Even though my great-grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s from Poland, their tradition of cooking homemade pierogis is still present in my family. My great grandma's recipe has been passed through several generations and my father is the one who shared it with me. Pierogies, also known as varenyky, are a type of dumpling that is made through wrapping dough around a sweet or savory filling and originate from Poland. It was once considered a peasant food, but then eventually spread throughout all social classes and was called a staple of the Polish diet in the 17th century. This food is an important part of Christmas Eve for my family. On Christmas Eve many Polish families, including mine, host what is known as a Wigilia Dinner. All of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents go to one of my relative’s house on Christmas Eve in order to celebrate. The first thing we do is go into the kitchen and start to roll the dough and cut it into circles. We then proceed to prepare a traditional cabbage, sauerkraut, and mushroom pierogi. While cooking the food, we reminisce about all the great memories that happened that year. This food is important to me because it represents where my ancestors emigrated from. Furthermore, it allows me to connect with my family and culture.

– MB

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more