Holidays in Chicago – Authentic Taste of Poland Festival
Each country has a different identity and one of the most common hallmarks in the ranking is through its culture. Many people define culture, which is generally and commonly used in today’s context of understanding, as the perspective or opinion of an entire society, which can be reflected in its words, books, writings, religions, beliefs, values, music, clothing , kitchen, etc. . . or it is also the way people think and understand the world and their own lives. Thus, each country has different rituals and cultural activities. It is interesting to study the culture as in this particular case the people of Poland and to know how they practice it even if they lived outside their country of origin. We will see their form and way of cooking their food.
In Chicago there is an annual celebration among Polish-Americans called Taste of Poland. It is a festival that takes place at the Copernicus Civic and Cultural Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook Country, Illinois every Labor Day weekend. Since 1979, a four-day celebration of Polish cultural heritage, traditions and customs has been held with the Taste of Poland and showcasing delicious Polish cuisine, entertainment, Polish artisans and craftsmen.
There are many people who attend the festival from the Northwest side of Chicago, the rest of Chicago, and outlying areas of the region. The Taste of Poland festival attracts not only Chicago’s Polish community, but even people from other ethnic backgrounds, drawing crowds of about 30,000 each year. Due to its popularity, various local and national politicians visited the festival, especially during the election period and many prominent politicians such as President George HW Bush in 1992, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Tipper Gore. If this has attracted high-ranking government officials and celebrities, there must be something to see at this authentic Taste of Poland festival and the only way to do that is to visit on Labor Day. You will never miss out on this opportunity despite the financial constraint because there is a promotional offer for cheap flights to Chicago that is available throughout the year.
Quite surprisingly, the largest ethnically Polish population outside of the Polish capital of Warsaw is Poles in Chicago, making it one of the most important centers in Poland. Therefore, the Chicago government, realizing its importance, commemorated each Labor Day weekend at the Taste of Poland Festival in Jefferson Park. The economic and social development of Chicago can be traced back to the involvement of the Polish people in Chicago due to their extensive presence during the early part of history. Additionally, there are many landmarks in Chicago that are built with Polish architecture and design, such as churches that can be seen from the Kennedy Expressway, highways, and even local neighborhood streets.
A study of the historical background of Polish immigrants staying in Chicago showed that they are sprouting up in neighborhoods near factories, transportation facilities, and industrial zones because of their culture to work where they live. Therefore, the largest concentration of the Polish community is on the northwest side, around the three-way intersection between Ashland Avenue, Division Street, and Milwaukee Avenue. Even with its northwest expansion along Milwaukee Avenue, into Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square, the intersection still became its political, economic, and cultural territory. Therefore, this was called the Polish Triangle or Polish Center in the first half of the 20th century, but recently this name has been slowly erased as there are many other ethnic groups occupying the area.
It is truly a rewarding experience to see other cultures and values of other people around the world and one notable culture to examine is the Polish culture. Many people who joined the food festival at Taste of Polonio said that the food is really delicious and delicious; hence it is not easy for them to forget the experience and they keep coming back to the festival every year. If you’re in the mood and excited to join the Taste of Polonium festival, you can fly into Chicago over Labor Day weekend. The route of going there is not really a financial sacrifice as there are great deals that can be availed through cheap Chicago flights.
