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Today is Pulaski Day, a holiday you've probably not heard of unless you've lived in Chicago at some point, or bought a Sufjan Stevens record. Cas Pulaski was a cavalry officer in the Revolutionary War, and someone at some point decided to give him a holiday at the ass-end of winter. It's a big deal here in Chicago because, depending on who you talk to, there are either almost as many or more Poles here than in Warsaw. CUT TO a crowd of Poles huddled together for warmth along the parade route, waving Polish and American flags and saying through chattering teeth, "Lu-lu-lucky us."

When I moved here and first encountered Pulaski Day I thought it was something people were making up. Which begs the question of which imaginary holiday should actually become a holiday, for really real.

[Poll #940638]

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What's the holiday where everyone eats a lot of some Polish pastry with a weird name? I know this is the vaguest question ever, but the last time I stayed with my relatives in Schaumburg, we stopped at this bakery that was plastered with huge signs reminding everyone to get their pre-orders in for, er, whatever the holiday pastry thinger was. Not a pierogi, I know what that is, this was something else.

I have no idea why I'm expecting you to know the answer to this. This is what you get for being in Illinois, I think.

I happen to know, only because it was on the news recently: it's Paczki, which is eaten on Fat Thursday.

Yes! Google magic got me there, but not as fast as you. My hero.

Aw, shucks.

How could I have forgotten Pulaski day?

I am realizing that HUGE chunks of my childhood are missing, somewhere. Thanks for helping me find one!

Barney Miller 4 EVAH!

Silly Illini. Pulaski Day is in October.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Pulaski's_Day

Yeah, I thought Pulaski day was made up, too. It's kind of fun having an obscure holiday, though.

If I see any others lying about, I'll be sure to let you know.

I'll bet the slashers would want to add a name to that phrase . . .

Huh . . . you've got his death-day, we've got his birthday. Who knew?

It is. Did you get the day off?

You must be joking. No, I don't really get many holidays off. I do, however, get to turn my monitor away from the door and *pretend* like I'm working, whilst browsing ye LJ.

What about Pulaski/Kosciusko vs. Lafayette/Rochambeau Tag-Team Cage Match Day?

I really want some of those holidays to exist. We really should do more ritual dancing on McCarthy's grave, for example. And the zombie unicorn thing calls for a day off work.

Hell, I'd pay to see zombie generals fight in a ring. 'Course they'd need to be sewn up afterwards, so they could repeat it the next year.

This is also sort of what I was going for with the "Arbor vs. Arbor" concept.

The McCarthy thing was inspired by my high school history teacher, who grew up in Appleton and used to go up to the cemetery with his friends so they could piss on McCarthy's grave.

He was the best teacher ever.

Wait, McCarthy is buried in Appleton? That's within pissing distance of me! (Well, I mean with the help of a car; I don't have freakish pee skillz.) Hmmm....

That is excellent.

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