Ethnic foods link parish families during holidays

To celebrate Christmas in the traditional Polish manner is to include symbolic reminders of Christ in the dining area, according to Sophie Astemborski, secretary of St. Mary's Church in Schenectady.

From the "oplatek" wafers broken and shared in Christ's memory at "Wigilia" (Christmas Eve) to the fine layer of straw beneath the tablecloth and the extra place set in the Savior's honor, there is much to keep Polish minds focused on the real reason for the season.

"Polish families really look forward to sharing oplatek wafers on Christmas Eve, which is the holiest of nights in Polish homes," explained Ms. Astemborski. "Within families, the large, sweet rectangular wafers are broken and shared, starting with the oldest family members and ending with the youngest."

Keeping them close

"Although loved ones may be apart on Christmas Eve, they are together in the act of breaking and sharing the wafers in remembrance of Christ," she explained.

Another tradition at Wigilia is to set an extra place with an empty chair for Christ as "the unexpected guest" and/or in memory of a deceased friend or relative.

In many homes, a small portion of the meal is also set aside for animals, whom the Poles regard as "the honored eye-witnesses" of the birth of the Christ Child on Christmas Eve.

At St. Mary's, members of the parish family will have an opportunity to share oplatek as part of a traditional Polish "Wigilia" supper on Dec. 15. Also on the menu will be fish (most Slovak Christians abstain from eating meat is on Christmas Eve), as well as potatoes, vegetables and such traditional desserts as poppyseed pastries.

Traditions

"Both pastries are extremely time-consuming to make, and so Italians only make them on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter," explained Mrs. DiDonna. "This is also the time of year when you may get to eat cavelli, a special home-made pasta that's a little different from what you would normally be served."

Other edible items Italians look forward to sampling during the holidays include sweet breads and cookies made using coarse pepper and fennel seeds.

A tradition to which members of St. Anthony's parish family look forward is the annual baking of bread by Sister Maria Rosa Querini. The loaves are distributed to those who attend Mass on Thanksgiving Day as a symbol of the manner in which the parish's patron saint served the poor and needy.

In addition, Sister Maria Rosa, assisted by several volunteers, spends a few days prior to Thanksgiving baking traditional Italian cookies and pastries to be sold at the annual bake sale to benefit the school's children.

Sample platter

The dishes she will be serving to students at Mount Pleasant Middle School and Schenectady High School will include arroz con gandulez, pastelez, arroz con coco and coquito.

Arroz con gandulez consists of rice with pigeon peas while pastelez are said to resemble Mexican tamales -- only bigger and wrapped in green banana leaves. Arroz con coco is a sweet confection made using coconut rice and coquito is a holiday beverage similar to eggnog.

According to Ms. Giraldi, coquito is especially popular on Jan. 6, the Epiphany, which the Spanish call "Three Kings Day."

(While one needn't be Polish to participate in the special parish supper at St. Mary's in Schenectady on Dec. 15, it is necessary to reserve meal tickets in advance at $7 per plate. Call 374-2423 by Dec. 8.)

(11-27-97) [[In-content Ad]]