Did you know that Bethlehem means "House of Bread?"
With origins in Poland, Oplatki are simple, white wafers with a Christmas scene (e.g. the Nativity) embossed onto them. Before dinner on Christmas Eve, families gather around the table and share blessings for each other and ask for forgiveness while breaking off a small piece to consume and passing the Oplatki onto the next family member.
Can you see how it mimics the Eucharistic meal that Catholics partake of each time they attend Mass?
With my package in the house, I feel prepared to institute this practice with my family this Christmas Eve at dinner. Hopefully, it will become a permanent feature of our Christmas Eve meal for years to come.
What’s not to like about blessing your family members while also seeking their forgiveness for past transgressions?
You can purchase Oplatki online and have it shipped directly to your home. Packages include a pink one to share with any pets you might have at home.
Oh, and for the curious ~ A few of the Oplatki ended up broken from some not so gentle handling by a young man collecting the mail the day they arrived. So, we gave it a taste test and these wafers have no discernable flavor. It reminds me of the Hosts used at Mass now.
Disclaimer ~ I was provided with a copy package of Oplatki to facilitate this review. No monetary compensation occurred and all opinions are my own.
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