The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by Polonius3  

Joined: 11 Apr 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q
Last Post: 9 Apr 2018
Threads: Total: 980 / Live: 115 / Archived: 865
Posts: Total: 12270 / Live: 4516 / Archived: 7754
From: US Sterling Heigths, MI
Speaks Polish?: yes
Interests: Polish history, genealogy

Displayed posts: 4631 / page 152 of 155
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Polonius3   
22 Apr 2009
Life / The Polish Wedding - What is it Like in Poland? [338]

Anyone know why at Polish weddins in America guests clang glasses and cups wtih spoons raising a loud din as a sign for the bride and groom to kiss (often with their mouths full of food)? In Poland, they chant gorzko, gorzko instead.
Polonius3   
20 Apr 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Marzec (March) and other months as well as days of tenved as nicknames marking someone's time of birth or conversion (usually from Judaeism to Catholicism). It could have also orignated as a toponymic nikcname traceable to such localities as Marzęcin, Marzecice, Marzewo or Marcówka.

Bejma? I've got no clue what it means or where it derives from. My Polish grandfather was put in a concentration camp at 14...

Bejma most likely originated from one of the following two sources:
1. As a version of Bem or Bema which came from German Böhme (Bohemian, Czech).
2. The Yiddish word bejm (tree) from German Baum.

i would like to know what is the meaning of my grandmother's maiden name-------SPEJCHER--------

Spejcher is the Polish phonetic respelling of the German word Speicher (granary). There is no-one in Poland by that name at present, but there is one person who spells his/her surname Spejchert. Incidentally, the Polish language borrowed the German word to create spichrz which subsequently evovled into spichlerz (granary).
Polonius3   
18 Apr 2009
Food / Polish head cheese [46]

Head cheese or brawn is not only encased in a bladder but is far less gelatinous. In fact it is compact enough to be sliceable. It would be difficult to cut zimne nogi into slices, that's why it is seved in squares.
Polonius3   
17 Apr 2009
Food / Polish head cheese [46]

Although head cheese, also known in English as pork brawn, and jellied pig's knuckles (feet, trotters) may seem similar at first glance, they are not the same.

The jellied feet are an aspic dish containing pork trotters and hocks and maybe pork meat. Some add a cooked sliced sliced or hard-cooked eggs for nicer colour. The Brawn is a more compact sliceable lunch meat made largely from the pig's head (jowls, lips, ears, brains with maybe some trotters added).

The head cheese is known as sacleson in Polish.
The jellied pig's feet are: nóżki wieprzowe w galarecie, galareta z nóżek wieprzowych, zimne nogi or studzienina in different parts of Poland.
Polonius3   
11 Apr 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

The -czyk ending usually indicates a patroynmic nickname-turned-surname, so Niemczyk probably originated to mean "son of the German" or (toponymically) "son of the bloke from Niemce, Niemcz, Niemczewo, Niemcowizna, Niemczyn or Niemcówka" (all those localities exist in Poland).

In Poland my last name is Szczyglinski. In America it's slightly different (when my grandpa joined the Navy in WWII they "Americanized" it. Can anyone tell me about my last name? There is also Yanas, which I believe was Janas in Poland.

The root is szczygieł (goldfinch, bird species), but Szczygliński originated most likely as a toponymic nickname traceable to a locality called Szczyglin (Goldfinchville).

Janas is one of a plethora of surnames derived from Jan (John). Others include: Janek, Janik, Janiak, Janda, Janczak, Jasik, Jasiak, Jaśkiewicz, Janowicz and many more.

My last name is Witko and my family came from Poland. Do you know what Witko means?

Witko, Witek and Wituś are hypocoristic (endearing dimunituve) forms of the first name Witold.
In America, it might have been a shortened version of Witkowski, which would be a toponymic nickname identiying soemone as a native of Witków or Witkowo.
Polonius3   
9 Apr 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Indeed, these concocted examples were intended only to convey the general flavour of negativity to English speakers. One could have added something like szwabska zdzira and translated it as Teutonic tootsie.

