What it means to be Polish or How to be Polish?

So...I'm Polish(-American). From what I could gather, my great-great-grandparents and great-grandfather came from Poland, also I'm apparently part of the Odrowąż clan (may do a separate post inquiring about that). Being third generational American, however, has robbed me of my sense of connection to Poland. I also married into a Filipino family recently, who carry with them a rich culture, which is just fantastic; however I also want to integrate and learn more about Polish tradition and customs, so I can pass down my heritage as well (which I didn't get to grow up with). So where do I start? How do I proceed? At age 30, learning the Polish language is probably out of the question, being apparently one of the most difficult languages for a native English speaker to learn. What customs can I learn and adopt? Wifey already has in mind making a sauerkraut recipe of hers a household staple, but what other Polish cuisines can I introduce (she doesn't eat beef or pork)? As Filipinos adopted El Dia de los Muertos from Spain and Mexico, does Poland also have it's own "Day of the Dead" customs? Anything and Everything, What is it and What does it mean,et cetera.

First it's not clan but, ród (clans are a Scottish tradition) :)

If you are merely thinking about culture, I recommend to look up Polish cook books. Check out Vod.pl for films/series maybe they got english subtitles.

Perhaps some native Poles got any suggestions?

There are plenty of Polish dishes that don't have pork - with the sauerkraut you can make a bigos and maybe use turkey and deer sausage instead of the pork.

Pierogi - with cheese and potato, or with sauerkraut and wild mushrooms,

Polish soups are amazing - especially Zurek and chlodnik.

There are lots of great polish deserts to try.

Yes we have an All Saints tradition - we get soaked lighting candles at our family graves and then go to listen to some relatives complaining. I guess the Filipino traditions are more fun !

No! Go for it. The difficulty is exagerrated. It's the best thing you can and should do I think.

Cinek

@cinek
I guess I ought to learn at least some rudimentary Polish, as me and Wifey hope to vacate in Poland in a few years.

@cms neuf
I already know well of pirogis. Looked up on Youtube Zurek and Chlodnik with Polish Your Kitchen. I'm so fascinated!

Please stick to the topic

and why do they think if you dont act like them or disagree with their ways youre not Polish?

Being Polish is tested only one way: with undivided loyalty to Poland and to the total exclusion of all others.
Liking pierogi is not a valid test.

Hmm..... let me thingk.

So, first, you need to die fighting for Poland.
Then, you must be able to recite Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie w Szczebrzeszynie.
Next, you should drink a bottle of vodka and survive.
Finally, eat your tatar raw steak topped with tripes fortified with smalec(melted lard). And survive.

How simple.

Let me think.
I am Polish by birth but no fight for Poland was needed. Chrzaszcz is possible, after a bottle of vodka woud probably die and tatar is simply ugly....

It doesn`t have to be 1 litre. 0.75 litre is enough.


That is why you need to drink vodka first - that order wasn`t accidental. . You will take to the steak more easily after vodka.

Vodka in Poland is mostly 0,5 litre. I prefer wine. There are 38 Million people in Poland and everybody is different. But I have a question for Ladys and Gentelman Forigner who live in Poland why they do that? What was the reason to stay in Poland?

Maybe, but 0.5 is too little to test you as a true Pole. You need to gulp 0.75.


Me too. But now we are talking about Polishness, not preferences.


We still haven`t attained full diversity.


Polish females and males,. of course. Plus special attractions, unavailable anywhere else.

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Polish females are beautiful and polish males handsom? I presume. Bat what is with this polish cow? Dutch are better.

It's women and men, not females and males. We are talking about people, not cats.