the holidays. We started out going back to get a second taste of that Zurek soup that we sooo loved the weekend before.  Except for this time we each got our own! =)   From there we walked the street admiring all the Christmas lights and decorations and headed into Old Town another section of Warsaw recognized for its quaint look and old town feel.  Many restaurants, shops, and pubs can be found in this part of town as well.  So Josh and I ended the night by heading down to one of the Polish pubs, that turned out to be a Karaoke bar.  The Pub was packed and many sang happily to songs in Polish, an amusing sight! =)   After Josh and I sat and chatted with some local Poles while we drank a beer we decided to head back home.  It turned out to be a great Friday night!

Eating my yummy soup!

On Nowy Swiat

Approaching Old Town

Old Town

You can find Mexican Food in Poland! =)

I am freezing in this picture
as you can probably tell!

Our first week

The first couple of days I had a hard time adjusting to Poland time as I was suffering from major jet lag.  I was sleeping in until 12:30pm and I don't think I have done that for years.  Poor Josh had to return to work the day after we got to Poland and I stayed home unpacking and getting used to my new surroundings.  Unfortunately as soon as we got to Poland our BRAND NEW apple laptop decided to crash and our internet and cable connection had not yet been in installed, so I was literally disconnected to the world.  Normally I think I would have panicked but for some reason having Mia here with me gave me the comfort I needed.  For the next week while Josh was at work,  my daily routine consisted of taking Mia on long walks and hitting the cafe just below our apartment for a cappuccino and some free wifi.  Thank God for my iphone because I was still able to use my Skype application for some free chatting with my Mom.

Things slowly started to come together and we finally began to feel as though we are settling in our new place.  Our internet and cable connection finally were installed and after trekking out several times in the freezing cold to the middle of nowhere, we finally got our computer fixed!!!  Thank goodness it was still under warranty! Josh and I began to venture out and take Mia out to several parks to make new friends.  If anyone has adjusted to the the cold temps and snowy weather it is definitely her.  I think she would rather live in these Arctic conditions than deal with Houston's Hot and Humid weather. Something about the snow makes her instantly hyper, hopping around like a crazed rabbit! We certainly made the right decision to bring her. She makes us venture out and get out of the house. The Poles love their dogs and we have already gotten the chance to meet some really neat people thru her!

Josh and I have already discovered some delicious places to eat, that I am sure will  become our favorites! One of the places we have already been to twice, it is a Polish brewery that is on one of the beautiful main streets of Warsaw,  called "Nowy Swiat".  They have the most delicious Zurek Soup in a bread bowel (sour rye soup) that left me wanting to come back for more.  At this place they brew their own beer and I must say Polish beer is pretty good! We also have come to love this adorable Italian restaurant just up the street from our place and they make the best thin crust, oven baked Italian Pizza!  Most of you know Pizza is my weakness!!

Warsaw is beautiful and has many things that bring the comfort of being back home.  They have a Starbucks which I am a huge fan of, but after trying many of the local coffee shops I would have to say I would be happy with either.  They even have an H&M clothing store that we don't even have in Houston. I am sure I will do a little shopping here and there.  =) The Poles are really fashionable here!

All in all the adjustment to our new home has gone rather smoothly and I look forward to what this next year has to bring. =)

Josh and on his blackberry trying to navigate to the apple store to
get our computer fixed after being dropped off by the train in
the middle of nowhere.

We really are in the middle of nowhere! We found it humorous
the whole time! We finally found it after a 2 mile Trek! =)

Taking Mia to one of the many
beautiful parks close to our place

Obsessed with the snow!

Mia's new Polish Friends

I love this picture of Mia with her Dad! =) 

Just another walk in the park