And the more they are annoyed, the more we dump water on them calling, Dyngus Smigus! Read more about traditional Polish Easter recipes! In fact, Easter in Poland is arguably the most import Drawning Marzanna in the village Jeziorzany in 2014 [Photo Credit: Jacek wierczyski]. It does not mean that there is no possibility of conducting ones life according to the rules taken from the other faiths (unless theyre contradictory to Rodzimowierstwo), fascination by the other culture or having friends, family or know the people who have the other dominant faith.. The blessings were so important that, if a mother or father had died, the wedding party would stop at the cemetery where the groom or bride asked for a blessing from the deceased parent. Still, this being one of the most important celebrations of Christianity as well as one of the most anticipated of Polish spring traditions, it is loved and celebrated both by . This caused their king, Mieszko II, to leave the country in 1031, and the uprisings then spilled into a huge peasant insurrection a few years later. The first preparation for Christmas Eve began very early, right after midnight. She was often given a handsome reward consisting of either money or some gift. Dozynki, harvest holiday, was traditionally celebrated at the end of the summer. The chosen girl went to church in great pomp and ceremony, wearing the wreath on her head while sitting in a wagon pulled by four horses decorated in greenery and surrounded by other young maidens wearing flowers in their hair. The schedules also includes making flower wreaths and then floating the crowns on the Oder river, so make sure to attend if you want to feel like a real Slav! Easter in Poland - Wikipedia I know some cases when people following other than Catholic paths are discriminated, especially in smaller places and in the villages where people point the finger at those who do not attend mass. Sleepy husbands and wives arise and give them a gift of eggs. Wedding traditions demanded that guests be invited in a certain obligatory manner. Mirrors were turned to the wall so that the soul would not be captured in the room. On Good Friday, in some houses mirrors are covered with black cloth and parents wake their children with twigs, whispering the words of a Lent prayer The wounds of God. Palm Sunday, Easter palms. var lo = new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent); The dish was set down in a place of honor on a bench near the Wigilia table and it was the first dish to be eaten. It was believed that water on this day had the power to heal and prevent illness. Slavic paganism - Wikipedia by Stanley Garczynski from PGS of Texas Polish Footprints Vol.XII No.4 Winter 1995. The part of the festivities that everyone had been waiting for, the dancing and refreshments, began in earnest. I didnt have the time to talk to him about it because we were both working. Boys usually traveled with Szopka, staying within the confines of their neighborhood, but sometimes moving outside into other sections of town or even different villages. Egg Battles The wedding feast also followed established traditions. The Legend of the Dragon of Krakow tells us the story of one of the historically most significant cities and once the capital of Poland.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'meettheslavs_com-box-4','ezslot_4',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'meettheslavs_com-box-4','ezslot_5',113,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-113{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:10px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:10px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. Matins are observed in churches on Wednesday of the Holy Week. There, Lech spotted a beautiful white eagle that seemed fierce and protective towards its cubs. After the receiving of the blessing, everyone stood in a circle around the couple and the mother blessed them with holy water. Wigilia or Wilia, from the Latin word vigilare to watch, Czuwac in Polish, is reverently close to the heart of a Pole. for fair and mild spring. These smaller sandwiches, called tartinki, are quite possibly responsible for transforming parties in Poland from seated affairs into standing ones. God and the heavenly creatures decided that they will leave the soul of Walenty in the mines but in the body of a majestic creature called Skarbnik (or Treasurer). There was screaming, shouting, and confusion. However humble or intricate, the portable crib always portrayed the mysteries of the birth of the Infant Jesus. During the drinking, everyone wished one another good health and fortune, kissed one another and if moved, sang patriotic songs. Here Is How You Say It. Sw. Mikolaj does not live at the North Pole, but up in Heaven. The happy tradition includes many festivities including parades. Feast of Greenery, September 8th (Matki Boskiej Zielnej) There is much pageantry in this church ritual, with the lifesize image of the stricken Savior lying in a grotto, guarded night and day by priests and faithful worshippers. Easter in Poland is a beautiful Polish holiday that straddles Christian and pagan traditions. They stuffed a calfskin with smoldering sulfur and gave it to the dragon to eat it, causing a horrible death. Paganism in Poland - Living, News, Paganism, World - The Wild Hunt The wedding is one of the most important family celebrations. An odd number foretold that someone would not live to the next Christmas Eve supper. However, in the view of Nefrestim, who is a second-generation Wiccan, the current governments conservative bent does make practicing openly uncomfortable. The custom of pouring water is an ancient spring rite of cleansing, purification, and fertility. Candlemas in the term when we have Weles festival, Saint Johns festival on Kupaa, etc.). From very early on, everyone was careful of conduct and observed everything that occurred in the house, garden and heavens. This day was spent in comparative quiet surroundings within the intimate family group. On the last night of the wedding, the most important wedding custom of all took place. Satanic Temple candidate loses primary bid, https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/. Polish only know one way to make and eat their sandwiches and that is open. Wherever the initials K M B for Kaspar, Melchior and Baltazer, with a cross between them, were seen written in chalk at the top of entrance doors, it was evident to a wayfarer that a Catholic family lived there. ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; In olden days, Polish kings performed this rite. After getting the girls out of their beds, the boys will douse them with water. Rogalinski explained more of the tenets of this native religion, which varies depending upon the source material. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; As you might suspect, Poland has a whole series of customs and traditions surrounding Easter, which range from pious to playful, to downright pagan. Today, the bishops and their priests do this. (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(t); var slotId = 'div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-3-0'; As summer draws to an end, the Polish Feast of Greenery takes place on September 8th. The water was used to sprinkle the cows in barn and also sprinkled on the family, awakening them in this manner. