Wigilia 2017 - Polish American Community of Toledo

Another Christmas season means another Christmas Eve vigil (Wigilia). This year, PACT and TPGS (Toledo Polish Genealogy Society) once again teamed up to mark the most important day of the Christmas season for Polish people. Wigilia traditions this year included lighting of the first candle, sharing of oplatek, and a meatless meal of traditional Polish dishes. Guest speaker Lidia Ebersole gave us a look into Wigilia in Poland. She is a native of Poland and has spent 26 years celebrating Christmas in her homeland. Now as a citizen of the US, she shared her in depth knowledge and experience of the traditions her family follows during this most sacred time. She also shared many of her personal pictures of Christmas in Poland. Stan Machosky and Jackie Konwinski were the emcees of the evening and Gayle Sparagowski worked tirelessly in the kitchen to deliver a delicious meal. Kolendy (Christmas Carols) were lead by Rob Szczublewski, John Drozdowski and Lidia Ebersole. Thank you to all who helped with the preparations for this year’s Wigilia and to John Drozdowski for taking photos.