Polish Customs, Traditions & Folklore

About this book

"A richly detailed and well-informed month-by-month accountingof all the major Polish customs and traditions practiced over the centuries.Ms. Knab stirs and reawakens our ancestral memory." ―The Kosciuszko Foundation Newsletter Now in a paperback edition with illustrations, historical blackand white photographs, and color photographs throughout the book! Thisunique, well-researched reference is arranged by month, showing the variousoccasions, feasts and holidays prominent in Polish culture―beginning withDecember it continues through Holy Week Customs, superstitions, beliefs andrituals associated with farming, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, midsummer, harvestfestival, wedding rites, Name Days, birth and death. There is also a chapter onPolish pastimes and games for children. Many of the customs and traditions described in the book havebeen lost even in today's modern Poland. World wars, massive immigration, theloss of the oral tradition, urbanization and politics have changed the face ofa once agrarian people and their way of life throughout the calendar year. Thechanges, however, have not been able to erase the memory of that way of lifecompletely. Manycommunities of the Polish diaspora throughout the world still feelconnected to Poland and choose to reenact harvest celebrations, remindingthemselves of their ancestors' reverence for the grains and gifts of bread. Thesharing of oplatek, the Christmas Eve wafer, and the words of love whiledoing so, continue to bind family and friends together. Although thepurpose and meaning may have been lost and forgotten, the oczepiny ceremony(the unveiling) is still the mainstay of almost every wedding where the bridedeclares Polish heritage. This invaluable resource isperfect for anyone who claims Polish ancestry, diligently practicing that whichthey learned at their parents' and grandparents' knees. It is for families whowish to teach Polish heritage and customs to their children, and for anyoneseeking to learn more about their Slavic roots.