Pasterka is a

midnight mass In many Western Christian traditions Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas ...

celebrated by Roman Catholics during Christmas between December 24 and 25 across Poland. A close translation of the name would be the "Shepherds' Mass" (literally: 'that which belongs to the shepherds' in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

), in reference to the Biblical shepherds, who were visited by an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

and told of the birth of Christ. During the ''Pasterka'' Mass, Polish people sing traditional ''kolędy'', Christmas carols from the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

''calendae'') in the spirit of joy.

Celebrations

Although ''Pasterka'' mass is closely associated with the specific time in Christian liturgy, it is not the actual hour of the night that predicates its meaning. According to Polish ordinance of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

, the ''Pasterka'' is defined only by the type of prayer and biblical texts used during Christmas celebrations. It can be held more than once on December 24, in more than one location by the parish

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

; at the church and at a nearby chapel. Often, there are two (or even three) ''Pasterkas'' celebrated next to each other – earlier ones for the families with children, then at 9 and 10 p.m. for the youth, and a final one at 12:00 midnight, for the adults. Wigilia potrawy 554

The participation in the

Birth of Christ The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man n ...

celebrations is obligatory for all practicing Catholics. They have the option of attending any one of the evening masses or even more than one. Priests may refer to all of them as ''Pasterka'', even though formally they are called ''

Wigilia Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on December 24. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka—midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland and i ...

'' masses by the episcopate as opposed to the grand mass at midnight. The exact hour of the birth of Christ is not written in the

canonical gospels Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

, which allows for choosing the ideal time for ritual prayer on that occasion. On Christmas Eve (December 24) and on Christmas Day, the masses can be celebrated from three different liturgical texts, each suited to a specific sacrament of the Eucharist. In the early hours, the

worshipper Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognitio ...

s can attend the Advent ''waiting'' mass, which does not excuse them from participating in the ''Nativity'' mass for the Birth of Christ later on. There are no masses in the late afternoon on December 24, which is the time for Wigilia, the traditional supper at family homes. The first evening mass of the Christmas Eve (after the Wigilia) is celebrated around 4 p.m. or later before 8 p.m. followed by the 10 p.m. mass and the one-hour-long grand Midnight Mass, which begins at 12. Music for the Midnight Mass begins as soon as the doors open at 11:00 pm. The Blessing of the Crib can take place before, or after the

homilies A homily (from Greek ὁμιλία, ''homilía'') is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture, giving the "public explanation of a sacred doctrine" or text. The works of Origen and John Chrysostom (known as Paschal Homily) are considered ex ...

, when the priests open the '' Szopka'' nativity scenes set up by the main altar. Traditionally, the service concludes with an Apostolic Blessing. The next day masses are interchangeable according to scripture, allowing for flexibility in choosing the religious services by individual parishioners. The Christmas Day begins with the early morning mass followed by daytime masses. Pasterka is a Catholic mass specific to the Birth of Christ celebrations in Poland. Participation in Pasterka is synonymous with Christmas. Many practicing Catholics visit the Church twice on that occasion and are encouraged by the priest to do so.

External links

Pasterka in Kamienica and Zasadne Village in

Gorce Mountains The Gorce Mountains ( pl, Gorce ) are part of the Western Beskids mountain range spreading across southernmost Poland. They are situated in Małopolska Province, at the western tip of the long Carpathian range extending east beyond the Dunajec ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icITqD77HRs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkpc438Rz7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgIIfcdy6-s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2-mJ-9mJsU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdOhntRcvhI cc.: January 7, 2022h1>

References

{{CatholicMass, state=collapsed Polish traditions Christmas in Poland