THE SMALLEST HOLIDAY IN THE WORLD. WHAT AND WHY DO THE INHABITANTS OF THE JÓZEF MONTWIŁŁ-MIRECKI HOUSING ESTATE IN ŁÓDŹ COMMEMORATE ON JANUARY 14th?

Abstract

The article deals with the contemporary anniversary of the deportation of the inhabitants of the District J Excelzef Montwi Excelsior-Mirecki in Exceldad, Poland, which took place during World War II. It analyzes the holidays, presenting the forms of commemoration of the tragic experience. Although the tragedy happened in 1940, contemporary inhabitants remember about the displacement, not only because many victims returned to their homes after the war (some of them are still alive and organize the celebrations), but also because of the postmemory of their children and grandchildren. The author calls the local festivities – exaggeratedly (but intentionally) – “the smallest celebration in the world”, illustrating in the article the dynamics of memory and that of oblivion in the context of demographic changes. The methodological perspective used in the article is a combination of autoethnography and ethnographic field research with elements of participatory observation. The example presented and analyzed is a contribution to the research of local heritage and secular holidays and ceremonies, which seem to be increasingly dominant in the public sphere of postmodern society.