Tylko gęsina (only goose)!?

Poultry raisers in Kujawy are now conducting a campaign using the slogan 'tylko gęsina na św. Marcina' (only goose on Martinmas). It seems goose was a ritual must on St Martin's day (11th Nov.) as well as over the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Then cheap indsustrially prodcued turkeya took over, bolstered by

the greed of exporters. Although Poland is one of Europe's top goose raisers, nearly all of them are now exported to German. Isn't it amazing how shallow Polish traditions are and how easily Poles let themselves get bamboozled into doing what the string-pulling corporate forces want them to.

Aren't you living in US? Turkey is by no means popular on Polish tables. You are using some false analogies. The king is the chicken and that is because it is cheap compared to other birds due to mass production and due to perfect size for a dinner...

As for goose the problem with it as with a duck is that it is not so easy as a chicken to cook it properly. Anyway, I know you like to look for signs of swallowing Poland by evil western civilization but in this case the reasons are much simpler and practical.

Besides as far as I can remember gooses were running equally with turkeys on small Polish farms long before communism ended. Just because turkey is kind of symbol of some holiday in US doesn't mean it is US invention ;) Well, it came from Central America, but it was started to breed in Poland already in XVII century. So why now goose suppose to be a tradition and turkey not?

Very true. I even remember guinea fowls as well. Geese were also providing goose down, which was used for making cushions and featherbeds. Every farmer had to breed some geese for just this reason. "Darcie pierza" (feather plucking?) was a family affair, associated with story telling and singing.

Anyone interested may read up on Polish goose on St Martin's day:
kujawsko-pomorskie.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=227&Itemid=605/Mar5ti

Here's the English version:
kujawsko-pomorskie.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3839&Itemid=98

Simply put, Polish geese are the best and most expensive on the German market. "Polnische Gans" that's something good.