The Customs of Yearly Holidays by the Ontario Kaszubs

Abstract

The earliest polish settlers living around Wilno and Barry’s Bay are called Kaszuby, as the majority of them came from Kaszuby a region in northern Poland. Although they are living in Canada already for some generations they conserved a conscience of where they come from and, to some extent, also the language of their ancestors. Old customs and folkloric ceremonies nearly disappeared during the hard beginnings, although now they seem to be reviving. The few customs retained fulfill nevertheless many important social functions, such as gathering the members of family and neighbor communes as well as strengthening and manifesting community bonds.

Yearly holidays with some special customs preserved by the Ontario Kaszubs are: Christmas, New Year, Epiphanie, Purfication of the Virgin Mary (the 2 February), Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Corpus Christy-day, Assumption-day, All Saints’day and All Souls’day.

Kaszubs belong at present to different cultural circles. They also contribute, more and more often quite consciously, to the multiculture of present Canada.