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 Christm ...

celebrated by

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

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), in reference to the

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

shepherds, who were visited by an

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

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

carols A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with Christian church worship, and sometimes accompanied by a dance. A caroller (or caroler) is someone who sings carols, and is said to be carolling (or caroling). ...

(from the

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

Celebrations

Although ''Pasterka'' mass is closely associated with the specific time in

Christian liturgy Christian liturgy is a pattern for Christian worship, worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Christian congregation or Christian denomination, denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work ...

, it is not the actual hour of the night that predicates its meaning. According to Polish ordinance of the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

, 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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

; 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 or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Matthew and Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Roman-controlled Judea, that his mother, Mary, was engaged to a man named J ...

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'' 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 second century AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message was reported. In this sen ...

, 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 A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol ...

of the Eucharist. In the early hours, the

worshipper Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...

s can attend the

Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...

''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 e ...

, 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,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, 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