No sweat about Niemczura and its etymology. With the exception of the most outrageous or obscene-sounding names (Moczymorda, Pierdoła or Kutas), the meaning of most surnames in all lanmgauegs has undergone lexicalisation. That means they are treated simply as surnames regardless of their original meanings. In English too if we meet someone named Baker, Cooper or Cartwright we do not usually ask them how many loaves, barrels or carts they have produced that day, because these are only names.

That also applies to words, and the Russian word for hair-dresser (perukmacher) comes to mind. It's original meaning was wig-maker but today it means only hairdresser.
Polonius3   
8 Apr 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

My mother's maiden name was Fabiszewski. My grandmother's maiden name was Wieczykowski. Any info would be great. Thanks

Fabiszewski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Fabiszew (probably from the hypocoristic or endearing form of Fabian -- Fabiś, Fabuś, Fabek)
Więczykowski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Więczyków or Więczykowo (probably from "więcyk/więczyk" -- an archaic dialectic from of the word "więcej" = more).

my ancestors were from Poland and i'm looking for my roots.
My last name is Kavtievski. From where i am and what does my last name mean

Kavtievski or its Polish phonetic rendering Kawtiewski (except for the -ski which could be of other-Slavonic origin) does not look Polish nor does anyone in Poland use it. It may have been misspelt.

Niemczura

Niemczura might be roughly translated as that "kraut *****", "Teutonic slut", "Hitlerite hag", etc.

Re Niemczura -- yes, -ura is usually a pejorative suffix as in "szlachciura" -- old, broken, down, good-for-nothing, set-in-this-ways petty nobleman.

Stankiewicz. Also, my mother's maiden name: Samsel.

Re Stankiewicz -- patronymic nickname meaning Stanek's boy (Eng. Stanson)

Re Samsel -- German/Yiddish hypocoristic of Samson, less likely Samuel.

My username is Narodowiec that is my mothers madien name..... I traveled to Poland and couldnt really get the whole history of my family but I know it means something about the people.

Re Narodowiec = nationalist; rather strange for a nickname-turned-surname.

paleski. what does it mean?

Re Pałęski -- topnymic nickname for someone from Pałęgi in the Świętokrzyski Mts; a pałęga is a clearing or not overgrown section of a garden.

Czwakiel

Re Czwakiel -- obscure. Possibly from szwak (archaic term for brother-in-law) or German/Yiddish adj. schwach (weak), ergo a weakling? But this is all very dubious.
Polonius3   
5 Apr 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Jankowski might have arisen as a patronymic nickname meaningson fo Janek, but the majority of -wski surnames are toponymic in origin, so more likely than not it emerged to identify someone as a native of Janków, Jankowo or Janki.

Siedlarz is dialectic for siodlarz (saddle & harness maker)
Polonius3   
20 Mar 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

I've been trying to figure out the meaning of my last name: Dmuchowski

Dmuchowski, Dmóchowski and Dmochowski probably started as a toponymic nicknames from at least six localities called Dmochy (Blowton, Gustville).

slaski

Regional toponymic adjective Śląski (pronounced: SHLON-skee) from the southern region of Śląsk (Silesia). Others include the nouns Ślązak and Ślęzak

hey my last name is Firomski, i have looked everywhere but cant seem to find anything about it.

A stumper indeed! Not only is there no-one named Firomski in Poland, but I have also struck out with a number of hypothetical spelling variants such as: Fieromski, Piromski, Pieromski, Wiromski, Wieromski, Chwiromski, Chwieromski, Kwiromski, Kwieromski....

Please check your ancestor's Old World documents (preferably birth/baptismal or marriage certificates if possible for the original spelling which may have become deformed over the years.
Polonius3   
8 Mar 2009
Life / Womans day in Poland? [242]

I thought Święto Kobiec (8th March) was a commie invention that Poles have scrubbed the way they have 22nd July (commie take-over day). It surely cannot be celebrated as widely as it was under communism, can it?
Polonius3   
1 Mar 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Does anyone know about "Piascik"

Piast was the name of Poland's founding dynasty. The term Piast was used to mean any native Polish candidate to the throne as opposed to a foreigner.

Piaścik is the diminutive form which possibly meant princeling. Or a toponymic nickname for someone from Piastów or Piastowo.
There are probbaly more nobles with -ski ending surnames, but that does not mean that all -skis were well-born.

Babicz - metronymic (son of an unwed mother)

Frankiewicz - patronymic (Frank's boy)

Bąk - horsefly, top (child's spinning toy), little tyke

Razkowski - probably Raszkowski (toponymic from Raszków)

Does anyone have information about the last name Borczyk

bór~bor is a coniferous forest, someone living in or near oen or from a locality called Bory or Borki (Forestville, Forestwood, etc.) might have been nicknamed Borek. When he fathered a son, neighbours could well have dubbed the offspring Borczak, Borkiewicz, Borewicz or Borczyk (patronymic nicknames can be quite prolific in Polish).

my last name is Rucinski. is there any one else with this surname

Dunno if there's anyone on this forum with your sunrmae, but in Poland more than 7,600 people answer to Ruciński. Root is ruta~rucina (myrtle -- a herb associated with marriage and spinsterhood); possibly arose as toponymic nicname from the locality of Ruciany (Myrtleville?)

I WAS WONDERING WHAT SEIDOWSKY MEANT

Seidowsky is not a Polish spelling. Could it have originally been Sajdowski?

Skłodowski? Ordon? £ącka?

Skłodowski -- toponymic from a place called Skłody (dialectic for sk$ady -- storage sheds)
Ordon -- probably from orda (horde); the Złota Orda was a Tatar-Mongolian state set up in the 13th century; name well-known in Polish culture thanks ia to Mickiewicz's poem Reduta Ordona (Ordon's Redoubt)

£ącka -- dialectic (mazurianised pronunciation) for łączka (meadow)

SKORZEWSKI

Most liklely a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Skórzew or Skórzewo (probably derived from skóra -- leather, hide, skin, hence Hideville, Leatherton, etc.)

If anyone has info on Korab that would be awesome. Thanks.

Korab is an archaic Polish word for boat, ark, barge (still used in Russian and other Slavonic tongues). It is also the crest-name of a Polish coat of arms which depicts a boat with a tower at its center. Conflicitng legends place its origin in Germany, England or even ancient Rome. One version contends that the Roman Emperor Justinian (527-65) granted such emblems to his warriors who had successfully sailed such ships up the Danube into the lands of the Slavs and/or Huns.

The surname Szczerbacki is quite similar to Shcherbatsky - The names that appear in Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina".(ie. Prince Alexsander Dimitrevich Shcherbatsky, Princess Katherine Shcherbatsky) Is the Szczerbacki surname is variant of Shcherbatsky ?

Re Szczerbacki, it is the exact same name except that one if written in Cyrillic script: Щербацкий, the other the Polish way -- Szczerbacki.
BTW, note the efficiency and economy of Russian which compresses the szcz sound into a single letter: Щ
Polonius3   
28 Feb 2009
Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

Sorry, I misphrased things. I did not intend to suggest that choroba has replaced or displaced cholera which is very much alive. I wanted to say choroba was once used by those who felt cholera was too strong. Mea maxima culpa for my lack of clarity!
Polonius3   
22 Feb 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

The absence of diacritical marks makes it impossible to even begin researching this surname. The names Zaleński as well as Załęski both exist in Poland. Also Zalenski wouldd be the way an immigrant might phoneticlaly respell Zalęski, Załęski and Żałęski. All these versions have different roots. If possibnle, check the immigrant's Odl World vital documents.
Polonius3   
21 Feb 2009
Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

Cholera was once considered quite rude so it was replaced by the euphemism choroba. Go figure.
Just as do diaska replaced do diabła, regarded as a very strong oath.
Polonius3   
20 Feb 2009
Genealogy / Kaczorowski [3]

Kaczorowski probably arose as a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Kaczorów or Kaczorowo (Drakeville).
A kaczor is a drake (male duck).
Polonius3   
13 Feb 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

What does Preusser mean?

Preusser or Preußer = Prussian

Gęślicki from gęśla -- an ancient zither-like 3-stringed instrument

Meaning of last name Rychcik

Rychcik -- toponymic nickname from Rychcik or Rychciki; possibly from rychtować (dialectic to repair, set right, settle, mend) -- possible nickname of a Mr Fix-it

Skibicki?

