Parties begin mid-morning with a buffet of traditional cuisine and last until after daybreak on Tuesday. On Holy Saturday afternoon, the mother of the family or an older child carries a basket filled with eggs, hams, sausage, pastries and Easter seasonings to be blessed by the parish priest. These willow twigs are used on Palm Sunday as palms to be blessed in the church. And many customs take from Polish pagan traditions. Starting on Good Friday and through Saturday, every one visits the various churches in town to view Christs sepulchers so beautifully and artistically arranged and bathed in flowers. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Suddenly, a fairy came up to him and told him to go to the forest and find the flower of the fern which blossomed only on that night. Some say it is a pagan tradition handed down from the earliest settlers in Poland. Another issue with the small number of Pagans is that they tend to know each other, like residents of a small town, which is fine, until it isnt. Here Is How You Say It. Old fire in the house is put out, then a large bonfire is made in the churchyard. The group was followed by all those involved in the harvest. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They are symbols of hospitality and conjugal harmony. Because one year is not nearly enough. Behind him were a fiddler and double base player playing a merry tune. Egg Battles The conclusion of the harvest and the making of the wreath generally fell around the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin August 15 so that it was taken to church to be blessed. Religious freedom is a right in Poland, and a group of 100 people can form a church, carrying with it lower taxes and the ability to teach thereligion in a school setting. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. container.appendChild(ins); If staying dry is your preferred state of self, dont visit Poland on Wet Monday. The spirit of Dyngus is described in this lively description from the Poznan region during 1800s: Barely had the day dawned on Easter Monday when I woke the boys and gathered some water to start throwing it on the girls. I end up learning something, and even, sometimes, am drawn to research. // embed.js CDN St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (Sw. Mikolaja albo Mikolajki) It does not store any personal data. He travels the countryside on foot, occasionally astride a white horse, blessing the children, and distributing goodies to well behaved children and swishes (rozgi) to the naughty. The custom of pouring water is an ancient spring rite of cleansing, purification, and fertility. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Sometimes the male head of the house himself, in collusion with the perpetrators, let the men into the house himself to have his women folk abruptly awakened and doused liberally with water. No one has ever been able to truly eradicate it, despite centuries of tremendous effort. The legend of Janosik who is considered the Polish Robin Hoon, tells the story of Juraj Janosik who was a Slovak highwayman. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. These unique representations of our world and humanity offer a multilayered world of imagination that opens up a whole new universe of perception and understanding of history, nature, culture, anthropology, etc. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Next, Sir Twardowski had to face the devil and his inevitable tragic fate. Polish traditions of the celebration of the dead is on April 30th, the second being on October 31st. See you on a hopefully warm Saturday in the Podzamcze area, right next to the Multimedia Fountain Park and the Vistula! The legend describes Janosik as a man who robs the nobility and gives their valuables to the poor, just like Robin Hood did. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. After getting the girls out of their beds, the boys will douse them with water. When there is sickness in the household, the herbs are brewed and used for medicinal purposes, not only for the people, but for the livestock as well. According to folklorists' research and findings, Slavic folklore contains a great number of spells, charms., incantations, practical rituals for love, relationships, work, fertility, protection, healing, divination, communicating with old spirits and ancestors, averting the evil eye and many others. Wedding traditions demanded that guests be invited in a certain obligatory manner. On Thursday of the Holy Week, there is a ceremonial washing of the feet of twelve impoverished old men at the church, in memory of the Last Supper. container.style.maxHeight = container.style.minHeight + 'px'; At the time, hungry Polish would use a thick slice of bread as a plate and then eat it. All myths and mythical creatures primarily come from the need to explain reality. All Saints Day, November 1st, traditionally has been associated in Polish legend with ghosts and wayward souls. Easter observances in Poland actually begin on Ash Wednesday, when kocanki or bazie are cut and placed in water. In Polish tradition, the bread and salt at the reception are ritual food. Christmas is, apart from Easter (see: Traces of Slavic Pagan Rites in the Polish Easter Tradition), the most celebrating feast in Poland (Lemnis, Vitry 1979:178).This Christian holiday, which is intimate, family, and usually spent with the dearest people, however, goes back to the traditions of pagan-Slavic times (Ibid. Koldowanie, as it is known in Polish, is actually a pagan tradition and is not limited to Poland. My mistake. Whatever the number, its small, and that carries with it certain limitations. The resin in the wood keeps the fire aglow and people keep waving these wooden torches in the wind to keep the fire intact until they get home. To go caroling with Turon required that at least one of the participants be dressed in some type of animal costume and mask. ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; The other form of Christmas caroling was Herody. Many of the Pagans are solitary, making their numbers difficult to estimate, but they appear to be concentrated in the cities. The entire procession stopped at the gate leading to the manor house, its members continuing to sing until the owner emerged. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The wreath, arriving only once a year, was cherished and given much care. If she didnt it was believed that she would cry throughout her married life. Binding all the traditions together are the beliefs in native Slavic gods, theofferings of mead and food (traditionally groats, white cheese, and bread), a code based on principles of honor, responsibility, and courage, and thecircles of responsibility, which centers on family and widensto include community. Religion is not the subject of discussion; it is not discussed because of its personal character.. It's definitely not a Wiccan path, and because of the structure within the spirituality, it's not even something where you can swap out gods of other pantheons and insert the Roman deities. ins.style.display = 'block'; If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Today, All Saints All Souls Day is celebrated in a very solemn manner in Poland. My Belarussian grandfather married a Polish woman. Those caught rebelling were deported to Siberia. There, Lech spotted a beautiful white eagle that seemed fierce and protective towards its cubs. If a father could afford it, the wedding sometimes lasted three days. