Growing up in Poland, and to this day, my
favorite part of Christmas time is Wigilia (pronounced vee-geel-eya). Wigilia is the traditional Christmas Eve
vigil supper in Poland. Each year at
dusk, my brother and I would look through the kitchen window with great
anticipation for the appearance of the first star. It is with the appearance of
the first star that Wigilia begins. I remember our family, kneeling down around
the kitchen table. It was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and a bundle of
hay sat underneath it. There was always an additional place set for an
unexpected guest who, especially that night, should never be turned away. My
father would read the Nativity story from Luke’s gospel, and after prayer and
reflection we would all share Opłatek (pronounced oh-pwah-tek).
Opłatek is a very thin,
usually rectangular wafer. It is identical in composition to the communion
wafer but embossed with Christmas-related religious images, such as the
Nativity scene. It is a beautiful tradition where each family member holds a
piece of opłatek in their hand, and in turn, allows one
another to break off small pieces from it. When the wafer is broken off, a wish
is exchanged.
This simple, yet deeply meaningful act of
sharing opłatek is filled with tender emotions, as wishes of good
health, happiness, and fulfillment of dreams are voiced. There is so much hope
as thoughts of innermost feelings for one another are expressed. As I reflect
on this year’s theme of our devotional “All Earth is Hopeful,” I can’t stop
thinking of the strong feeling of hope that is present during sharing of the opłatek. A hope and longing for things that once were or things that
have not yet arrived in our lives.
As the Christmas Eve nears, I want to share my
opłatek with you: wishing you all the kind of hope
that brings peace and joy to our lives despite any challenges and
circumstances. It's a hope that’s not simply a wishful thinking, but hope
that’s based on confidence that God is always with us. It's our highest hope for a bright future - forever.
Ewelina Bergert and her husband David reside in
Bettendorf with their sons Jonathan and Jacob. She teaches business management and marketing at Black Hawk College.