Skibicki-- toponymic nickname from Skibice (Furrowville)
Polonius3   
8 Feb 2009
Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

This has been going on for ages, but, since patience is a Christian value, here goes again: busha, busia, babci or bobchee are all in substandard Anglo-Polish jargon used in some US Polonian families, BYT THEY ARE NOT IN POLISH! The Polish word for grandmother is babka and popular hypocoristic forsm include babcia, babunia and

babuleńka.
Polonius3   
8 Feb 2009
USA, Canada / WHAT IS THE US POLONIA LIKE? [42]

tHIS IS FROM THE pOLISH-aaMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER IN PHILADELPHIA. ANY COMMENTS?

Polonia in America!
As the sixth largest ethnic group in the United States, Polish Americans remain a vibrant part of our nation's ethnic mosaic, its tax base, and cultural well-being. If we look at what Polonia does in the Philadelphia area, we see a reflection of the good Polish Americans do within local communities across the United States.

1. Polish Americans have always been an outstanding pillar in Philadelphia's, Pennsylvania's and the nation's tax base. The taxes Polish Americans pay include income, property, business, school, sales, inheritance and other taxes, which represent a substantial portion of the annual revenue used to support government services and continue community programs.

polishamericancenter.org/PANews/February09/page01.pdf - Polish American News

Next time post a link please.
Polonius3   
4 Feb 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Bercik could also be the diminutive or Berthold. But someone who came from Bohemia and was called Brcik migth have inserted a vowel to avoid snide comments and ridicule in a Polish-speaking area. Only a hypothesis!
Polonius3   
1 Feb 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Dudek -- Hoopoe, Old World bird species; colloquially a fool; also possible toponymic sources such as Dudki.

Working on a family tree for my 10 year old. Trying to find the meaning of the last name Brcik. Has it ever been changed?

Brcik looks Czech. They love such words. Smrt is Czech for death (Polish: śmierć).
The Brcik name has been recorded in Poland but no-one bears it at present. There is one person named Bercik living in the Katowice area (which borders on Bohemia) and 2 Burciks living in the Warsaw area. It is not inconceivable that some Brcik added a vowel to make his name sound less strange in Poland.
Polonius3   
30 Jan 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

More than 2,000 people in Poland use the Pączek surname, whilst fewer than 300 spell it Ponczek. Names have been subject to all kinds of inadvertent misspellings and deliberate respelligns as well as numerous otehr modifciatons. There are some people in Poland named Dembek but that does nto change teh fact that the original seżplling had been Dębek. One msut remember that most people were illiterate centuries ago, and even many village scribes and parish preists were semi-literate at best. Then the clerks of the partitioning powers took over... After Poland regained her freedom (1918) and literacy had improved considerably, some Poels restored the original spelling of their names, but others did not.
Polonius3   
29 Jan 2009
Genealogy / Looking for Polish Spelling of Last Name [17]

Couldn't find aynthign even close: Nieświerk, Nieświk, Nieszwierg...
Looks Germanic or Yiddish. Were yoru ancestors ethnic Poles?
Polonius3   
29 Jan 2009
Life / Polish Nursery Rhymes [253]

nieboraczek is diminutive of nieborak = poor wretch, poor soul
Polonius3   
28 Jan 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

HERSZKOWICZ
This is a patronymic form derived from the Jewish first name Hirsz, Hersz, Girsz, Gersz, Herszel, Herszko, etc. (from German/Yiddish Hirsch = stag). There is no one correct form, only variants. The famous compsoer Gershwin traces his surname to the same root. Naturally, it can be spelt the English (Hirsh, Hersh, Gersh, etc.) or German (Hirsch, Hersch, Gersch) way. The famous composer Gershwin traces his surname to the same root.

PĄCZEK/PONCZEK
Pączek is the original spelling and Ponczek and was a typcial example of how many Polish immigrants phonetically respelt their surnames in America to retain something close to the original.

