[MUSIC] [MUSIC] a december weekend in hamtramck, the polish village cafe where there's a big ely, a celebration about to begin alina clint host together.

>> the unity of the word comes from the latin, which means to watch.

so it's way too far and watching out waiting for christ to be brought in which we celebrate, of course, christmas day.

>> clinton came from poland thirty years ago.

now she teaches polish history and culture at wayne state university.

>> it is the most traditional, the most celebrated of polish holiday so anywhere and it is hoped.

>> well, christmas days begin.

polish homes begin.

he is bigger, held on christmas eve.

>> the gilley is one of the most important push traditions that we have.

and so i found it very important to be here today.

sport mainstay and to promote and keeping traditions alive.

>> julian de mutters studies polish at wayne state.

>> i thought it would be fun.

so i invited my family as well.

>> second generation fall as i grew up, knowing bits and pieces but studying the language and getting a degree in that language has given me so much more.

and i've been able to now reconnect with my cousins who live in poland, my family of polish roots.

so it's exciting to be able to be a part of that.

>> i'm christmas eve.

we want to be with our families and friends.

and we also want to be in her best behavior to share the next year will bring us health and prosperity.

>> in poland, the run-up to begin the means fasting, but not too much.

>> they tried to be very likely a little bit throughout the day, be too little meals and them they would sit down to this base.

tom chess, however, meatless did there.

and this meatless nurse of this dinner is because it's still fossett before christmas is not christmas yet.

>> some might think of him trying to get as far as local polish history goes.

many polls came to work at the chrysler assembly plant.

the massive dodge mean complex that closed in nineteen, eighty.

but the polish story in detroit start even before that.

>> since punish women and it at the beginning of the twentieth century and a lot of them worked in cigar industry and not many people know then defied detroit had that.

i think that if invest two, which is the choice of famous off cigar industry, what's detroit's was famous self?

>> police came not just to him traffic in the east side.

the established parishes on the west side along michigan avenue.

maury the mock-up house documents, the polish american experience there with me.

>> my interest really piqued when my dad passed away.

my dad was a polish american musician.

he was quite famous in the detroit area.

his name was ted kamaka.

it was a trumpeter.

>> push american jazz musicians created polka music popular in detroit ten.

the moca appeared regularly on radio and television.

he was a deck or eoc rtd's recording star.

>> he had his own pocket and for many, many years and when he passed away in nineteen, ninety-eight, he had this sort of sense.

this feeling that nobody was going to care.

nobody was going to remember anything that he had accomplished in his life.

>> preserving history can be a challenge in the century past polish immigrants weren't treated so well in part because many did not speak english.

>> they were also catholics.

that was the time when catholics were not really look at the very favorably.

>> many also despised and ridicule.

polish catholics fearing their allegiance was to the pope and not their new country.

>> we really didn't celebrate a big ilia when i was growing up when i was very little.

we lived in the attic of my grandmother's house not far from here.

i grew up in a post speaking household and i know fairly fluent polish, but i was forbidden to speak polish because my father's family back in the fifties didn't want anyone to know that we were polish.

>> back in the kitchen.

mark dobroka and celtic or ask coordinate the delivery of the delicous.

i don't like the way that they would like.

>> i have a mic away now.

just going to be freshly made the right turn this over the last twelve.

this is twelve is the limit you can't have anymore and that able to lead a new.

>> first, there's a pocket that's poor for patek.

a thin rectangular wafer.

>> my most favorite tradition is the aquatic where you share the christmas wafer.

we for them.

you had to go around the room with the way for you break off of.

he said there's they break a piece of yours and you reconcile any differences he may have had throughout that year and wish peace and happiness and all the prosperity for the new year to come.

so everyone starts in a fresh slate.

>> while the traditional the union meal doesn't have meat dishes included, starting with slade jean pickled herring in a cream sauce.

>> this legit reminds us also off the fact that but it is still fast.

it's not christmas yet.

>> another big year requirement soup here.

it's borst made from beets.

then there's pierogi sweet and savory filled dumplings.

>> we host are feeling at our house every year.

and yes, we have gluten free piano guy and everybody loves them.

nobody knows the difference.

>> here the bemis family tells their own big ilia pierogi story.

alicia son, wayne state student charles.

he can't eat gluten.

>> we got to the point where when he was diagnosed at the age of twelve, he said, oh, my gosh, mom, i'm never going to get on the again.

he said find a way to make gluten free.

>> alicia did now the be missus, run a gluten-free pierogi factory in saint clair shores.

there.

pierogi are available in stores across southeastern michigan.

busiest time of the year.

we do is main course includes potatoes, sauerkraut and more fish in point.

it might be hard for you here today, sir.

and for the senate will have for sure.

>> happy seats, wrong because poppy seeds of this magical components, india, which goes way back to assure prosperity next.

you need to eat some, poppy seeds.

>> i.

>> this big unity event has been going on for decades.

and now when state alum jessica went sees more interest in the old traditions, thanks to new technology, we have social media.

>> so social media helps to really kind of promote and educate friends, spark interest in questions.

and then people really kind of a reaching back to the roots of where they came from.

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