Easter is a very special time in Poland when we gather with our family to celebrate the Resurrection. It begins with Lent on Ash Wednesday and last for 4 weeks. Week before the Easter we celebrate the Palm Sunday, when people go to the church with colourful palms made of flowers.
On Good Friday we celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus, in some cities there are processions.
We prepare a special basket with food called “Święconka” on Holy Saturday. The basket contain eggs, sausages, bread, salt, cake and sugar lamb (baranek cukrowy), it is all blessed by priest with holy water.
One of the most popular tradition is painting eggs called “pisanki” – decorating hard boiled eggs with different patterns and techniques. You can use your creativity here and make it real fun for the whole family!
The most important day is Easter Sunday – the Resurrection day. On Easter morning we start our breakfast with sharing the food from “Święconka”. After we start the celebration with a lot of different type of dishes like “żurek”, “baba wielkanocna”, “mazurek” . You can find out more about typical food prepared on Easter in here:
Children are given some small gifts (like chocolate eggs – czekoladowe jajka), they believe that eggs were brought by “zajączek wielkanocny” (Easter bunny).
In Poland, Easter Monday is know as “Śmingus-dyngus” or Wet Monday. Do you want to know more about that tradition? Watch the video below:
Słowniczek – glossary:
Wielkanoc – Easter
Post – Lent
Środa Popielcowa (Popielec) – Ash Wednesday
Niedziela Palmowa – Palm Sunday
Wielki Piątek – Good Friday
Wielka Sobota – Holy Saturday
Święconka (koszyczek wielkanocny) – Easter basket
Śmingus – dyngus – Wet Monday
Jajka – eggs
Pisanki – decorated eggs
Baranek – lamb
Zajączek wielkanocny – Easter bunny
Wesołego Alleluja! – Happy Easter! 🙂
Do you like Polish Easter traditions? Which of the dishes would you like to try? How do you celebrate Easter in your country?
Share your traditions in comment!
MyPolish4U 