To Bielany! A few words on the phenomenon of celebration

Abstract

During Green Holidays, Bielany was a meeting place for residents of Warsaw. One aspect of this celebration, the carousel, entered popular culture through Maria
Koterbska’s song from 1953. The source of this long-standing tradition was the fair at the Camaldolese monastery, where, starting from the second half of the seventeeth century, numerous worshippers arrived. The aim of our research is to analyze the forms of celebration, both from a religious and secular perspective. We pay attention to behaviours indicating class affiliation. The nineteenth century is the most well--documented period, partly due to the press, which serves as the primary source for this article. The text presents the celebrations of Green Holidays in religious, ludic, and aristocratic context. In our opinion, the fete organized by Stanisław August in 1766
initiated visits to this place by elites. In this way, a tradition of celebrating, gathering at the same place at the same time, of all social groups in Warsaw, was formed. The
gradual loss of interest among the wealthiest in visiting Bielany prompted journalistic appeals to preserve tradition.