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Lent
in Greenpoint?
From Nowy Dziennik
March 15-16, 2003
By Karolina Kowalska
The sales in Polish bakeries and liquor stores in Greenpoint are
not going down during Lent, even though Poles in Greenpoint claim
to be Catholics observing religious practices.
When it comes to sales, Lent is no different from any other
time of the year, said Piotr Maciej, a salesman at Save-Rite
Wine & Liquors, 970 Manhattan Avenue. We sell as much
alcohol [now as we do during other seasons]. He said that
the only time Poles buy less alcohol is on Ash Wednesday.
According to a salesman from another liquor store on Manhattan
Avenue, alcohol sells well on Lent holidays like the
Womens Day (March 8), St. Patricks Day (17 March) and
Jozefinki (19 March)*. On such
days not only do we sell strong liquors, but also wine, said
Maciej. Janusz, manager from Z.J. Wine and Liquor is hoping that
St. Patricks day will [bring much profit].
Wine draws many American customers to the stores. Two years
ago, Poles made up 80 percent of our clientele. Now that we have
started selling more wine, we are more popular among Americans,
who drink wine often and are selective. Currently 65 percent of
our clients are English speakers. Wine is becoming more popular
among Poles as well, said Janusz.
He said that during Lent alcohol consumption remains the same.
What changes, however, is the place where people drink. Its
not fitting for Catholics to drink alcohol in public; if they drink,
they drink at home, he said.
Piotr, a steady customer in every liquor store in Greenpoint, is
not ashamed of drinking during Lent. I drink all the time.
So what that its lent? Even the priests in church drink wine,
he said.
The sales in Greenpoint bakeries have not gone down either. In Staropolska
Bakery, 926 Manhattan Avenue, pastries are selling better than at
any other time of the year.
During Lent we order more [products] and we sell more [products],
said Aneta Swiatowiec, a salesperson at Staropolska Bakery, which
offers donuts, croissants, Danishes, and poppy seed cakes. Same
can be said of Chocolatiere Bakery. Everything is going great,
said Izabela Tkaczyk, a salesperson, who has not noticed a decline
of clientele during lent.
*Jozefinki a day honoring those
whose first name is Jozef a popular male name in Poland.
Translated from Polish by Joanna Sufin
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