Brak Danych! Greetings, Chicagoans!
Your celebration instincts may already be geared up for St. Patrick’s Day, but we have another important holiday to recognize first. Casimir Pulaski Day is coming to a calendar near you on Monday, March 1.
While the rest of the country honors this Pole who became an American Revolutionary War hero on Oct. 11, the presumed date of his death, in Illinois we have been tipping our tricorner hats to him on the first Monday of March since 1977, close to his March 4 birthday.
Who he was
What inspires a working person’s city to change the all-American street name of Crawford Road to Pulaski Road for a foreign nobleman? Pulaski made a name for himself in Europe for his valiant but unsuccessful efforts to foil the aggressions of Czarist Russia against his homeland. After being wrongly implicated in a regicide plot, Pulaski fled to France. There he met Benjamin Franklin who was championing the cause of American freedom. Eager to support another country’s fight for independence and to seek revenge on the British for their support of the partitioning of Poland, Pulaski signed on.
Even before receiving an official assignment from the U.S. Congress, Count Casimir maneuvered a brilliant counterattack at the battle of Brandywine Creek to aid the troops of George Washington. Congress soon appointed him Brigadier General and allowed him to recruit and train soldiers for a cavalry (hence, his designation as “father of the American cavalry”).
His numerous strategic and military contributions to the Revolutionary War were epitomized at British-occupied Savannah, Ga. When the French infantry that was allied with his troops began faltering and disbanding after being caught in heavy fire, Pulaski charged ahead. He was mortally wounded by cannon fire and carried to a ship bound for Charleston, S.C.
Where he is
This is not just another year to show appreciation. An important piece of Pulaski history will likely be corrected soon.
Until recently, Casimir’s heroic tale ended with a burial at sea. A couple of years ago, however, when restorationists were working on the crumbling Pulaski Monument (c. 1855) in Savannah, they discovered a metal box of bones labeled “Cassimer Pulaski” in the monument’s base. Not only were some of Pulaski’s papers and medals contained within, but the skeletal remains clearly suggested someone who spent a good deal of time on horseback. Hmmm.
DNA analysis is underway and historians are eagerly awaiting proof of what they are already 95 percent certain. If a positive identity occurs soon, we can expect a full and proper state funeral in conjunction with the national holiday in October.
Many consider our special nod to Pulaski as quite fitting for a city with more Poles than any town other than Warsaw. It is apt for a similar but under-recognized fact: Chicago also has more residents of Lithuanian extraction than any city outside of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania (whose current president, by the way, is a former Chicagoan). So? Though the Pulaski name is Polish, he descends from what was then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and also has ancestral links to that Baltic region.
How to celebrate officially
How does one recognize Count Pulaski’s contributions to our country? There’s the ceremonious route that involves plaques, politicians and hobnobbing with members of active groups like the Polish Roman Catholic Union and the Polish American Congress.
There’s also the do-it-yourself route that offers the chance to enjoy the bounty of someone else’s ethnicity.
The official annual Pulaski Day reception is held at the Polish Museum of America at 10 a.m. Mayor Daley and Gov. Ryan will be on hand with a host of other politicians to dedicate a plaque commemorating Pulaski. Then head to the Truman College Student Center (1145 W. Wilson Ave.; 773-878-1700) for activities at noon. There’ll be more speeches and politicians (though Daley and the Guv have sent their regrets this year). A historian will offer an overview of Pulaski’s life, which you can contemplate with new friends over the free spread of Polish baked goods that follows the ceremonies.
The Polish American Congress finishes the day with a banquet at the Starlight Inn, 9950 W. Lawrence Ave., Schiller Park; 847-671-4444). Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m. Performances by the Lajkonik Dance Group and the children of Casimir Pulaski School and the presentation of recognition awards to members of the community round out the festivities. Cost is $30 per person. Call 773-774-0011 to reserve a spot.
How to celebrate unofficially
If you’d rather go it alone and build your own holiday on Monday, start with breakfast at Bridgeport’s Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant. Note: “healthy” is used in the “robust” sense. Try the crepe-like blynai (Lithuanian pancakes) with berries on top.
Return to the Polish Museum once the crowds have subsided. This is the oldest and largest ethnic museum in the United States. Its many historic, religious, and cultural artifacts include a Picasso, a Chagall and an 18th Century royal sleigh carved from a single log.
For lunch, Caesar’s Deli, Andy’s Deli & Bakery and Gene’s Sausage Shop & Deli stand out among Chicago’s abundance of Polish delis for excellent variations of sausage, pierogi, nalenski (crepes) and kolaczki. Finish the afternoon by browsing the Polish and English titles available at the Polonia Book Store or by picking up a subtitled video at the Polish-American Video Shop (5231 W. Belmont Ave.; 773-725-1025).
When dinner beckons, Chicago has Polish eateries to match every budget. For maximum value for your zloty, the Czerwone Jabluszko (Red Apple) Restaurant buffets are stockpiled with tasty pork chops, blintzes, pierogi, potato pancakes, meatballs, Polish sausage and more. Pierogi Inn’s modest and picturesque storefront offers nearly a dozen types of freshly-made pierogi from the kitchen of a former chef to Hugh Hefner. And, for a fine-dine experience, one choice is Lutnia for “Polish Continental” dishes like roast goose, roast pork and veal specialties.
You won’t want to head straight to bed stuffed like a cabbage roll, which means that dancing is in order. On a Monday night? Maryla Polonaise keeps crowds on the floor until 2 a.m. seven nights a week with techno, disco, house and international pop. For those who have to get up early, a perfect end to Pulaski Day can be found at Cafe Lura. Stop in this dark and interesting coffeehouse for coffee drinks, a nightcap, or an ice cream treat.
