Thirteen hundred years ago, Central Europe was a vast country, sparsely settled. There were no towns, no cities. The inhabitants were composed of rugged and semi-savage tribes. The members of these tribes were to become known in history as Slavs. They roamed all over Central Europe from the Black Sea to the Baltic and from the Oder to the Neisse. …
Continue ReadingOur esteemed Polish actress Helena Modjeska was called upon many Christmas holidays to perform in a variety of plays – and, many times, missed that traditional Polish Wigilia. Fortunately, she penned her feelings about how she visualized that time in her homeland. Through the works of Marion Moore Coleman who authored a book entitled “Fair Rosalind,” we bring you the …
Continue ReadingImagine a winter evening, with the frosty air biting at one’s ears and the snow scrunching underfoot. The sleighs are lined up in front of Hajnowka station, both the more decorative, metal sleighs with their fancifully twisting runners and the simple, wooden farmers’ sleighs which, if anything, are even more practically comfortable. The horses are impatiently steaming and stamping, and …
Continue ReadingThe forty-five day period preceding Christmas was one of quiet waiting, spent in prayer and fast. Song, laughter and music were silenced. Farm girls gathered at the spinning wheels. At the end of November, on St. Catherine’s and St. Andrew’s Eve, the young people foretold their future with noise and hilarity, but after that began the daily prayers and masses …
Continue ReadingWhether you may or may not know, over the centuries, there have been many Polonians who have left their Fatherland at crucial historical times and arrived at countries other than the U.S.A. Many of these emigrants not only carved out a constructive life in their newly adapted land, they made distinguishable strides in their endeavors. Ernest Malinowski and his railroad …
Continue Reading“The trophies of the expedition, impressive and interesting, were instantly snatched by the scientific world…Before we came Antarctica was barely touched. For over 50 years science forgot about Antarctica, and we were first. We were the first to bring the foundations for the science bout the climate of Antarctica, the yearly series of everyday observations of temperature, pressure, humidity, nebulosity, …
Continue ReadingIn these days of questionable judgements and even more questionable judges, so much has happened in the courtroom of the United States that we are being led into a state of continuous wonderment. We do experience momentary judicial expertise from time to time but, all in all, however, the erratic appointments and lackadaisical decisions of some of today’s judges on …
Continue ReadingThis week’s topic deals with four strong-willed ladies. Although they are not of Polish heritage, they contributed greatly to the history of Poland. . . CATHERINE OF RUSSIA – Catherine the Great was undoubtedly the most remarkable woman as well as the ablest ruler of her time. At age 15, she met and married Prince Peter (who later became Czar) in 1744 …
Continue ReadingAs you must, by now, know, the traditional Polish national symbol is the ‘White Eagle’. You may not know, however, that there has been, from time to time, controversy over this eagle — how it evolved, which way is the head turned, whether or not it should be crowned and what, in effect, does this crown really represent. To set …
Continue ReadingAt a time when the Slavic peoples inhabiting the areas that form Poland today were heathens, their lore and beliefs caused them to hold ceremonies that were meant to avert misfortune and make nature treat them with benevolence. Among their many rites and customs were periodic holidays observed to mark the most vital developments of the year. For example, they …
Continue ReadingWhy do we butter our bread? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Well, would you believe that our modern custom of buttering bread had its origin in a 16th century situation and that none other than our famous Polish astronomer Mikolaj Kopernik (Copernicus) was responsible. It was also the beginning of the medical concept of preventive medicine. A Vermont …
Continue ReadingOnce people got over the first impression caused by the astounding news that man had circumnavigated the moon, the news that American astronauts had explored a corner of our satellite’s surface on board a mooncar, was received with no great surprise. The last exploit should leave us Polonians proud, seeing that the chief constructor of the vehicle was our compatriot …
Continue ReadingSome of us put it on eggs, some of us in soup. It’s probably one of the most widely used cooking additives in the world. It’s found in great multitudes in our ocean waters, and has been claimed, and rightly so, to have great healing powers. It’s a fine white, granular substance that can be found on every kitchen table …
Continue ReadingAmerica has been referred to as a ‘melting pot’ but if you had a television camera focused in on every kitchen (and there are almost 100 million of them) on any random weekday morning, I think we could more aptly reclassify our country as one huge ‘boiling pot’ — of coffee that is! According to the National Coffee Association, there …
Continue ReadingEaster is back again. That traditional holyday that is so rich in Polish heritage is once again gracing our door steps. To this day, eggs are a major item at Easter. They are blessed, they are artificially-painted in many lovely and intricate patterns, and different sections of Poland are known for their individualistic design. In many of the homes windows …
