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Polish Traditions and Customs
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Easter.
Polish customs have 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, because palms are not available in Poland.
Holy Week (Wielki Tydzień) begins on Palm Sunday, which is a commemoration
of Christ's entry into Jerusalem. High Mass features a reading of Christ's
Passion. During the Great Fast it is customary to participate in special religious
observances such as Stations of the Cross, Bitter Lamentations, and an annual
three-day retreat which closes with the reception of the sacraments of Penance
and the Eucharist. The
Easter season ends on Easter Monday when the traditional "Smigus-Dyngus"
custom is observed.
Polish popular greetings during the Easter is:
Wesołych
Swiat or Wesołego Alleluja!
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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".
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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. The preparation for Easter begins with the six-week period of Lent, with its
traditions of Stations of the Cross and the Bitter Lamentations devotion which
traces the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ and lead-in with the hymn of
"Gorzkie żale przybywajcie", which means; Come to us, bitter lamentations. Lent ends Saturday noon, but fasting is observed
until Resurrection Mass.
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Palm Sunday / Niedziela Palmowa
On this day people bring the puss willows 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
puss willows 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. Blessed "palms" are taken home and placed by the
crucifix or holy images, and remain
there until the next year.
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Holly Saturday
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.
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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 or sugar and colorful pisanki. The food have a symbolic meaning,
for example:
* eggs - symbolize life and Christ's resurrection,
* bread - symbolic of Jesus,
* lamb - represents Christ,
* salt - represents purification,
* horseradish - symbolic of the bitter sacrifice of
Christ,
* ham - symbolic of great
joy and abundance.
The food blessed
in the church remains untouched until Sunday morning.
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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.
According to the Polish folk craft experts we divide Written Eggs to different categories.
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".
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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. The white tablecloth is
indicative of the white swaddling cloth with which Our Lord was wrapped when
he was placed in the Holy Sepulcher. 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 blessed eggs with the members of the family and wish each other
good health, happiness for the rest of the year.
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Old
Polish postcard from 1915 with the girl
who holds huge basket with the eggs
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It is interesting to mention that a Polish Easter is also a holiday for the
housewife. It is a tradition that Polish women do not cook, do not work on
Easter Sunday.
During this time the Polish homes are with its spirit of joy and good-will at a
laden Easter Table, with its sugar Lamb and its blessed multi-colored eggs
called in polish "pisanki".
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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.
Wesołego Alleluja!
NOTE:
Many traditions are regional.
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