Month: April 2025

“Majówka: A Walk Through Spring, History, and Heritage”

May is coming, and with it, fond memories of “majówka” — May picnics that have become a symbol of spring in full bloom, wonderful relaxation, and a preview of summer holidays. The long May weekend is one of the most anticipated times of the year in Poland. It’s usually the first opportunity in the calendar year for a vacation getaway.

Pierogi Fest 2025

Join us for the Seattle Pierogi Fest on Saturday, May 10, from 12 pm to 4 pm at Downstairs Hall Adults $18 for one plate of 10 delicious pierogi choice of meat, potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom, sweet cheese, blueberry Children $8 for 5 pierogi. Can be eaten in the Downstairs Hall or at

Śmigus-Dyngus

Easter in Poland is rich with both solemn religious observances and joyful folk traditions. One of the most cherished and lively customs is Śmigus-Dyngus, celebrated on Easter Monday. Known also as Wet Monday, this unique tradition combines water fights, springtime rituals, and age-old courtship customs into one unforgettable holiday.

Easter

Easter is coming this weekend, and we have prepared a special Easter edition featuring stories about Easter traditions and information about upcoming Easter events.

As every year, the 2025 GiveBIG fundraiser is coming in May. The Seattle Polish Foundation is using this event to raise funds for two vital causes: a Medical & Emergency Fund for our aging community members, and a much-needed Stage and Floor Remodeling Project at the historic Polish Home.

The Seattle Polish Film Festival is seeking donations to help with venue rentals.

Seattle Polish News is encouraging all our subscribers to help cover the cost of using the Mailchimp service.

2025 GiveBIG Fundraiser

This year for GiveBIG WA, the Seattle Polish Foundation is asking for your support toward two vital causes: a Medical & Emergency Fund for our aging community members, and a much-needed Stage and Floor Remodeling Project at the historic Polish Home.
The main GiveBIG event starts on May 6, but the fundraiser website is already up and running. To make donations go to the GiveBIG website and select the cause you want to support.

Minor Apocalypse

Tadeusz Konwicki’s Minor Apocalypse (Mała Apokalipsa) is a sharp, darkly comedic novel set in communist Poland. It follows a writer’s surreal journey through a decaying Warsaw, exploring themes of political oppression, personal responsibility, and existential despair. Konwicki’s biting satire and vivid prose make it a compelling, thought-provoking read.

The Easter Egg Hunt

Each spring, as flowers bloom and days grow longer, children around the world excitedly take part in one of Easter’s most playful and cherished traditions: the Easter egg hunt. This festive activity, which blends joy, symbolism, and community spirit, is much more than just a game—it’s a cultural tradition with roots that reach deep into history.

Easter Palms

As the vibrant season of Easter approaches, one of Poland’s most colorful and meaningful traditions returns to churches and homes across the country and among Polish communities abroad: the crafting and blessing of Easter palms, or palmy wielkanocne. Deeply rooted in Christian symbolism and regional folklore, these unique creations are more than just decorative branches—they are living symbols of faith, renewal, and cultural identity.

Święconka: Poland’s Beloved Easter Basket Tradition

As Easter approaches, children across the United States prepare for colorful egg hunts, while Polish families—both in Poland and around the world—take part in a cherished tradition known as święconka, or the blessing of the Easter baskets. Deeply rooted in Poland’s history and Catholic faith, święconka remains one of the most beloved customs celebrated on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.

Easter Food Basket Blessings

Happy Easter! Below is a list of local Catholic churches observing this traditional Polish rite on Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025. Mary Queen of Peace, Sammamish, 11 am, Polish pastry and Polish community socializing afterwards at the Marian Social Hall St. Margaret, Seattle, 11 am – 2 pm (every half

Why Are Books Banned? The Power of Storytelling

Today, we begin a new series of stories about banned books with Ania Kaminska’s essay and a review of The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma (Kariera Nikodema Dyzmy). This book tells the tale of a small-town con artist who climbs the social ladder to become a political leader, only to end up as a puppet of the elite class. Despite being censored, confiscated, and ultimately banned in Poland in 1951, the book gained immense popularity. It was adapted into movies and TV series and even inspired Jerzy Kosinski to write Being There.

We also have an update about the Presidential Elections in Seattle. Keep reading below.

The Career of Nikodem Dyzma

“The Career of Nikodem Dyzma” was written by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz in 1931 as a critique of the political establishment at the time. The novel initially appeared in episodes in ABC magazine and quickly gained popularity. Despite parts of it being confiscated, the writer persevered and wrote a sequel. The book tells the story of an unemployed provincial who accidentally infiltrates high society. For a long time, the protagonist successfully plays the role of a worldly man, a specialist, and a frequenter of salons. He takes on high-ranking positions and receives state honors. He is eventually unmasked by the eccentric Żorż Ponimirski, who is considered insane. However, Dyzma remains unpunished, as interwar Poland, much like contemporary Poland, is a country where it is difficult to be discredited, and new Dyzmas emerge regularly.

Wybory Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej

Przypominamy, że głosowanie w wyborach Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na terenie Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki odbędzie się w sobotę, 17. maja 2025 r.

Aby wziąć udział w głosowaniu należy do 13 maja 2025 r. złożyć wniosek o ujęcie w spisie wyborców.

“Gaja z gajówki” – przygoda, przyroda i ciepło domowego ogniska

“Gaja z gajówki” to już czterotomowa seria autorstwa Anny Włodarkiewicz o piegowatej, energicznej dziewczynce, która udowadnia, że życie z dala od ekranów – bez smartfona, gier komputerowych i telewizora – może być pełne pasji, przygód i prawdziwych odkryć. Książka napisana jest w formie pamiętnika, dzięki czemu czytelnicy z łatwością wchodzą w świat Gai – zaledwie kilkuletniej bohaterki, którą poznajemy tuż przed rozpoczęciem nauki w pierwszej klasie.

Why Are Books Banned? The Power of Storytelling

Recently, my son began a unit on dystopian literature at school and chose to read 1984 by George Orwell. When I mentioned that it is one of the most frequently banned and challenged books, his immediate reaction was: “Why?”


It was a great question—”Why was this book banned?”


But to answer that, we must first ask a broader question: “Why are books banned at all?”

Chasing the Sun: Its Presence in Language

Last week was an amazing day—summer-like, warm, and sunny. I went for a long walk with my family through the forest to the park, enjoying the sun’s golden beams. We were not alone. The park was full of people playing, walking, and biking, all appreciating the warmth granted by the sun.

I am currently reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, where the sun’s nourishment plays a significant role in the story. It made me reflect on how the sun is represented in language—how it is perceived and which of its characteristics have been used to express emotions and daily life experiences. To explore this, I turned to idioms and proverbs, which serve as linguistic fossils preserving the worldview of our ancestors.