Continue ReadingThe following description of Polonian immigration in early America by Rev. Joseph Szarek is so rewarding that I felt that you, my dear readers, should experience it… Anyone desiring a proper understanding of the Polish people in the United States and their contribution to Western civilization must first reconstruct the life of the Polish immigrants in America. This cannot be …
Continue Reading“When freedom goes out of a place,” cued Walt Whitman, “it is not the first nor the second thing to go; it is the last. All others go before it.” After its third and final partition in 1795 by Prussia, Russia and Austria, Poland had practically been blotted out from the map of Europe. But there remained 11 million Poles, …
Continue Reading“Though it may at first seem surprising that the liberty-loving Poles should join forces with the slaveholders of the Confederacy against the emancipators of the North, the fact is readily explainable. In the first place, the Polish exiles did not all settle in the north; very many turned to the South to make their homes. In the second place, the …
Continue ReadingI wonder how many of you know about the commercial discovery of oil — how it all began and where. Well, it was late afternoon in a small village in Poland. The date was July 31, 1853. A small crowd of onlookers assembled in the main hospital in Lwow to witness an operation carried out by surgeon Zaorski on a …
Continue ReadingThe Armenians and the Poles — one might wonder what these two nations could possibly have in common, separated by almost a thousand miles geographically. However, despite distinct differences in ethnic, cultural and geographic areas, the Poles and the Armenians have had centuries of mutually friendly cooperation and spiritual kinship. Both nations faced similar national liberation struggles, both have a …
Continue ReadingEngineers have always intrigued me, especially the brilliant kind. And so, had Waclaw Wolski lived today and operated in one of the western countries or the United States, he would have probably been a multi-millionaire and honorary member of various Academy’s of Science. But, he was born in Poland and worked in that country when it was still partitioned. Though …
Continue ReadingIn continuing with last week’s musical fairy tales, I bring you another interesting snapshot. It’s called “The Magic Violin and The Enchanted Slippers” by famed author Anne Sidwa. Hope you enjoy it! In the hills above the village of Ciezkowice in southcentral Poland, there was of old a beautiful meadow enclosed within the most romantic of groves. To the meadow lovers …
Continue ReadingWhat better way to start the New Year than with some old Polish fairy tales that have found their way out of my archives and into your hearts. The first two are musically oriented. The first “The Magic Fiddle” – has no author. Hope you enjoy it! There was a fellow from around here who went away for a number …
Continue ReadingJanuary 1863 saw the outbreak in the Russian partition of an uprising which was more extensive in both its territorial and social scope, lasted longer and was more tragic in its results than any previous Polish insurrection. For over two years small, dispersed and ill-armed insurgent unites waged an unequal struggle against regular unites of the tsarist army. The uprising, …
Continue ReadingThis week being the week before Christmas, Our Polonia has decided to present to its readers the traditions and customs that have been practiced in Poland for centuries past. It is my hope that some of these mores might be incorporated into American Polonia’s Christmas this year. For many decades, the forty-five day period preceding Christmas was one of quiet …
Continue ReadingAfter the suppression of the 1830 revolt, Poland, under the iron rule of Russia and the ruthless policy of russification, became as quiet as a grave. The Poles would not simply disappear. They had to be governed by a Russian Tsar. The Congress Kingdom remained. But there was no longer a Governor to succeed poor Constantine. Instead, a Russian named …
Continue Reading“We hear you have had brilliant successes in London and Paris, but let me tell you, Mr. Paderewski, you need not expect anything like that in America. We have heard them all, all the pianists, all the great ones, and our demands are very exacting. We are not easily pleased here…..we have a certain standard which is very difficult to …
Continue ReadingAs Rome took its name from Romulus and Athens was named for Athena, so also did Warsaw get its name from a creature half-human, half-divine, in this case the son of a Vistula mermaid and the spirit of a man who drowned in the river. Deserted by his mother and left on the river bank to die, the child of …
Continue Reading“To fight in battle, besiege fortresses, suffer wounds, and be taken prisoner, is the fate and the duty of all who devote themselves to the service of their country must face. The statue of the Order of the Military Cross rules that it shall be awarded only in exceptional cases, for deeds of valour in excess of duty.” The above …
Continue Reading(There are many versions of Dracula movies. What most of you readers don’t know is that Dracula had some very interesting Polish ties. My good friend Chet Karasinski penned the following piece about the real Dracula. Hope you enjoy!) To tell the story of the Dracula family we have to back track through history a little. By the way, several …
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