sobota, 30 marca 2013

Happy Easter Everyone !



Easter traditions in Poland have a lot connections with religion. It’s the most important time for Catholics. We celebrate Resurrection of Jesus Christ and this belief gives us a hope for a new life.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

In fact, preparations for this Holy Time starts on Ash Wednesday, when we go to church to make us remember that  we are dust and to dust we shall return. It’s the first day of Lent, about 46 days before Easter. Lent is still important in Poland. Maybe there is less and less people who sacrifice something during this special time, but we can still meet them. It’s not completely about religion, not only about prayers, it’s also about trying your character. 
 
Another tradition is to prepare the palm branch (symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life, which commemorates the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem) for The Sunday of the Lord's Passion.  It’s joyful time. According to the old tradition, there is a lot of contests for the most beautiful and largest palm. The most famous is in Kurpie region. I advise you to check the link below http://www.gminalyse.pl/Palmowa2013.html

The custom of coloring eggs is still alive in Poland. The simplest way is to cooked eggs with onion skins; you can also leave some signs on the egg before. The most popular Easter symbols are lamb, cross, Easter greetings, flower…  In the past, by giving an Easter egg you showed that you’re interested in someone. 


And here we are, today it’s Holly Saturday. If you’re in Poland, you’ll meet thousands of people keeping their baskets in their hands and going to the church to bless the food. In traditional polish basket you’ll find hard-boiled eggs (symbol of a new life), bread (Jesus), salt (purification), horseradish (bitter sacrifice of Christ), ham and sausage (joy and abundance), fruits and cakes. All baskets are decorated with sprigs of boxwood.  After the ceremony, It’s also the time for wishes and collecting food (products from basket) for poor people. 
 
According  to the tradition, the blessed food needs to stay untouched until Holly Sunday breakfast.  The table is covered with a white tablecloth – symbol of the white swaddling cloth with which body of Christ was wrapped in Holy Sepulcher. There is also a tradition to share blessed eggs and wish each other good health. On traditional polish breakfast, you’ll also try żurek – Easter soup, cooked by fermented rye flour with white sausage, smoked bacon, eggs. You can add cooked potatoes or eat it with bread.


Monday after the Holly Sunday it’s called Wet Monday. It’s a pagan custom, celebrated by everyone by sprinkling each other with cold water. Before it was a symbol to clean soul from the sins, nowadays people believe that it brings luck for all the year. Be careful, if you are in Poland, no mater of the weather you can be really wet. 
 
There is also another custom celebrated that day, you need to come to Wieliczka, little town next to Cracow. It’s all about Siuda Baba – folk tradition. According to the legend, the holly fire was kept by priestess during all year. Only on the beginning of Spring time she was allowed to leave temple and to look for a new priestess. Right now, Siuda Baba is a man, dressed like a old woman, with black face. In one hand he keeps black cross, whip in another. He walks on the streets and if he finds you you need to give him some coins. If not, you’ll be all dirty…

Happy Easter Everyone! I hope this Easter fills your home with peace, joy, love, happiness and plenty of colorful Easter eggs. I wish you also to get new hopes and new beginnings !


21 komentarzy:

  1. Happy Easter, Doronette :)

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  2. Mmm, mmm ... all those tasty treats ... Happy Easter, Doronette ...

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  3. Interesting to read about how you celebrate Easter in Poland !
    Happy Easter :)

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  4. My grandmother was Polish and she would dye her eggs with onion skins also.

    Happy Easter Doronette !

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  5. Zdrowych, szczęśliwych Świąt!

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  6. Interesting post. I hope you have a happy Easter.

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  7. Happy Easter. A very interesting post. And I loved the picture of the Easter Eggs. And may you get wet on Monday.

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  8. Happy Easter. A most interesting post. And I loved the picture of the Easter Eggs. I hope you have a wet Monday.

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  9. Hyvää Pääsiäistä / Wesołych Świąt, Doronette

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  10. Thank you for this wonderful and interesting post! I really enjoyed reading about your Lent and Easter customs, which is similar to ours in almost all ways except for Easter. Love the colorful eggs, and I'd love to try that Easter soup (we don't grow rye, and I can't even begin to imagine what fermented rye flour tastes like).

    May you and your loved ones have a truly happy and blessed Easter!

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  11. Very yummy post! :-) Happy Easter to you too.

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  12. Thanks for the visit of photosphera and colorful menus and eggs you have published

    a hug

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  13. It's so interesting to learn so much things in one post! Those colored eggs are beautiful! Some of your traditions exist here too (palms)but a lot are different.No siuda baba round here!
    Happy belated Easter!

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  14. Love traditions with Easter, because the focus is so different from Christmas:) Can see you had a good Easter:)
    Thank you for coming by my blog today!

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  15. Thank you all for your wishes and thinking of me during Easter time. This year, I got quite special Easter, I was far from my family...

    Hope you had a nice Easter too !

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  16. This is very interesting! I have a small collection of Kraslice eggs - hollowed out and beautifully painted. It is supposed to be an Eastern European tradition. Do you have anything like this in Poland? I should have posted pictures of mine for Easter!

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    1. Happy to see you here. Yes, we've got also Kraslice eggs, but I think you mean about these ones amazingly detailed from Czech.... Waiting to see them on your blog !

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    2. Yes! My eggs are were made by a Czech woman living in California. I meant to mention that. She said they were also made in other Eastern European countries. They are so beautiful I wanted to buy them all!

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  17. Thanks for this look at all these nice customs. So many are new to me.
    Wishing you happy spring from the Holy City Jerusalem.

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  18. te jajeczka w koszyczkach sa przeslodkie !!!

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