The family gathers in the evening, but traditionally the feast only begins when the first star has been sighted in the night sky. Pieces of hay have been placed on or under the table to remind of the manager and Christ's humble beginnings. Additionally, an extra seat is always left open with the place set; depending on the family, this symbolizes either Polish hospitality and the openness to any guest who may knock on the door or an open seat in remembrance of those family members and friends who have passed on or could not be present.
After the sighting of the first star, the meatless Wigilia feast begins with the sharing of opłatki Christmas wafers. Each guest at the dinner takes one whole wafer and goes around to every other person with wishes for the new year. Wishes may be as simple as "wszystko najlepszy!" (all the best) or very personalized and detailed. After saying the wish for the other person, the pair break off pieces of each other's opłatek and eat the pieces. It is bad luck to skip someone, so guests are sure to exchange wishes with every person.
The Wigilia meal proper begins, as with any Polish dinner, with soup. Red barszcz (borscht) with uszka, small tortellini-shaped dumplings filled with mushrooms, is the tradtional Wigilia choice. The soup is followed by a large number of dishes (often a symbolic number, such as 7, 12, or 13) including carp, pickled herring, pierogi (with cabbage inside), sauerkraut, a fruit compote drink, and of course, lots of pastries and other desserts. Carp has become the signature dish of the Polish feast, and fresh carp is a must! Most families buy 
a living carp (or several) in the days before Christmas and let it live in fresh water in the family bathtub for a few days; this will cleanse the carp of any muddy tastes. I've met a number of Poles who speak of traumatic experiences as children when they named the carp and then saw it be killed. The most innovative way I've heard of killing the carp involved a bathtub and a communist-era hairdryer.During the dinner, Santa Claus/Father Christmas/the Christchild delivers gifts, and the family exchanges and opens the gifts after the meal. Sometimes games or played or songs are sung, but finally, the celebration concludes with the midnight Christmas mass at the local church.
Christmas day is generally a relaxing day with family time and delicious food (of course!), but the main Polish traditions apply to the night before.
Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku 2011!
