Saying Grace before eating in Poland's homes

The last thread to have been created in this forum has made me think of this a few times (the word grace popped up).

When I was young, we always said grace before a meal. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is a short (hopefully short) prayer that conveniently gives the signal that once "Amen" has been said, you may tuck in to your nosh.

I've had dinner with about three different Polish families, yet none have said grace before eating, even on occasions like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. Is this something to do with the diminishing importance of religion, or is grace just not a Catholic thing (this would suprise me if it were to be the case)?

Even now, as a lapsed Anglican, I miss having that cue to say that eating may commence, and by the way, thanks God.

HI this is true. I mentioned this at the table once and the polish people felt bad cause i asked them the same question why dont they pray before a meal...... it was tense but now they do it often wen im there :-)

Saying Grace, is this some kind of summons? Grace Jones, hehehe, saying Grace would be the last thing I'd do.

On a more serious note, I don't think it's widely observed here. In America, it assumes more importance.

I wonder if I could try that one. The family I see most of these days send the kids to a Catholic school, and many Poles I've met seem to look at us English as a bunch of heathens or atheists.


Not every Grace is the right Grace. What did my parents always say? "This is not conducive to eating."

In this house you will hear grace at Easter and Christmas Eve.

Here too, mainly because of the Catholic school influence on the kids.

Just so everyone knows what is being talked about, a typical Polish grace before meals goes:

Pobłogosław nas, Boże, i te dary, które mamy spożywać z Twojej szczodrobliwości, przez Jezusa Chrystusa, Pana naszego. Amen.

In devout Polish Catholic famileis grace is said, although some only do so on Sundays and major feast days.

Hmms I am also Anglican, we used to say grace when I was in Jamaica
but since moving to England we rarely have family meals together. So I don't pray before a meal anymore

I've never seen any Pole say grace before a meal though, which did strike me as odd at first. I just thought it was because they moved here and couldn't be bothered to.

At my gf's families house over Christmas, her dad read a passage from the bible before Christmas dinner. I think it seems to be a traditional thing as he hasnt done it since

I've seen older people, especially in the countryside make sign of the cross before and/or after a meal.