Celebrating Polish American Heritage Month with “The Four Seasons in Folk Culture in Poland”

Our October meeting honored Polish American Heritage Month with a captivating presentation, “The Four Seasons in Folk Culture in Poland,” by Polish ethnographer Justyna Orlikowska. Drawing on historical photographs, paintings, and contemporary images from open-air museums, Ms. Orlikowska illustrated how the rhythms of the year shaped daily life for generations of our ancestors.

For each season, she explored the most important Catholic feast days and highlighted the devotions, rituals, and folklore that accompanied them. She also explained how older, pre-Christian customs and superstitions became woven into these Catholic celebrations, creating a rich tapestry of Polish seasonal traditions.

Ms. Orlikowska’s visually stunning slides offered attendees an enchanted journey through the year, deepening our understanding of how Polish communities expressed their faith and culture in vibrant, seasonal celebrations.

Attendee feedback included,

“Justyna’s slides were beautiful and had a good balance of content.”

“Having someone from Poland give the lecture made the material more authentic.”

“Great slides with pictures really enhanced presentation.”

“I was surprised by the number of rituals that marked the passage of time.”

“This was a wonderfully rich presentation.”

“I will use the information to possibly plan a trip to Poland around one of the festivals.”

The recording is now available on our Meeting Recordings page for members to access.