Casimir season in Wisconsin

We celebrated Casimir Season in Wisconsin this weekend with paczkis, pierogies, polkas and Polish pride.

Neither of the Casimirs we honored spent a whole lot of time in this world, so it’s good that we celebrate them so heartily even hundreds of years after they’ve passed.

St. Casimir, a Polish prince, died at age 26 on March 4 1484. Born Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk (say what you will about us Poles, we do not skimp on the letters in our names), he developed a keen intellect, while maintaining the humility, piety and politeness that led to his beatification.

I think these three qualities also define the communities that honor both him and the legendary Casimir who succeeded him 261 years later.

Casimir Pulaski immigrated from Poland to fight in the Revolutionary War, and he ended up saving General George Washington’s life in battle.

“I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it and to live or die for it,” he said.

Pulaski died in battle, but both his legacy as a defender of freedom, and the freedom for which he so bravely fought, live on.

Where else would we honor that Casimir but the city that bears his name and how else would we celebrate him but with a joyful, multi-generational polka przyjęcie?

We lugged our rusty polka legs onto the historic floor of Scolly’s Dance Hall and took a turn or two. As I have mentioned before, the onramp to a polka can be fraught with humiliation. You have to merge carefully among all that lively kicking and twirling and then you have to navigate your way around that slippery oval without blocking traffic or smacking into anyone.

Thankfully, we injured no one and we had a lot of fun.

The best part about polka dances is the variety of people and generations they attract. Saturday night in Pulaski, even the musicians spanned several generations. Twelve-year old Zander and 10-year old Helaina Raymaker, two pint-sized polka prodigies, kicked things off with Zander on the concertina and Helaina on the keyboard.

Following their set, they hit the dance floor as Chicago-based Polka Mojo played.

The next morning, we went to mass at St. Casimir Church in Krakow, and were delighted to see Zander and his Music Raymakers playing at the Polish brunch that followed.

We’d like to thank the Casimirs and the good and talented people of the Pulaski/Krakow area for a great weekend!

As my pap, one of the world’s best polka dancers, used to say, Nostrovia!