A POLSKIE KOLĘDY CELEBRATION
This holiday ’ s Polish Christmas caroling tradition in Chappell Hill takes place on New Year ’ s Day
By LINDSEY GOLDEN | Photography by JAMES SMOCK
Polonia carolers pose in front of St . Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill .
The jovial crowd is gathered together in Chappell Hill for a festive day of Polish caroling known as Polskie Kolędy . The singers , most of Polish descent , sway as they belt out traditional carols — some sung in English , others in Polish — accompanied by an accordion , violin , clarinet , guitar , and double bass . Some are dressed in traditional folk costumes in red and white — the colors of the Polish flag — while others wear plaid , or dress up as shepherds and angels . They laugh and chat as they leave one farm and stroll to the next , serenading their neighbors and friends with the music of their heritage .
“ Kolędy celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ , announcing to the world a savior has been born ,” says Jim “ Dr . Jim ” Mazurkiewicz ( Mahzur-kay-veech ), a fifth generation Pole , who started the Brazos Valley tradition of Polskie Kolędy 14 years ago along with the Texas Polish fiddler , Brian Marshall . “ Caroling officially begins after Christmas . Before Christmas is Advent , and we
40 November / December 2021 are preparing our souls for the birth of Jesus Christ .”
This year ’ s Polskie Kolędy will begin with a free concert for the public at noon on New Year ' s Day at the St . Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill , and then caroling from farm to farm will continue throughout the day . The celebration will end with fellowship and a feast of food and drinks provided by the host families . “ It ’ s just a Polish tradition that has continued to honor our immigrant ancestors ,” he says .
Many of these Polish descendents who gather for Polskie Kolędy are among the fourth wave of Polish immigrants to have settled in urban Texas , according to Dr . Jim . The first major group of documented Polish immigrants to arrive in the Brazos Valley came in 1867 , after the Civil War . They set up 13 settlements along the Brazos Valley River .
In 1873 , five Polish families helped to establish the stilloperational St . Joseph ’ s Catholic Church in downtown Bryan . Originally , the church services were most likely conducted in Polish but now are held in English . Displayed outside the church is a statue of Saint Casimir , a Polish prince who was known for his generosity toward the sick and the poor . Notable is that he is holding a Polish flag , Dr . Jim says . “ The statue has been outside the church since the 19th century , and nobody knows who it is ,” he says .
Polish history has largely been forgotten ; however , it is in the process of being reconstructed , according to Dr . Jim , in reference to Poland ’ s complex and tumultuous
Carolers congregate for a daylong Polskie Kolędy celebration , which typically takes place on the Saturday after Christmas .