Kiss me....I'm approximately 31.25% Polish!
Did you know that October is Polish-American Heritage Month? Although the month is nearly half over, there is still plenty of time to celebrate. This weekend I’ll be speaking at conference by the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast (PGSCTNE). I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun discussing Polish genealogy. But if you’re not Polish, don’t feel left out – there are a lot of ways to celebrate Polish-American Heritage Month even if you are not lucky enough to be Polish-American! And so I present…
The Top Ten Ways to Celebrate Polish-American Heritage Month – If You’re Polish or Not!
1. Read Polish literature. Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize in 1905 for his achievements as an epic writer – try With Fire and Sword, the first of an epic trilogy. Or read literature about Poland, such as the historical novel by American James C. Martin, Push Not the River.
2. See a Polish movie. Try Three Colours (Polish: Trzy kolory), the collective title of the trilogy directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski.
3. Eat Polish food (and drink). Who wouldn’t want some pierogi? Or kruschiki? Just be careful of too much vodka when learning these recipes.
4. Learn to Polka. It’s a lot of fun – and great exercise, too!
5. Visit Poland virtually on tv or the internet. PBS travel hosts Rick Steves and Burt Wolf have both visited Polish cities. Or try some YouTube videos such as this one.
6. Learn about Poland’s history. Poland has a long, rich history.
7. Celebrate your name day. Birthdays are overrated, but name days are fun!
8. Wish someone “sto lat” on their birthday. Or sing it to them instead!
9. Read a biography of a famous Pole. Try Witness to Hope if you’re a fan of Pope John Paul II or The Peasant Prince about Tadeusz Kościuszko and his role in the American Revolution.
10. Learn more about Polish customs. From art to clothing to holiday traditions, Poland has a custom for everything.
Tomorrow I will continue this post with the Top Ten Genealogical Ways to Celebrate Polish-American Heritage Month. Some of the things might interest non-Poles, but you’ll get more out of it if you’re actually Polish. And if you’re not, you’ll want to be. Really…
What's Past is Prologue 
Already sounds like fun!
I do remember reading the novel, Poland, by James A. Michener and it was one of the best I’ve ever read.
Can’t wait to read the rest of your series of posts, Donna. You may make me want to be Polish. Really!
Cześć. Can you make genealogy work forwards too? Then it might not be boring. Ściskam.
Nice article, Donna, and a good reminder. I need to celebrate my Polishness! I’ve been so busy cheering for and celebrating the Lions and Tigers and U of M victories that I forgot all about Pol-Am Heritage month!