Traditions

March 27, 2021
Polish Palms for life and health

With Easter approaching, Palm Sunday for Poles, is as colourful as any feast due to the "palms"- bazie or palemki made from fresh branches of willow with catkins or "kotki" (little...

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December 19, 2020
5 ways to make your Christmas truly Polish

One: Moments of stillness In the hustle and bustle of pre-Christmas preparations we don't have a minute to spare. This can sometimes spill over into the season itself. So remember...

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December 5, 2020
Are you making traditional Polish Christmas decorations?

Are you thinking about buying new decorations?  Think again. Our ancestors made their own and we all have memories of making them with our parents but homemade isn't just for...

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November 2, 2020
An All Souls’ walk through Polish cemeteries

Saunter with me through some of the famous Polish cemeteries I've visited through the years, within and outside Poland's boundaries.  Poland's All Saints Day on 1st November is a national...

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April 10, 2020
Polish Easter dishes from our grandparents to the future

 Did you know pre-war Polish cuisine, that of our grandparents or great grandparents was quite different to current dishes? For Wielkanoc (Easter) there were no faszerowane jajka (stuffed eggs), no...

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March 14, 2020
Polish St Joseph’s Day and breaking of Lent

If for you Lent is already dragging on, there's one day coming up when all Lenten obligations are thrown off and weddings, celebrations and other feasts can take place. St...

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December 30, 2019
Kuligi (sleigh rides) a sign of defiance?

This Christmas I've been dreaming of the Polish tradition and romance of kuligi (sleigh rides). Who wouldn't want to be sliding swiftly through the night underneath a frosty sky, behind...

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December 20, 2019
Joyous treasures: Polish Christmas Carols

I'm not sure how aware I was that new kolędy (carols) are constantly being conceived as we tend to sing the ones we know from childhood, many dating from the...

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September 27, 2019
Is it obiad or lunch?

Recently I had a convoluted conversation with friends about the names of meals in Polish and English. What is the difference between drugie śniadanie and lunch? Is there one? And...

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March 4, 2019
Poles’ own version of Valentines – Kaziuki

Valentine’s Day has long gone and the shops are no longer awash with red and pink paraphernalia. But did you know that originally, it was the ‘Kaziuki’ tradition which popularised...

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