Just Between Us: Planting Seeds in 2006’s Garden.....Jun. 29, 2006

By Mark Kohan, Editor, Polish American Journal…January 2006 Issue

www.polamjournal.com

     Happy New Year! Szczesliwego Nowego Roku 2006! We wish all our readers a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. If you haven’t made up your mind on resolutions (or have already broken some), make one to do more to promote your Polish heritage.

     I had the opportunity to talk to many readers over the Christmas season. While all observed-in one fashion or another-Christmas traditions such as Wigilia, the sharing of the Christmas wafer (oplatek) or singing koledy, too many lamented about the passing of traditions in the Church. This included Midnight Mass with Polish carols, being able to obtain oplatek from their parish, and Masses in the Polish language.

     Because many of our Polish parishes have closed or merged, these traditions are no longer practiced in a community setting. The customs, therefore, are orphaned. While there is little we can do to reinstitute our practices on the grand scale they enjoyed in the past, we can do much to ensure they do not fade away into memory. We must adopt (and adapt, if need be) these traditions in our homes and in our new parishes. If we no longer hear koledy at church, we must play them at home so our children and grandchildren become familiar with their beauty. Perhaps we can organize a koledy night in our church basement or nearby VFW hall. If we miss Polish-language Mass, we must make an effort to find one-even if it involves a day trip-to support our priests who still offer these. If our parish is not blessing baskets on Holy Saturday, we must make a visit to the rectory and explain the custom to our pastor. A tradition such as the blessing the Easter fare, while Polish in origin, would be welcomed practice by people of all nationalities. These are just a few ways to keep our traditions alive.

     By understanding our past, we are better suited to face the future. Do not allow the future to become void of customs that have united our families for generations. These practices allow us to connect with loved ones in a manner that is often impossible in today’s busy world. Like a harvest, they return to us each year. The yield depends on how well we sow and tend to each seed.

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