Without that change the person would have to go through life being called PAY-zack.
You know how little kids in school would taunt someone like that: "Don't pay Zack, pay Bill or Tom!"
The primary meaning of pączek is a flower bud, the doughnut is a secondary meaning.
Polonius3   
27 Jan 2009
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Its root is definitely głowa (head). It could have been a nickname as in Jędrek Głowacki (Big-headed Andy) or a toponmyic nickname derived from such localities as Głowa, Głowy, Głowno, Głowaczów, etc. (roughly: Headville, Headbury, Headmont).
Polonius3   
24 Jan 2009
Life / Polish Nursery Rhymes [253]

Kiedy byłam jeszcze mała myszki bałam się,
chociaż myszka uciekała bo się bała mnie.
Teraz ja się jej nie boję i nie kryję się
Kiedy biegnie przez pokoje i do dziurki mknie.
Polonius3   
14 Jan 2009
Life / Funeral Traditions in Poland [68]

Perhaps you'll find what you were referring to in the following:

Death
Many people nowadays -- in Poland, America and elsewhere -- say they would prefer to 'go' quickly: die instantly in an accident or drift away peacefully in their sleep. Such an attitude runs counter to traditional values. Our immigrant ancestors used to pray: 'Od powietrza, głodu, ognia, wojny i nagłej, niespodziewanej śmierci -- zachowaj nas Panie!' ('From pestilence, famine, fire, war and sudden, unexpected death, preserve us, o Lord'). The worst thing that could happen to one was to meet death unprepared -- away from home, lacking funds for a proper burial or, above all, in a state of sin. People planned ahead for their death. The poor would save up for years for a coffin and decent clothes to be buried in. To be on the safe side, some even stored their coffin in the loft of their cottage for years, using it as a kind of storage bin until the time came.

Harbingers of death
A variety of folk beliefs were associated with death, although many of them were only half-believed or treated tongue in cheek. The even person at Wigilia supper was thought not likely to see another Christmas. The girl who picked the pot containing a clump of sod on St Andrew's Eve was said to have chosen death. The ominous hooting of an owl, the family dog howling and tugging at his chain, a mole hill just beyond the threshold, a mysteriously tapping on the window -- were all regarded as signs of impending death in the household. Nowadays many people die in hospitals: drugged, plugged and surrounded by strangers. The goal of most everyone was once to die in their own bed, after having received the Sacraments, with family and neighbors in attendance.

As we can see in Władysław Reymont's 'The Peasants' ('Chłopi'), even homeless beggars, who rarely had a roof over their heads and slept wherever they could, hoped to have a bed to die in. There was nothing more demeaning and undignified than to breathe one's last 'pod płotem' (next to a fence), like a dog, forsaken by God and man. The priest would be called to the deathbed, and as he made his way through the village, villagers would kneel and make the Sign of the Cross as the Blessed Sacrament he was carrying passed. Everyone would leave the room to enable the priest to hear the dying person's last confession, administer Holy Communion and Ostatnie Namaszczenie (Extreme Unction -- (now called the Anointing of the Sick -Namaszczenie Chorych). Relatives would then return and pray for the one not long for this world. A lighted gromnica (candle) would be placed in the dying person's hand to light his or her way to the afterlife.

Funeral preparations
When death finally came, the women round the deathbed would give out a plaintive wail and begin praying more fervently than before. Doors and windows would be flung open to allow the soul of the deceased to leave for eternity. Mirrors would be covered and clocks would be stopped. A woman known to perform such services was called in to wash and dress the corpse. In the peasant cottages of yore, the deceased would be laid on a board between two chairs or tables flanked by tall candles and would be placed in a coffin only on the day of the funeral. (This is reflected by the humorous, albeit death-related drinking song in Mazurian dialect which goes: 'Umarł Maciek umarł i lezy na desce; gdyby mu zagrali podskocyłby jesce...' Matty's dead, he is, and he's lying on a board; he'd jump up again if he heard a lively chord). Among the upper classes, the deceased was displayed in a coffin, and eventually that custom trickled down to the peasantry as well. The body was never left unattended. Most of the day the elderly women of the village would sing and pray, recite rosaries and litanies, but family members and neighbors would keep a vigil all night long. Traditionally, the body was kept in the home for three days, the funeral usually being held on the third day after the person's death.

