The festival is ostensibly a prelude to Easter. Poles are very Catholic and even have this thing called Święconka in which the Easter food is blessed. And so every on Holy Saturday Poles throw a ham, kielbasa, cakes, eggs, etc. into a basket and bring it to their local priest. I guess this is a symbolic offering to Yahweh in hopes that the new year which is arising shall be healthy, happy, and prosperous.
Since Holy Saturday was still almost a week away, other we had to indulge ourselves in other traditions. One of these was the creation of Pisanki which are eggs decorated in the old Slavic way. Like a doofus, I didn't get any snaps of the eggs themselves so follow the link above. But I did grab one of this young lady following in the footsteps of her ancestors.
And I don't say that she followed in footsteps lightly. Slavs have been decorating eggs for centuries and it has traditionally been an activity done by women and girls. I believe that instrument she has in her hand is a Kistka. One alternately applies wax and dye to the egg shell and, when you've got enough layers of different colors, you melt patterns into it. Pretty slick, if you ask me.
As evidenced by Święconka, we Poles are a crafty folk. This extends into the realm of jewelry as well.
And we are all about amber which is to be found on the coast of the Baltic Sea. I'm not a huge fan of amber although I discovered that The Dulcinea is. (More on that later…)
Speaking of The Dulcinea, she and her youngest, M., showed up around 11:30. I found them looking at some really nice pottery.
I was tempted to purchase some as there were some great serving dishes and bowls but decided to wait until my raise came through before I invested in them. The stuff is imported from Poland by way of Chicago. I guess none of our members are potters although there were a few women there with whom I'd like to reenact that scene from Ghost. Being 7 years old, M. took to the coloring books and was drawn to the heraldry, especially those bits involving axes or other weapons. I can foresee anger management classes in his future.
I spent most of my time in the kitchen helping make sure there was enough kraut, kielbasa, and pierogi for everyone. At one point we ran out of ice so I made a trek to Woodman's and was given some money for beer which was a good thing because I had only brought 2 bottles along for myself. Upon getting back, 3 or 4 of us men-folk holed ourselves up in the back of the kitchen and had a few brews.
I have no idea where that Miller Light came from.
In addition to crafts, there was a country ton of baked goods for sale. Here's my friend Tekla hawking poppy seed rolls:
Kolacky
Paczki
There was also music. My knowledge of Polish folk music is quite limited and but I can recognize a waltz when I hear one and they played a few. I'm not sure who these gents are, exactly, but one is Bob. The photo is an active link so you can download a 2' clip of them performing a song.
But the most important thing about the Spring Fest is this:
People getting together and enjoying one another's company. Wandering around I constantly saw people shaking hands, hugging, and remarking how they hadn't seen one another since last year's festival. The face of the PHC membership is generally older and many folks aren't able to get out of the house as often as they'd like. So PHC events provide good opportunities for folks to get out of the house and see friends. That's Leon there in the sharp gray suit on the right. I met him as he came into the hall and he had the biggest smile on his face. He is truly one of the nicest people I've ever met. I hope that I'm as cheerful as he when I'm his age.
When I was a boy and living in Chicago, my mother was in a Polish heritage club and I remember going to some of the events. (This whole turning into your parents thing is more than a bit disconcerting.) And so I felt old seeing the kids there running around and not knowing quite what to make of everything. The whole affair reminded me of dual role that the PHC has. It has an older membership to cater to and so a lot of things the club does appeals to their sense of nostalgia and attempts to recreate elements of their collective childhood in Polish-American families during the 1930-50s. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this, there are times when I wish the club was able to address the concerns & interests of us younger folk that are perhaps not shared by the older generations. For instance, aside from the last pope, the club doesn't really address what Poland is like today. What is life like in Poland now? How did things change after the collapse of the Soviet Union? Cultures aren't static and, in a way, the PHC focuses on particular traditions that relate to a certain time. It focuses on things that its aging membership remembers from its childhood. No doubt club members would have little interest in, say, Polish hip-hop. I have little interest in the music myself but I am interested in knowing more about how Polish culture has changed over the past 15 or so years. How are age-old traditions holding up against McDonalds and Wal-Mart?
I don't foresee any major changes in the PHC which will draw in younger members but I will say that Tekla is on the right track with her proposal for a Polish drinking club where we quaff Polish beer, wine, and vodka.
Towards the end of the festival as I was cleaning in the kitchen, Marie, who had been selling jewelry, approached me bearing a ring. She remarked that my girlfriend really, really liked it. I got the hard sell. Unlike her husband who is very laid back, Marie is not someone to mess with and so I immediately agreed to purchase the ring. The Dulcinea is no longer allowed at PHC functions.
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