The Gorolski Święto festival is organized by the Polish Cultural and Educational Union (Polský kulturně-osvětový svaz) in collaboration with the folklore group Gorol. It was created to preserve the traditions and culture of the Zaolzie Poles and Gorals.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Zaolzie region was disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Since 1993, it has been hart of the Czech Republic, but a significant Polish minority still remains in Zaolzie (over 37,000 people, according to the 2001 census).
Gorolski Święto showcases Goral folk groups from Jablunkov and the rest of Zaolzie. Gorals (literally “highlanders”) are an ethnographic group that are linguistically close to the Poles. They are primarily found in southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic, which includes Zaolzie. There also is a Goral diaspora in Romania and Ukraine. The Gorals are known for their unique folk culture.
The roots of Gorolski Święto can be traced back to the so-called Feasts of the Mountains (Święta Gór). These were gatherings of the Gorals from the Jablunkov parish. After the end of the Second World War, local Polish activists decided to revive the old tradition. The first revived festival took place in 1948. Originally named Święto Góralskie, it received its current name in 1967. Both names, Święto Góralskie and Gorolski Święto, have the same meaning, but the former is in Polish and the latter is in the Cieszyn Silesian dialect spoken by the Polish minority in Zaolzie.
Since its inception, Gorolski Święto has grown to become one of the largest cultural and folklore festivals in the Czech Republic. It attracts about 20,000 attendees every year, which is quite impressive for the festival dedicated to the culture of a small ethnic minority.
Prior to 1955, the festival featured exclusively folk groups from the Zaolzie region. In the early 1960s, participants from other regions of the Czech Republic (Bohemia and Moravia), as well as from Poland and Slovakia were invited for the first time. In 1991, Gorolski Święto began to collaborate with the Beskids Culture Week in Poland. This collaboration gave the festival an opportunity to invite performers from Ukraine, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Germany, France, China, Mexico, and other countries.
Photo: gorolskiswieto.cz
