What is the Polish name for the Christmas Eve midnight mass?

Pasterka is the Polish name for the Christmas Eve midnight mass.

The Catholic service is celebrated across Poland between December 24 and 25 to mark the Nativity. Its name means “Shepherds’ Mass,” referring to the biblical shepherds who were told by an angel about Jesus’ birth.

Although commonly called a midnight mass, Pasterka may be celebrated more than once on Christmas Eve, including earlier evening services for families with children. The final service traditionally begins around midnight, but the liturgical identity of the mass does not depend strictly on the clock time.

Opłatek is the Christmas wafer shared during Wigilia, the traditional Christmas Eve supper. Kolęda means a Christmas carol, while Wigilia refers to Christmas Eve and its associated meal and observances.