wieczerza

Wieczerza is a Polish noun that refers to the evening meal. Historically, it designated the main daily meal in Polish households, particularly in rural areas, and was commonly taken in the early evening. The term derives from wieczór, meaning evening, and has appeared in Polish literature and formal speech for centuries. In modern everyday usage, wieczerza is relatively uncommon outside literary, historical, or religious contexts; the standard word for the evening meal is kolacja, while obiad is often used for the midday meal.

In religious and ceremonial contexts, Wieczerza Pańska is the Last Supper in Christian tradition. The expression Wieczerza wigilijna is sometimes used to refer to the Christmas Eve dinner, but in common speech the event is typically called Wigilia. In regional dialects and older households, wieczerza can still refer to a formal evening meal.

Today, Polish dining culture has largely standardized on kolacja for the evening meal and obiad for the midday meal, with wieczerza surviving mainly in historical writing, fixed phrases, and certain regional uses. The term thus preserves historical associations with the daily rhythm and social aspect of meals in Polish culture.