Polish Settlers in Texas
By:Vishal Veeravelli
Push Factors
Pull factors
Polish Culture
Religion plays an important role in the Polish society and is deeply involved with Polish culture.Religious holidays are considered national holidays when most businesses are closed. The most important holiday is Christmas and celebrations last two and a half days. Poles practice "dzielenie oplatkiem" which is the sharing of a thin wafer with all family members. Individuals express wishes of good heath and prosperity for the coming year. This is also commonly practiced at work Christmas parties. Another religious holiday of note is All Saints’ Day which takes place on November 1st. On this day Poles visit cemeteries to honor their loved ones who have passed away.
The polish also have lots of traditions and customs when they are at parties or even just invited over for dinner. For example the host always does the first toasting, help clean up at a dinner, always bring wine and flowers for the hostess and other stuff.
Cheesecakes, sausage, and cookies are really popular. A fruited gelatin cheesecake is so popular with Poles and is known as sernik "na zimno", which literally means "cold cheesecake."
Famous Polish People in Texas
Contribution of Polish to Texas
The polish did contribute in Texas. The polish help a lot in farming, blacksmith work and other stuff that can really help the economy. They pay taxes to help the government. They fund a lot because they believe in good manners and establishing good relationships with everyone. Also about 20 to 30 fought in the Texas revolution. Also they really help a lot in religious purposes because they really believe a lot in Catholicism and religious freedom. Also many polish people bought land for money which helps Texas a lot since back then it was the only valuable thing they had and also they were in a lot of debt with the United States and they needed to pay it off quickly.
Did You Know?
1. Did you know that Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Poland?
2. Did you know that in Poland, bananas are peeled from the blossom end, not from the stem end?
3. Did you know that Saint John’s Kupala is a popular holiday in which people jump over fires, a tradition that predates Christianity?
4. Did you know that in Poland the name day is considered more important than the birthday?