Every vacation I remember going on as a child, I remember polkas being a big part of them. Dynatones, Eddie Blazonczyk, Lenny Gomulka, The Cavaliers, Michigan Connection, you name the band, I probably listened to them while traveling with my family up North. Though sometimes I got sick of them, I cherish my heritage and the music we have. Listening to Polkas is only one of the many Polish traditions my family has carried on throughout the years. Here are five reasons why I am Polish and darn proud of it.
1. Polka Dances and Polka Festivals
You will never have more fun at any event in your life. I can assure you that. You meet so many new people and make friends from across the country. Everyone is super friendly and you'll never feel left out. Now you may wonder what the difference is between a Polka Festival and a Polka Dance. A polka dance is a one night thing where a festival is a weekend full of Polkas: USPA, Polka Fireworks, Frankenmuth Summer Music Festival, Mt. Carmel Festival, IPA; the list is endless. I can guarantee there is one every weekend in the summer.
2. Wigilia
Wigilia is the Polish Christmas. It is celebrated on Christmas Eve with a meatless dinner. Before dinner is eaten, the head of the house takes oplatek and shares it with everyone starting from the oldest person and wishes them good health and a Happy New Year. The tables must have an even amount of people or, according to an old myth, one person will not live to see the next Christmas. Once a delicious dinner full of kapusta, perch, pierogi, and shrimp is finished, we celebrate Christmas by opening gifts and going to Midnight Mass.
3. Dance Class
From the young age of two, I spent every Tuesday evening at my local Polish Roman Catholic Union of America No. 162 taking Polish Dance Classes. Although I learned how to polka in my basement while standing on my dad's toes and listening to Eddie Blazonczyk, my love for the dance grew has grown even more. We didn't just learn how to polka, but also the traditional dances of Poland like The Krakowiak and Goralski. We also learned the Polish National Anthem. Once you hit your senior year, you got to be involved in the Shirley Galanty Michigan State Debutante Ball.
4. Friends
You will make so many friends in your lifetime; however, the friends you will make at Polka Dances will be the best friends you make in your life. They understand your love of polkas, family, and having to wake up at 8 a.m. the morning after a long Polka Dance to attend mass. You may travel over 200 miles to go see your favorite polka band for a one day thing (and your parents may not approve), but being able to travel From Town to Town to see your best friend that lives in New York is so worth the hassle.
5. The Community
The small town of Wyandotte, Michigan is predominantly Polish, which made it easy to grow up surrounded in my heritage. The Polish Community would do absolutely anything for anyone and that is the main reason I love it so much. If there is ever a friend in need, everyone goes out of their way to make sure they are taken care of. Everyone is just one big happy family.
So no matter how big or small your Polish community is, you always feel like you are home with your family, your Polka family that is.
