Polish Christmas Books and Media to Explore

                  A Polish Christmas Eve (Traditions and Recipes, Decorations and Song)
                by Rev. Czeslaw Michal Krysa (CWB Press)
                       A substantial book covering history, recipes, decorations, music, and including many
                       original illustrations alongside of personal recollections from Polish Americans.

              Treasured Polish Christmas Customs and Traditions
                by Polanie Publishing Company
                        An old-fashioned book with extensive history tracing the entire Advent & Christmas
                        seasons, including sheet music, decorations, recipes, and fabulous folk-style images.

              Polish Touches (Recipes and Traditions)
                Ed. by Nowakowski and Perrin (Penfield Press)
                        A section of this overview book covers Polish Christmas traditions and recipes.

              Polish Heritage Cookery
                by Robert Strybel (Hippocrene Books)
                        The mother of all English-language Polish cookbooks.  At almost 900 pages, it's all
                        here! David swears by it.

              Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans
                by Polanie Club (Polanie Publishing)
                        Another charmingly old-fashioned product from the Polanie Women's Club, this has
                        long been the best basic overview of Polish cooking for the English-reading audience.
                        Accompanied by delightful folk illustrations from Marya Werten, it also includes brief
                        overviews of major holidays, including  suggested seven, nine, and eleven course
                        Wigilia meals.

The New Polish Cuisine
  by Chef Mike Baruch
       A wonderfully illustrated cookbook of Polish American cuisine by an experienced chef
       and fellow Northwest side Chicagoan. Worth the anecdotes alone! 

              Koledy Polskie (Book and CD set available)
                Podsiedlik Raniowski i Spolka
                        A fabulous full-color text of glorious quality, which illustrates traditional Polish carols
                        with famous Christmas-related art images from Poland's museums and churches.
                        Worthy of any Polonian coffee table or library.

              Wigilia with Chef Ryszard (VHS tape)
               Chef Ryszard of Chicago's Pierogi Inn
                        The late Chef Ryszard takes the viewer through the entire preparation process for the
                        Wigilia Meal.  Each dish is prepared step-by-step in this cooking program. Pan
                        Ryszard was a veteran Chicago Polonian Restauranteur and also the host of a
                        long-running Chicago Polish Television cooking show.

Compact Discs of Polskie Koledy
There are many excellent CDs of Koledy.  For starters, try anything by Mazowsze and/or Slask, the two most prominent national folk ensembles in Poland.  In the U.S., try the Lira Singers of Chicago. Fine contemporary Polish CDs are available, including jazz and operatic interpretations. For a beautiful example, try G. Turnau's Witaj Gwiazdo Zlota. For a wonderful Polish American polka Christmas try Holiday Favorites Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones.

Voice of America radio's New American Voices program presented a special story on Polish Christmas in the United States. External link to full text and streaming audio of the story.

Suppliers & Merchants of Polish goods in the U.S.

For Polish Books, CD's, videos, and gifts in the U.S., see Polonia Bookstore (Chicago), PolArt (FL), The Polish American Journal Bookstore, the Polish Museum of America Gift Shop (Chgo), the Bookstore at St. Mary's College of Orchard Lake (MI) or the Polish Art Center of Hamtramck (MI).

To set a table with traditional Boleslawiec pottery from the Slask region, visit the Polish Pottery House.

For Oplatki, blessed Polish Hay and other items, visit Polish American Church Supplies.

 

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