The traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner consisting of 12 dishes is called Wigilia.
Wigilia is Poland’s Christmas Eve vigil supper, held on December 24. The meal traditionally begins after the first star appears, recalling the Star of Bethlehem. The twelve dishes symbolize the Twelve Apostles, although the exact menu varies by region and family.
Classic foods include beetroot soup with uszka dumplings, mushroom soup, herring, carp, pierogi filled with cabbage and mushrooms, sauerkraut, poppy-seed desserts, and dried-fruit compote. Traditional observance excludes meat, though fish is commonly served.
Wigilia is often confused with opłatek, the thin Christmas wafer shared before the meal, or kolęda, a Christmas carol. Szopka means a nativity scene or nativity puppet tradition, not the dinner itself. Families may also leave an empty place setting for an unexpected guest.