Extension:Ex-1.4.3-2

     From Serfdom to Self-Government

From Serfdom to Self-Government

Jan Słomka, From Serfdom to Self-Government: Memoirs of a Polish Village Mayor 1842-1927

“Judging by what older people have told me; I believe that in serfdom days the social life of the peasants centered around the tavern…

I remember that whenever anyone paid for a Mass for a dead relative, for a good crop or some other ‘intention’, he would invite to the service neighbors, relatives, and friends: sending his children around to do the asking. At the close of the Mass, he asked them all to his house or to the tavern, to thank them for coming and praying for him. Here he would serve vodka and sandwiches…

Every farmer would ‘order’ two or three such Masses in the year, and each time there would be a social gathering, often lasting till evening. There was a lot of drinking.

I had been farming for many years when I recall that the custom still was in our village for the tavern-keeper to make the rounds ‘for presents’; each one calling on his customers – the ones who regularly sat and drank in his tavern. The best known in Dzików was Solomon S. from Tarnobrzeg. On entering the house, he would begin: ‘God give you good fortune, that success may be yours, that health may favor you, that you may have money so that nothing may be lacking to you! I have come with my Good Wishes.’ He would then pour out a tiny glass of vodka – he had plenty of them – and would treat every member of the family (except the smallest children), as well as the servants…. Then he would pour out another glass for each of the heads of the family, urging them: ‘Drink it, drink it, may it bring you health, I do not grudge it to you!’ And if he expected a liberal gift, he would leave the bottle…

This sort of thing went on twice a year – once after Christmas, ‘for the Carol’, and then after Easter, ‘for the Easter Gift’.

When a wedding was to come, the parties would see to it, at least a week ahead, to order places in the tavern. As a matter of fact, the keepers, who made a fine thing of such occasions, would themselves come to the farmer in question and make an offer; asking at the same time who was being invited, and offering advice. They knew of this or that person who ought to be there, since he likes fun, and is a good spender: ‘You can’t leave him out! He’s a fine farmer, has a son, and a daughter. He’ll invite you next time, one must be a good neighbor!’

It was also our habit, when the party arrived before the tavern, that the village mayor did not allow anyone to get down till my host came out with a bottle. He would give his blessing to the bridal pair, wishing them luck, and then everyone got a drink. After this they all got down, the music would begin, and all made their way into the big room.

Weddings are followed by christenings as a rule, so I must say a word about them…

And when after a day or two the relatives came to the christening it was the custom not to go straight home, but to stop in at the tavern on the way and get good and drunk. Even the new-born child was used to brighten the Jews’ living. These did not forget the young mother, but brought her gifts of food and drink…

Vodka flowed, as I have said, at christenings, betrothals, the various wedding rituals, and also at funerals – both before the body was taken out and after the burial. This was called stypa. In addition, there was drinking at the dances in taverns on Sundays and holidays and, as I said, neighbors and relatives used to get together more of old than now – at such times there was always liquor. It was also to be had on market days.

In some villages it was the fashion that peasants would take the first grain threshed (with the flail) to the inn to buy drink. Each carried it in a basket of lime branches under his smock…

People considered it an honor to carry their grain in this way to the tavern, and out of it grew the fashion of walking with one shoulder lower than the other – as if weighed down by a basket. Such is the figure today of the oldest peasants, who used to carry their crop to buy drink.”