|
|
|
Feedback
If you have any questions, comments or wuold like to add something to our
Easter Traditions, please use Feedback Form.
For Easter Menu please
click here.
|
Polish Easter Traditions |
|
Easter is traditionally is the most important Christian holiday, commemorating
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Polish Easter's original folk
and religious character and it not changed much during the centuries,
but due to the rich variety of many regional traditions in Poland, some
published information might be little different.
Easter observances in Poland actually begin on Ash Wednesday, when
pussywillows called in polish "bazie" or "kotki"
are cut and placed in the water. These pussywillow twigs are used later
on Palm Sunday as "palms" to be blessed in the church. Holy
Week (Wielki Tydzien') begins on Palm Sunday, which is a commemoration
of Christ's entry into Jerusalem.
- Ash Wednesday / Sroda Popielcowa
The Polish Easter celebrations, beginning with Ash Wednesday. Most
of the Poles try to go to the church for the mass, where priests mark
their heads with a cross of ashes while saying: Remember, man thou
art dust and to dust thou shall return".
- Lent / Wielki Post
For Polish Catholics, Lent is the most reflective spiritual season.
During this time people are fasting, going to the confession, praying
and visiting the specially decorated churches to see "Our Lord's
Grave". Each parish strives to come up with the most artistically
and religiously evocate arrangement in which the Blessed Sacrament,
draped in a filmy veil, is prominently displayed. During the Lent
most of the people do not eat meat on Fridays.
- Palm Sunday / Niedziela Palmowa
On this day people bring the pusssywillow branches or other custom
made wild flowers bouquets instead of palms to the church for the
blessing. Some older folks say that swallowing one of the buds from
the pussywillows branch will ensure health all year. Parishioners
processed with the palms through the streets around the parish, celebrating
the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
- Holly Saturday, Food Blesing/Swieconka
On Saturday people take to churches decorated baskets (Swieconka)
containing a sampling of traditional food to be blessed. Swieconka
is very popular Polish tradition (see below). Also this day typically
Polish ceremonies are performed in the church yard. It is the blessing
of the fire, the reverence which goes back to pagan times.
Food Blessing / Swieconka
Swieconka is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions.
On Saturday people take to churches decorated baskets containing a
sampling of traditional food to be blessed: hard-boiled shelled eggs,
ham, sausage, salt, horseradish, fruits, bread and cake. Prominently
displayed among these is the Easter lamb, usually molded from butter
and colorful pisanki.
Common foods brought for blessing include: eggs, bread, butter lamb,
salt, horseradish, ham, and sausage.
The food blessed in the church remains untouched until Sunday morning.
Written Eggs / Pisanki, Kraszanki, Malowanki, Drapanki, Wyklejanki,
Nalepianki
The custom of coloring eggs for Easter is still observed in Polish
custom. The eggs are decorated with many traditional Polish symbols
of Easter. Most popular are lamb, cross, floral designs or Easter's
greetings such as Wesollego Alleluja. The eggs decorated with the
use of treated wax are called "pisanki". Another technique
involved gluing colored paper or shiny fabric on them. The eggs which
are painted in one color are called "malowanki" or "kraszanki".
If patterns are etched with a pointed instrument on top of the paint,
the eggs are then called "skrobanki" or "rysowanki".
- Easter Sunday / Wielka Niedziela
On Easter morning, a special Resurrection Mass is celebrated in every
church in Poland. At this Mass, a procession of priests, altar boys
and the people circles the church three times while the church bells
peal and the organ is played for the first time since they had been
silenced on Good Friday. Following the Mass, people return home to
eat the food blessed the day before.
The Easter table will be covered with a white tablecloth. On the middle
of the table in most homes housewife will put colored eggs, cold meats,
coils of sausages, ham, yeast cakes, pound cakes, poppy-seed cakes,
and a lamb made of sugar. Polish Easter Soup called Zurek or White
Barscz is often served at the Easter meal, garnished with the hard-boiled
eggs and sausage. There is also tradition to share blassed eggs with
the members of the family and wish each other good health, happiness
for the rest of the year.
- Wet Monday / Lany Poniedzialek
Monday (just after aster) is a holiday in Poland and is called in
polish "Lany Poniedzialek" or "Smigus- Dyngus".
This is a wonderful day of fun. The ancient Polish tradition on Easter
Monday, is celebrated by everyone with enthusiasm by sprinkling each
other with water. Especially kids have fun this day. Some people say
that by being splashed with water on Easter Monday will bring you
good luck throughout the year.
|
|
|