A Sunday Thought About Polish Carols for the Eleventh Day of Christmas
It's the Eleventh Day of Christmas. Even with New Year's Day now behind us, Christmas isn't over. If you think it is, you've bought into the whole secular world view that's pretty much had its way these recent decades. If you're Catholic, you really don't want to do that - OK?
Then again, we're all human, and since the secular pooh-bahs started broadcasting "holiday music" before Thanksgiving, you might possibly be suffering from "too much" Christmas, or - heaven forbid - pretty much have had it with the trappings of Christmas. Like, for example, neighbors who have already taken down their Christmas decorations, some even before New Year's Day. Absurd...and sad.
So if you're feeling a bit wrung out this Christmas Season, if you've either gone back to work this past Friday, or are going back tomorrow, and you're being sucked into the secular spirit that shoves Christmas into the back room of your daily life, we've got a treat for you today. Unless you're Polish, and you're familiar with you're cultural heritage, you probably aren't familiar with Polish Christmas Carols. That's the treat we've got for you today.
Being Italian American, Polish Christmas Carols weren't a part of my Christmas until about 30 years ago. That's when a Polish Catholic colleague gave me a cassette tape of some Christmas Carols performed by a group by the name of "Mazowsze." They recorded these selections when Poland was still under Communist rule, sometime in the 1970s. The carols are performed with full orchestra. The choral singing is just gorgeous. Ever since then, I've made a point of listening to their versions of the Polish Christmas carols that my colleague grew up with. I still remember his description of attending Christmas Mass in his Polish-American church, when the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he sang the carols every year while he was growing up.
You can find Polish Christmas carols on Youtube now. Thirty years ago, before Youtube, this cassette tape was a very special gift given to me by my colleague. I still treasure it, even though you can find many of the same recordings now on Youtube. I haven't spoken to or heard from this fellow for many years, but I always remember him in a spirit of profound gratitude ever time I listen to those carols.
Here's a link to just one of these beautiful carols. I don't speak or understand Polish, but I know that this one's talking to the baby Jesus as He sleeps. You won't need any other translation or explanation. If you just listen, you'll understand. And if you're impressed or moved by this carol, you can find more on Youtube. Whenever I search, I always try to find a version by Mazowsze. Maybe you'll understand why when you hear this one.
Being a sucker for carols that focus on the innocence of the Baby Jesus lying in His manger, here's another selection, this one from a live performance by the same Mazowsze. Here you can see them perform in their native costumes. Just georgous!
Then again, we're all human, and since the secular pooh-bahs started broadcasting "holiday music" before Thanksgiving, you might possibly be suffering from "too much" Christmas, or - heaven forbid - pretty much have had it with the trappings of Christmas. Like, for example, neighbors who have already taken down their Christmas decorations, some even before New Year's Day. Absurd...and sad.
So if you're feeling a bit wrung out this Christmas Season, if you've either gone back to work this past Friday, or are going back tomorrow, and you're being sucked into the secular spirit that shoves Christmas into the back room of your daily life, we've got a treat for you today. Unless you're Polish, and you're familiar with you're cultural heritage, you probably aren't familiar with Polish Christmas Carols. That's the treat we've got for you today.
Being Italian American, Polish Christmas Carols weren't a part of my Christmas until about 30 years ago. That's when a Polish Catholic colleague gave me a cassette tape of some Christmas Carols performed by a group by the name of "Mazowsze." They recorded these selections when Poland was still under Communist rule, sometime in the 1970s. The carols are performed with full orchestra. The choral singing is just gorgeous. Ever since then, I've made a point of listening to their versions of the Polish Christmas carols that my colleague grew up with. I still remember his description of attending Christmas Mass in his Polish-American church, when the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he sang the carols every year while he was growing up.
You can find Polish Christmas carols on Youtube now. Thirty years ago, before Youtube, this cassette tape was a very special gift given to me by my colleague. I still treasure it, even though you can find many of the same recordings now on Youtube. I haven't spoken to or heard from this fellow for many years, but I always remember him in a spirit of profound gratitude ever time I listen to those carols.
Here's a link to just one of these beautiful carols. I don't speak or understand Polish, but I know that this one's talking to the baby Jesus as He sleeps. You won't need any other translation or explanation. If you just listen, you'll understand. And if you're impressed or moved by this carol, you can find more on Youtube. Whenever I search, I always try to find a version by Mazowsze. Maybe you'll understand why when you hear this one.
Being a sucker for carols that focus on the innocence of the Baby Jesus lying in His manger, here's another selection, this one from a live performance by the same Mazowsze. Here you can see them perform in their native costumes. Just georgous!
Happy Eleventh Day of Christmas!
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