Christmas in Poland, known in the Polish language as Boże Narodzenie (God's Birth) or Gwiazdka (Little Star), is a major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world.

The tradition of crafting and hand-making Christmas szopkas in Kraków was declared UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

[4] Traditionally, the Christmas trees are decorated with glass baubles, garlands and many homemade ornaments including painted eggshells, shiny red apples, walnuts, wrapped chocolate shapes, candles, etc.

[4] During Advent and all the way until Epiphany, or the baptism of Jesus (day of January 6), the "gwiazdory", or the star carriers walk through the villages.

Nowadays, opłatek is mostly shared with members of the family and immediate neighbors before the Christmas Eve supper (Wigilia in the Polish language).

Although gift-giving plays a major role in the rituals, the emphasis is placed more on the making of special foods and decorations.

Others partake in the practice of placing money under the tablecloth for each guest, in order to wish for prosperity in the coming year.

In many homes an empty place setting is symbolically left at the table for the Baby Jesus or, for a lonely wanderer who may be in need of food, or if a deceased relative should come and would like to share in the meal.

A traditional Wigilia supper in Poland includes fried carp and borscht (beetroot soup) or mushroom consommé with uszka (tortellini).

Universal Polish Christmas foods are pierogi as well as some herring dishes, and for dessert, makowiec or noodles with poppy seed.

According to scripture, the Christmas Day masses are interchangeable allowing for greater flexibility in choosing the religious services by individual parishioners.

The early hymns sung in the Catholic church were brought to Poland by the Franciscan Brothers in the Middle Ages.

When the Polish words and melodies started to become popular, including many new secular pastorals (pastoralka, or shepherd's songs), they were not written down originally, but rather taught among people by heart.

Notably, the song "God Is Born" (Bóg się rodzi) with lyrics written by Franciszek Karpiński in 1792 became the Christmas hymn of Poland already in the court of King Stefan Batory.

Mioduszewski [ca; eo; pl] in a book called Pastorałki i Kolędy z Melodiami (Pastorals and Carols with Melodies), including "Midst Quiet Night".