CHICAGO (WLS) — The 134th annual Polish Constitution Day Parade rolled down Columbus Drive in Chicago on Saturday.
The festivities this year marked the 1,000th anniversary of the Kingdom of Poland, and with more than 1.5 million Polish-Americans living in the Chicago area, huge crowds came out to celebrate.
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“There’s a lot of us,” parade attendee Anna Muilca said. “It’s beautiful.”
The streets of downtown Chicago were packed with Polish Pride this weekend.
“Very excited, because I’ve been in Chicago for 23 years and I’ve never been to Polish parade,” a parade attendee named Ania said.
Polish-Americans gathered in celebration of the ratification of the Polish Constitution on May 3, 1791.
“We’re a Polish descent,” parade attendee Maggie Murcanski said. “Some of us are born here, some of us are born in the motherland, but we are enjoying the parade and everything that it represents, and we’re proud to be Polish.”
Organizers touted it as the largest Polish parade outside of Poland anywhere in the world.
“I love that we’re in such like a Polish club here in Chicago, and that one opportunity where we all kind of get together and celebrate our heritage and traditions that we form together,” a parade attendee named Claudia said.
With vibrant floats, traditional Polish foods and the entire parade route draped in the colors of the Polish flag, parade-goers felt the patriotism.
“Connection and tradition. Everything,” Mulica said. “We see stuff from World War II here, like the cars, like everything, like you know, it’s really emotional too.”
The emotions leave many longing for a return trip to the homeland.
“Literally thinking about what you go visit when you go see Poland, and everything that means, and then hopefully introducing your kids to that in the future,” Murcanski said.
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