Next: 24 Dec 2026
Wigilia, the Polish Christmas Eve
The meatless Polish Christmas Eve supper, with pierogi of potato and twaróg, and sernik baked for the holidays.
Cheeses for Wigilia, the Polish Christmas Eve
Wigilia, Christmas Eve supper in Poland, begins when the first star appears and is traditionally meatless, with an odd number of dishes, often twelve. Beetroot soup with tiny mushroom dumplings, carp and herring are standard, and pierogi are made by the hundred: with cabbage and mushroom and, in many homes, ruskie, filled with potato and twaróg, the fresh curd cheese of Polish kitchens. Sernik, a baked cheesecake of twaróg, is one of the cakes made for the holidays. An extra place is laid at the table for an unexpected guest.
The cheeses
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Wigilia" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Tvorog: Loyna, CC BY-SA 2.5, source