“As a child it was always our tradition to have Wigilia. The traditional meal has more dishes, but we only had pierogi and mushroom soup with fried potatoes. It is always a meatless meal,” she shares. “The pierogi was filled with sauerkraut and onions or farmer’s cheese with a little sugar. They were then fried in butter and topped with sauteed onions.”

Her parents followed the tradition every year, as their parents did in Poland. She remembers hearing Christmas carols playing on a Polish radio station in the background while the family ate.

Mrs. Corbelli has carried on the tradition in her own home with her husband and their four daughters. Carl Corbelli stuffs and trims the pierogi.

“It is a simple meal, but we look forward to it every year. It makes us think of our grandparents,” she says. “Three of our daughters have carried on the tradition.”

Cynthia Corbelli is pictured with a family quilt.

The Corbelli’s youngest daughter has been married two years, both of which she and her husband have spent at her parents’ home. It is yet to be determined if she will carry on the tradition, as well. Interestingly, Cynthia does not use or have her mother’s pierogi recipe. Because her mother feared the young girl would get her hair or leave small pieces of egg shells in the dough, she made the traditional dish with the aunts while her daughter was at school.

Tradition

From Page A1

Mrs. Corbelli began taking on the tradition of making the boiled dumplings a few years after her mother’s passing.

The family shares an oplatek before dinner on the occasions when Mrs. Corbelli’s brother, Peter Jablonski, joins them for Christmas. The oldest starts first by breaking off a piece of the Polish communion wafer. They continue to share according to age, ending with the youngest. After sharing a hug and a kiss, wishes for good health and happiness are passed along.

“My brother says my mom always wished him well in school,” says the sister.

A tradition she started with her husband and daughters is staying in their Christmas PJs all day long on Christmas Day. She makes and serves steaming hot cinnamon rolls to the pajama-clad family members, which has been increasing every year. She also serves homemade rolls on Father’s Day and other special holidays.

“We open one gift at a time, starting with the youngest family member. I love to buy thrifted gifts,” she admits.

Her daughters follow in her footsteps, once again, when it comes to thrifting. It may be the thrill of the hunt. Recently, their mom found a like-new Josh Allen tee shirt for a very reasonable price.

The homemaker is an avid quilter and gardener. She enjoys hiking and gets her exercise through thirty minute walks in the woods, even when the snow is above her knees. She considers her weekly ritual of making sourdough bread another hobby. She reads historical fiction and does daily Bible study, stating that her faith is very important to her.

She is a member of the Fluvanna Fire Department Auxiliary, where she volunteers monthly to work at Bingo. Another group she takes part in is Northeast Crazy Quilters. She is a poll site coordinator who helps things go smoothly on Election Day. She attends Jamestown Church of Christ.

Antiques and family heirlooms are her passion. Her grandmother’s sifter and flour measurer are displayed in her kitchen.

“I display them in my kitchen knowing she used them to make pierogi,” says the granddaughter.

She also has the woman’s Singer treadle sewing machine and shares her grandmother’s interest in sewing. Antique bottles, both pre- and post-Civil War, are another of her collections. She has her very own source of information in her brother, who is a privy digger or one who looks for historical artifacts by digging at sites where old outhouses once stood.

“I just love everything old,” she says with enthusiasm. “The furniture is such good quality.”

Even though she is very active, her mantra is “there is no place like home,” referring to her cozy abode.

The Corbelli Daughters take an interest in knowing which of their mother’s collection came from their grandmother.

All four of the daughters were married within five years with three of those weddings taking place over a three year period. Each daughter has settled in a different state. Stephanie Post resides in Washington State, Rachel Smith in Florida, Lauryn Goodin in Oklahoma and Natalie McDaniel in Alabama. Between them they have five sons, with three more babies expected in 2026.

The grandparents enjoy traveling to spend time with their grandchildren. Even though Mrs. Corbelli is a redhead, she never expected to have a red-haired grandchild. That is until one of the grandsons was born with red hair.

Following are recipes the Corbelli Family associates with Christmas Eve.

“I got the recipe for Sugar Cut-Out Cookies from my sister-in-law, Donna, and have used it over 30 years and my daughters do as well,” Mrs. Corbelli shares.

PIEROGI

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 c sour cream

4 T melted butter

Fillings:

Sauerkraut combined with sautéed onion to your taste.

Approximately 1 lb Farmer’s cheese combined with 1-2 T sugar

Dough:

Mix flour and salt. Add egg and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy. Work in the sour cream and butter, it will be slightly sticky. Knead the dough until smooth. Separate dough into about 11 balls. Roll out each ball and then stuff each with about 1 T of filling. Fold the dough over filling and pinch edges to close. Seal by pressing open edge with tines of a fork. Cook in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Cook about 6-10 pierogi at a time for about 3-4 minutes or until they float. Cool on a baking rack. Brown in butter and top with sautéed onions.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Earlier in the day, boil, drain and chill a few potatoes. Slice and fry chilled potatoes in butter. Serve with soup, so each person can top their soup with a spoonful of fried potatoes.

Soup:

4 T butter, divided

1 onion, diced

2 lbs mushrooms, sliced

1-3 T flour

5 c homemade vegetable broth

Fresh or dried thyme

beef bouillon paste

1 c half and half or heavy cream

Melt 2 T butter in large pot. Cook onions until translucent. Set aside. Melt 2 T butter and cook mushrooms until done. Combine flour with mushrooms, stirring until smooth. Pour broth into mushroom mixture. Add onions, thyme and beef bouillon paste to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Add cream.

SUGAR CUT-OUT COOKIES

3/4 c sugar

1 c butter

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

3 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat together sugar and butter. Mix in egg and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Chill. Roll out to about 1/8th-inch thickness. Bake 350° 8-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.