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Cyrillic Script: What Is It & Who Uses It? The wreath, arriving only once a year, was cherished and given much care. var cdn = window.StacklaGoConnectConfig ? Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/, then click JOIN. Before approaching the Wigilia table, the family knelt down on the floor and prayed together out loud, grateful for all the blessings of the past year. Gniezno was the first capital of Poland and the name meant home or nest while the white eagle stood as a symbol of power and pride. Warsaw, Garlands over the Vistula River 23, Krakw, Wianki - a Celebration of Music 23. Harvest Holiday, August 15 (Dozynki) Today,that population isstill dwarfed by its Catholic counterpart, but its loyal practitionerscontinue tocultivate a Pagan thriving subculture. X No.4 Winter 1993 by Stan Garczynski. Easter observances in Poland actually begin on Ash Wednesday, when kocanki or bazie are cut and placed in water. To go caroling with Turon required that at least one of the participants be dressed in some type of animal costume and mask. Easter in Poland is an important holiday marked with fairs, markets, special foods, and traditions. In modern Poland, wianki is an event most commonly organised by city councils in major Polish agglomerations. Throughout all of Poland, the time after supper was a time for the family to gather together to sing carols and exchange gifts which were deposited by Aniolek, (an angel), under the Christmas tree. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A relic of the pagan Dziady ceremony is the Rkawka holiday, which derives its name from a man-made mound which eggs were rolled up, as a symbol of resurrection. Along with the practice of Wicca and Rodzimowierstwo, age-old folk magic traditions continue to be practiced in Poland. St. Andrews Night, November 30th (Noc Sw. Andrzeja albo Andrzejki) Because of its origin, many over the years have tried to put an end to this tradition, unsuccessfully. Despite their religious beliefs, several Polish traditions are rooted in Pagan rites. In some sections of Poland old custom forbade the exclusion of anyone in the village from being invited to the wedding. On the wedding day it was customary to have musicians playing as the wedding guest began arriving at the Dom Weselny (wedding home). In some areas of Poland, a loaf of common, everyday bread was placed on top of it and topped with more Oplatek. The main event on the night of engagement was the tying together of the hands of the couple to be married. They then literally throw winter into a lake or a river to drown. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Starosta (an intermediary) joined the right hands of the couple above the bread, tied them together with white cloth, and made the sign of the cross over their joined hands representing the joined endeavors of the man and woman to prepare the bread that they always have bread beneath their hands. In case of a serious threat or catastrophe in the mine, the Treasurer shows up to warn the miners by flickering a lamp, appearing in front of them, or hitting the ground strong enough so they could hear him. He was dressed in a long white robe, wearing a tall head piece much like a bishops mitre, a long white flowing beard, and in his hand he held the shepherds staff. Sorrowful God - The Sorrowful God is depicted in pre-history sculpture sitting with his head in his hand, peaceful and contemplative. "Swan-kow-ski.". var pid = 'ca-pub-6145023705656770'; One of the young girls of the family went to the nearest stream and brought back pails of water. Christmas day had its traditional menu, but there was no special number of courses. This was done with one glass which traveled from hand to hand. According to the legend, the brothers Lech, Czech, and Rus were hunting together when each of them headed to a different direction where they would later settle and establish their tribe. ins.style.display = 'block'; Many of the traditions and beliefs are still here today in slightly adapted forms. I know the case of a girl who was diagnosed as mentally ill by a Catholic psychiatrist, because she wasnt Catholic and believed in polytheism., I dont see persecutions preserved in the peoples minds, observed Laszka. The symbol of Dozynki was a Wieniec, [harvest wreath] which was presented to the landowner. Every year around 21st and 22nd of June, when the nights were extra short and the June solstice arrived, pagan people celebrated fire, water, fertility, love and joy - quite a pagan alternative to modern-day Valentines! Thank You in Polish? It was so essential and played such a vital roll in wedding activities that where other customs have disappeared altogether, the Oczepiny has survived to this day. The oldest form of Christmas caroling in Poland was with the Turon. Fascinating how this and other native Eastern European practices have persevered under both Christianity and Communism. In remembrance of the star of Bethlehem that hung over the manger the night of the birth of Christ and led the Three Kings to the newborn King, young boys dressed as the Three Kings in long, white pants with chasubles of black paper and paper crowns on their heads. Popular sweet treats, especially loved on this day, are Pczki, Polish-style doughnuts, and Faworki, otherwise known as angel wings, which are crispy pieces of pastry dipped in sugar. St. Nicholas was revered because of his compassion and love for orphans whom he often visited and comforted with little gifts. Every year on the night of 2nd November, the Polish people pay their respects to their late friends and relatives by lighting candles in cemeteries across Poland. Traditions Only Poles Can Understand - Culture Trip Like in many other European countries, the arrival of summer is celebrated on St. John's Eve in Poland. The Wigilia supper is so special there is no other like it throughout the year. Usually several horse wagons with stately horses and guests dressed in their Sunday best with bouquets of flowers pinned to their heads, followed them. Then there were Oprosiny or Zaprosiny (the invitations). If you happen to visit Poland the day before Lent, take a gander at the snaking queues outside every bakery. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Crafted from the most beautiful ears of grain, the Dozynki wreath was made in the shape of a dome-shaped crown. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); On both days, at twilight, the Poles make pilgrimages to their local cemeteries. If the day was fair but it rained or snowed during the night, then it foretold that the first half of the month would be fair but the second half would be damp. One day, she decided to swim into the Vistula river from the Baltic Sea and as she was swimming upstream, she reached the area where Warsaw is today. In the scriptures, the Holy Family was en route to Nazareth when the Virgin Mary went into labour, forcing the family to find shelter. The first recorded Polish writing on Dyngus dates back to the Middle Ages. However, the devil was even more than Sir Twardowski so, one day, he tricked him and made him visit an inn that was named Rome.