Tag Archives: polish folklore

Opłatek

CL: “Me and my family are very Polish. Though, despite that, we don’t really have many time-long Polish traditions that usually correlate with it. We don’t speak any Polish other than certain phrases, um, for certain occasions. Though one thing that we have done for the majority of my life is that around Christmas, um, in a pseudo-religious fashion, sort of an extension of Thanksgiving, to share thanks with our family members, and with those close around us we would break this sort of, like, wafer called opłatek, um, and give it to another family member that then you both would basically trade pieces. You would eat them, and then you would say something thankful about the other person. And, like, we’ve done that for the majority of my life, and, yeah, it’s just always been, like, a very time-honored thing.

Interviewer: Is that a rite of passage for your family?

CL: “It’s more so like a… It’s sort of just like a sort of favor or other thing to perpetuate tradition in that sense. So, it’s a, like, recurring ritual in that sense.”

Interviewer: “Do you know any other people who do that? Is that, like, a long-standing, family tradition?”

CL: “I know it was initially on my mother’s side. My entire mother’s family line has done this. As long as I have known. And, yeah, we’ve just been continuing to do it as I’ve grown up. It’s been a little bit harder to do it now, just because it’s actually harder to get. the wafers, but it’s still nice to always say things and sort of reiterate this symbolization of it around that time.”

Context: When discussing traditions in class, CL and I came around their family tradition of breaking opłatek around the holidays. It symbolizes thanks when given to a family member or loved one after being broken. It is a positive way to stay close to CL’s Polish roots and be connected to their culture.

Analysis: This tradition is a good example of how cultural practices can stay meaningful even when other parts of that identity aren’t as prominent in someone’s life. Still practicing and being a part of the culture, even if it is not your immediate culture, but your family’s line. The use of opłatek shows a direct connection to Polish heritage, even though CL’s family doesn’t speak much Polish or follow many other traditions. Breaking and sharing the wafer, along with saying something thankful, turns the moment into more than just a holiday activity; it becomes a way to express appreciation. The fact that it has been passed down through the mother’s side of the family also shows how traditions continue through generations, even if they become harder to maintain (like accessing the wafers). Overall, it highlights how traditions don’t have to be strictly religious or widely practiced to matter, but they can be simple and serve as a great way to help people feel connected to their family and cultural background.

Warsaw Mermaid

Nationality: Polish
Age: 39
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: April 23, 2020
Primary Language: Polish
Language: English

Context:

The informant–MF–is a 39 year old male who was born and raised in Zagłębie, Poland but has lived in the US since 2016. He learned this legend having visited Warsaw numerous times and heard the legend from locals. The interview from which this legend was collected was conducted in English.

Piece:

MF: Ok. So let’s start with the very old legend about the Warsaw Mermaid so which is the symbol right now of the of Warsaw, which is the capitol in Poland. There’s a very nice statue of the mermaid and she’s keeping the knife. Actually, this is the sword. And then and then shield. And it’s kind of protect the city from the from the, you know, like bad things that you could put, you know, like in from from the very, very old time. Like, people are thinking that the Polish mermaid is the sister of Copenhagen mermaid, which is well known symbol of Copenhagen. And she was swimming towards Poland through the Baltic Sea and then finally go into the river, which is going through Warsaw, which is the capitol of Poland. And then the story is telling that that there was a fisherman, old fisherman was catching the fish. And this mermaid actually decided to release this fishes. So as she thought, she she didn’t. And, you know, like, open the net and fish escape. So the fisherman was very, very angry. He was trying to catch the mermaid.But she was she was very smart in trying to escape. But what’s finally- fishermen catch her. So beautiful and so spectacular that the fishermen decided to release her. And and finally, actually, he fallen in love with her. But later, in the very, very rich person like Merchant, like he decided to cut her. And, you know, like to get some money to, you know, like to get her from the water. And he was trying to do it. And finally, he did but, you know, since her voice was so beautiful, the fisherman actually decided to do, you know, like release the mermaid. And then actually she said, “Oh, I’m gonna protect this city because you are so, so nice for me.” And then she became, like, a huge symbol of the capitol of Poland. So that’s that’s more or less the story about the mermaid important. So those of you who are interested, you can go to the capital of Poland and, actually close to the distillery there, there is the nice statue of Polish Mermaid.

Analysis:

This tale forms a nationalistic connection connection between the city of Warsaw and the river upon which it sits, the river Vistula. The tale also creates a sense of partnership between Warsaw and Copenhagen, both of which have rivers running through them and a famous statue of a mermaid said to have been found in those same waters.