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Wesołego Alleluja! Easter in Poland

Poland Traditions & Interest

Tim Firkowski

Friday, 06 April 2012

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Easter is a big celebration in Poland for those that are Roman Catholic which makes up about 96% of the population in Poland.

Easter in Poland begins on Ash Wednesday. Pussy-willows are cut and placed in the water, then they are blessed on Palm Sunday in church, as palms are not available in Poland. I remember pussy-willows in a vase when I was growing up. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. During fasting it is traditional to participate in various 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.

Holy Saturday
On Saturday people take decorated baskets containing a sample of traditional food to the church to be blessed. Święconka is one of the most auspicious of Polish traditions. On Saturday people go to church with decorated baskets containing samples of traditional food to be blessed: hard-boiled eggs, bread. ham, kielbasa, horseradish, fruit, salt, cakes and other sweets. The food blessed in the church remains untouched until Sunday morning. Among these is displayed the Easter lamb molded from butter or sugar and colorful polandpisanki

Easter eggs. Some of the symbolism of these foods are:

* eggs - life and Christ's resurrection,
* bread - Jesus,
* lamb - represents Christ,
* salt - represents purification,
* horseradish - bitter sacrifice of Christ,
* ham - joy and abundance.

Breakfast on Easter Sunday morning is an important part of the Polish Easter celebration. At the breakfast table, each person wishes the others good luck and happiness. The table is decorated with green leaves with the Easter Lamb as a center piece. Sharing a decorated hard-boiled egg with your relatives also is a tradition in Poland during breakfast.

Happy Easter in Polish:
Wesołych Świąt or Wesołego Alleluja!

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About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).