Christmas dinner most Poles spend the day feasting with their family. The Christmas meal is elaborate, served in the evening on 24 December, offering large quantities of food. This Christmas Eve meal is called Wigilia. After the first star appears in the sky, everyone shares the Christmas wafer (opłatek) and wishes good things for the coming year. Then supper begins. The meal is meatless, honouring Catholic tradition. Many households also prepare a great variety of special Christmas dishes, typically numbering 12 in honor of the 12 apostles. Dishes include: stuffed carp, fried carp, herring in wine sauce, herring in cream sauce, fruit
Christmas in Ireland Ireland in 2009, with "Happy Xmas" topping a similar poll cast in Northern Ireland. The Christmas music of British singer Cliff Richard is most popular with those over the age of 55. The Irish number one single for Christmas is announced on Christmas Eve every year. Santa Claus, "Daidí na Nollag" (lit. Daddy of Christmas) in Irish and traditionally "Father of Christmas" in Irish English, is known in Ireland as "Santy" or "Santa". He brings presents to children in Ireland, which are opened on Christmas morning. It is traditional to leave a mince pie and a bottle or a glass