Category Archives: culture

Dzień Wszystkich Świętych

Today in Poland, the cemeteries are aglow. You can see them from miles away. To get to a cemetery today, takes a lot of planning–and probably a lot of walking. It’s a national holiday today, All Saint’s day, or Dzień Wszystkich … Continue reading

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Bloodlands

Tuesday I finished reading maybe the best book I’ve read in a long time. And, Tuesday I finished reading what may be the worst book I’ve read in a long time. The best and the worst. Finished reading on the … Continue reading

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The City that Would Not Die

Warsaw. At the start of World War II, a thriving city of 1.3 million. By the end of World War II six years later, it had about one or two thousand scavengers as its inhabitants. 200,000 of it’s citizens were … Continue reading

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Boże Ciało 2013 — A holiday and feast day in Poland

Today is the feast of Corpus Christi — Boże Ciało in Polish — in Poland. I wrote a bit more about this feast last year. But if you’d like to get a sense of how it is celebrated now, today, … Continue reading

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Polish History Lesson in 8 minutes

Do you really know much about Polish history. If you are like most Americans, the answer is, sadly, “no.” And worse yet, what little you do know is skewed and unbalanced. But the truth of the matter is that Poland … Continue reading

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Żeby Polska była Polską — Let Poland be Poland

Żeby Polska była Polską is a well-known Polish protest song, written in 1976 by Jan Pietrzak with music by Włodzimierz Korcz. It quickly became an informal anthem of the Solidarity era protests in Poland, protesting the totalitarian Communist regime. It … Continue reading

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Wszystkich Świętych — All Saints

Today I am thinking, like a lot of people in Poland, about my ancestors who have passed before me. Today is the Feast of All Saints in Poland, a national holiday where many, many people take time to visit cemeteries … Continue reading

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Corpus Christi — Boże Ciało — A holiday and feast day in Poland

Today is Thursday June 7th, and this year June 7th is the 10th day after the Catholic feast of the Holy Trininty, the feast of Corpus Christi, Body of Christ, or dzień Bożego Ciała in Polish. It’s a public holiday … Continue reading

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Imieniny — Name Days

Today, April 22nd, is my name day (or imieniny in Polish). I am told that in Poland, it is an equivalent celebration to the American birthday party, with family and friend, food and drinks, and even presents for chilredn and … Continue reading

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Szczęśliwych Świąt Wielkanocnych

Literally, I am wishing you a happy–holiday–great night. So, my wish for you, in English, is “Happy Easter!” Easter (Weilkanoc) is a big holiday in Poland and, Like Christmas, is celebrated with two days off, both Easter Sunday and Easter … Continue reading

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