In Poland, nearly everyone around you is a Christian, from your neighbor, to your cashier, to every stranger walking around. Everyone goes to church, and everyone has crosses or religious ornaments of some kind. This is where the wooden statues come into place as they are a common item in many households. Beautifully hand-carved by an individual to represent a religious figure and sold either in front of churches as donations or by individuals who have a shop dedicated to religions items. They represent a connection to Christianity by everyone and are one of the cultural things that is maintained by Polish immigrants in New York.
In New York, Polish immigrants have build their own small communities of friends that all share similar interests and lifestyles. Christianity and the wooden statues are one of those similarities, still being widely seen throughout Polish households. The one in the picture is a wooden statue of Mother Mary holding Jesus Christ as a baby, and it's the only one I personally own. My Mother bought it for me in front of a church as it stood out to me for its simplicity and smoothness. It now sits on my shelf as a reminder of my culture and family, which I will never forget and will always hold very dear to my heart. 

– M

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant