The 30th annual Dożynki Polish Harvest Festival at Corpus Christi Church in Buffalo will take place on August 22 and 23. This joyful celebration, which dates to the middle ages, is the Polish equivalent of America’s Thanksgiving holiday. In Poland, this event marks the end of the wheat harvest. At Corpus Christi, Dożynki is an opportunity to give thanks for all manner of blessings.

The heart of the Polish Harvest Festival is to bring people together in a spirit of gratitude and appreciation to God for all we have been given. The uniqueness of this celebration is expressed during the offertory procession during Sunday’s Dożynki Mass when a specially baked bread is presented along with a wreath made of grains and wildflowers along with other fruits of the land. Special liturgical music for the occasion will be performed during the Mass.

This year’s Dożynki Festival activites will offer a chance to enjoy homemade Polish food and drink, polka, classical and pop music, an opportunity to purchase handmade religious and folk items, participate in historic church tours, and take part in many other activities. The Dożynki Mass of Thanksgiving will be offered on Sunday, August 23 at 11:30A.M. The festival opens on Saturday, August 22 at 11:30 a.m. with the Farmers’ Market and Polish Cafe. Familiar as well as unique Polish food will be available both days. The sounds of Al Kania’s Polka Smile Eastern Style will fill the air on Saturday afternoon.
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