Funeral, burial
On the day of the funeral, the lid (which had been standing in a corner of the room or elsewhere out of sight was placed on the coffin and it was carried out feet first. The threshold of the house was struck with the coffin three times before being placed in a horse-drawn vehicle and taken to church. Following the Requiem Mass, the coffin was carried at shoulder height to graveside, if the cemetery was adjacent to or very near

the church, or placed back into the vehicle if is was some distance away. This could be a rude farm cart drawn by an old nag or ox or, among the nobility, a magnificent glass-sided hearse draw by four to six elegant horses draped with black mourning cloths with black plumes protruding from their heads. The deceased in his/her coffin was led along this final road by a crucifer and a black religious banner of mourning, with mourners following behind the coffin on foot. The prayers at graveside included the supplication: 'Wieczny odpoczynek (or the more modern form: wieczne odpoczywanie) racz mu/jej dać, Panie,' to which the mourners replied: 'A światłość wiekuista niechaj mu/jej świeci na wieki wieków. Amen.' ('Eternal rest grant unto him/her, o Lord -- And may the perpetual light shine upon him/her. Amen.) After the burial, mourners were invited to a stypa (post-funeral banquet) or konsolacja (meal of consolation), whose sumptuousness depended on the family's financial means.

Contemporary Polish funeral customs
Here are some features of traditional Polish funeral customs that have survived down to our times. There are both similarities and differences between those prevalent in Poland and among Polonia. Each reader should decide for himself which Polish customs deserve wider exposure on the Polish-American scene.

· The initials Ś.P. (Świętej Pamięci -- literally: of sacred memory), often separated by a cross preface the name of the deceased in obituaries and funeral notices. For example, 'Ś.+P. Andrzej Kowalski' could be translated as 'the late lamented Andrzej Kowalski'.

· In addition to the obituaries published in the press, copies of a funeral notice known as a klepsydra (literally: hour-glass -- a symbol of the passage of time) are posted outside the deceased's place of residence and employment as well as parish church. The press obituary and funeral notice are similar in content if not identical, except that the latter is larger -- roughly the size of a standard sheet of typewriter/copy paper. A typical obituary/funeral notice might run as follows:

Z głębokim smutkiem zawiadamiamy,
że w dniu 6 listopada 2008 roku zmarł w wieku 79 lat

Ś. + P.
Tadeusz Adamczyk
wieloletni działacz Stow. Aptekarzy Polsko-Amerykasńkich
oraz Związku Narodowego Polskiego
***
Nabożeństwo żałobne odbędzie się 10 listopada 2008 r. o godz. 10.00 w kościele pw. Św. Stanisława Kostki, po którym nastąpi wyprowadzenie na cmentarz miejscowy

***
O czym zawiadamiają pogrążeni w głębokim żalu żona Krystyna, syn Jacek, synowa Beata, córka Małgorzata, zięć Tomasz Pawlak oraz wnuczęta Marek, Ania i Piotruś

TRANSLATION: In deep bereavement we wish to inform that on November 6th, 2008, the late lamented Tadeusz Adamczyk, a long-standing activist of the Polish-American Pharmacists' Association and the Polish National Alliance, died at the age of 79. A funeral mass will be celebrated on November 10th, 2008, at St Stanislaus Kostka Church, after which the transfer to the local cemetery will take place. This information has been provided by the deeply bereaved wife Krystyna, son Jacek, daughter-in-law Beata, daughter Małgorzata, son-in-law Tomasz Pawlak and grandchildren Marek, Ania i Piotruś.

· Unlike the common American-style rectangular, flip-top, split-lid casket, the traditional Polish trumna (coffin) is usually wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet. Rather than being hinged, the lid is removable. The lid, always in one piece, is often quite built up, so that it accounts for one-half or even more of the entire coffin. A plain cross usually adorns the top of the lid. Oak coffins are regarded as the most elegant, and those made of pine are the cheapest. Often the less expensive ones are doctored-up to convey the impression of solid oak.

· It was once common to display the deceased in an open coffin at home for three days ahead of the funeral. (This practice is still encountered in the Polish countryside). Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly more common for only the nearest of kin to briefly view the deceased in his/her coffin, usually in the hospital mortuary or at a 'sala pożegnań' farewell (room) at the cemetery chapel. Others coming to pay their respects at the funeral see only the closed coffin and remember the person as he was in life.

· Especially if the deceased was a political figure, cultural celebrity or otherwise prominent individual, an honor guards of his colleagues often take turns holding a silent vigil round the closed coffin; uniformed comrades-in-arms or fellow-members to take turns forming an honor guard and/or color guard next to the coffin of military officer, war veteran, member of a uniformed formation (fireman, postman, scoutmaster, etc.) or some prominent organization.

· The coffin is carried shoulder high by four our six men, not suitcase-style the American way. Those carrying the coffin have no special name (there is no Polish word for 'pallbearer'). The honors may be done by neighbors or friends in the countryside or by the undertaker's attendants in cities.

· Chopin's renowned 'Marche Funèbre' is often performed by a band marching in the funeral cortège or a recorded version thereof is piped over a public-address system. Considering that our Polish heritage rightly claims the world's most beloved and revered funeral march, performed at the burials of heads of state and other VIPs as well as ordinary people around the globe, it surely deserves wider exposure at Polish-American funerals.

· Especially at the funerals of veterans, members of uniformed formations or prominent individuals, a gun salute by a uniformed honors detachment is often fired at graveside prior to interment. A uniformed color guard at graveside will make the event more memorable.

· An integral part of the graveside prayers is the priest's invocation: 'Wieczne odpoczywanie (or: wieczny odpoczynek) racz Mu/Jej dać, Panie' (Eternal rest grant unto Him/Her, o Lord), to which the mourners respond: 'A światłość wiekuista niechaj Mu/Jej świeci' (And let the perpetual Light shine upon Him/Her).

· The prayers end when the priest blesses the coffin with holy water and throws a clump of soil on it saying: 'Prochem jesteś i w proch się obrócisz, ale Pan Cię wskrzesi w dniu ostatecznym. Żyj w pokoju' (Dust you are and to dust you shall return, but the Lord will raise you on the last day. Live in peace).

· At the funerals of the Polish-born in Diaspora, a handful of Polish soil (brought from Poland and specially kept for this final occasion) is often sprinkled upon the coffin prior to interment to symbolize the deceased's return to the earth from which he/she had sprung. This ritual may be performed by the officiating clergyman, a family member or close friend. A secular invocation at burials of the Polish-born goes: Niech Mu/Jej ziemia amerykańska/kanadyjska lekką będzie (May the American/Canadian soil weigh down lightly upon Him/Her).

· A family member, close friend, co-worker, employer, fellow organizational member, etc. may say a few words about the deceased and bid him farewell. He may throw a clump of soil on the coffin and other mourners may follow suit.

· The best-known Polish funeral hymn, 'Witaj Królowo Nieba', is usually sung as the coffin is being lowered into the grave. It is intoned by the priest, with the mourners joining in.

· After the coffin has been lowered into the grave, more distant mourners often disperse. The closest of kin remains until the grave has been filled in by gravediggers.

· A post-funeral reception, known as a stypa or konsolacja is often held after the burial. It may be held at the home of the deceased or at a public dining establishment. A prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased may be led by a clergyman and a few words about the person whose memory is being honored are said. A toast may also be raised 'za spokój duszy....' (for the repose of his/her soul) or 'za pamięć' (in memory of....), but this should not be the occasion for serious drinking and the frivolity it often produces. Lively music would also be out of character, but the performance of a hymn or piece of more serious music beloved by the deceased might be appropriate.

· A one-year period of mourning is customarily observed. Unlike the black arm-bands of yesteryear, nowadays it is more common to sport only a small black ribbon across the lapel of one's suit coat or dress. Lively celebrations and entertainment are avoided, and the widow or widower generally do not remarry until the period of mourning is over. If the deceased is a younger person whose premature demise has orphaned small children, an exception to this rule is sometimes made.

· A memorial mass is celebrated on the first anniversary of a loved one's death. It is attended by relatives and close friends of the family, and a memorial dinner is usually held after mass. In some families each subsequent anniversary is marked in this manner. In others, the commemoration is limited to the first anniversary and later to round (5th, 10th, etc.) ones.