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. December sixth, St. Nicholas day Dzien Swietego Mikolaja brought a slight reprieve to gray monotonous days, especially to children, who felt that the Christmas Gwiazdka (star) would never come. In olden days, Polish kings performed this rite. There are some clashes, but it is more connected to political rather than religious reasons. In Polish villages, people would scare youngsters with the story about Latawiec that would seduce and get them if they werent careful enough and finally eat them alive. Let flowers bloom, and fields turn green. Everyone sang the bridesmaids, the groomsman, the musicians and the wagon driver. Classics feature honey, nuts, beans, barley and beetroot, fruit, fungi and fish (fried herring or carp, or even stuffed pikeperch). It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that reconstruction became widespread by comparing Slavic data with data from other Indo-European (Baltic, Iranian, German, etc.) Gniazdo is a magazine created by the Rodzimowiercy, but there are other publications that, according to Rogalinksi, mix traditional and New Age beliefs without providing any context. "It's how it sounds," I'd say. At the conclusion of the prayer, the most important ceremony of the night, sharing of the Oplatek, and the exchange of wishes began. Starting on Palm Sunday, the girls will begin gathering eggs, which will become pisanki. ins.id = slotId + '-asloaded'; In the more well-to-do-homes this was 11 or 13, with 13 being the preferred number as it represented the number that sat down at the Last Supper. After obtaining permission to enter the house, the boys sang both religious and popular Christmas carols. var alS = 2002 % 1000; Rogaliskis number of 2,000 highly-committed regularly-active Rodzimowiercy is consistent with many other accounts. Fish was served in the families who could afford it. 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. Some Polish Easter traditions reach back to earlier, pagan beliefs; some are fusions of pagan and adopted, Christian traditions. The humble open sandwich was created as far back as medieval times. The second day of the Christmas season (December 26) was St. Stephans Day, the traditional day of visiting and wishing everyone the joy of the holiday season, a direct contrast to Christmas Day. Near this settlement was the castle Wawel Hill where King Krakus ruled. I didnt have the time to talk to him about it because we were both working. The Warsaw Mermaid was a character that served as an inspiration and a staple figure in many literary works as well as visual artworks. In every house, from the richest to the poorest, the table is spread with food that is blessed on Holy Saturday. ins.style.height = container.attributes.ezah.value + 'px'; And Polish Easter, besides the spiritual factor, is mostly that. 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. They stuffed a calfskin with smoldering sulfur and gave it to the dragon to eat it, causing a horrible death. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; So was the case with Polish mythology and folklore which stems from the folklore and beliefs rooted in Slavic religion also known as Slavic paganism which was observed by the Slavs before the introduction of Christianity in the period from the 9th to the 12th . They would take place . They just needed something to be at the same time of the year, because of the fact that Pagan festivals and traditions were preserved even despite the Christianisation. Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! The old Polish literature testifies that Bigos, hunters stew, was often used as the principal dish on Christmas Day. With the appearance of the first star, the Wigilia meal would begin. t.type = 'text/javascript'; According to this legend, the King and his knights were fighting a battle where Boleslaw lost his life. The crowd ate, drank and danced. (https://wildhunt.org/2016/07/paganism-in-poland.html). First, invitations were issued to relatives or friends to act as groomsmen or bridesmaids. On the wedding day it was customary to have musicians playing as the wedding guest began arriving at the Dom Weselny (wedding home). Yet, even in Poland, one of the most Christianized European countries, Pagan religionsare growing within the shadow of the Church. Then at dawn on Palm Sunday, they will carry the tree from one house to another. 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. Tomasz Rogalinski calls Rodzimowiercy to ritual. What would be more surprising to see would be people dressed as goats, horses, roosters, a devil, and grim reaper. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. POLAND This European Union member state is a bastion of Roman Catholicism, with as many as 37 million adherents (87.5% of the total population) today. The story begins with the attack of the area near the town of Lublin by the armies Lithuanians and Yotvingians. Photo 86715707 Wideonet | Dreamstime.com Ash Wednesday The citys name was, of course, Warsaw. Later, these pagan customs were Christianized and people were encouraged to pray and light candles instead of conjuring up spirits. It can be classified as polytheism, but instead of gods, there are Christian saints who had replaced gods and taken over their qualities. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Very often, those people have problems with finding or maintaining their jobs. Mythologies have fascinated humanity and civilizations for centuries. This day was spent in comparative quiet surroundings within the intimate family group. In the middle of the table is a lamb holding a cross which is made of sugar. Leszek Czarny found the dream to be prophetic and decided to fight further his enemies. All Saints All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd Verm said that long-standing disputes can make it difficult for Pagans to cooperate at times. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Feast of Greenery, September 8th (Matki Boskiej Zielnej) And join more than 6 thousand other people. The first shoe to go over the threshold is that of the girl who will marry the earliest. It was decorated with flowers, ribbons, hazelnuts, and the fruit of the mountain ash tree. It was the responsibility of the males to go into the forest and bring back boughs of fir and spruce to decorate the house on this special day. All rights reserved. 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 Starosta sang a song to open up and the door was opened by the mother who stood before the stoop, sprinkling the married couple with holy water. Christmas day was the beginning of the twelve-day period from Christmas which was called Gody These twelve days were observed very carefully, for it was believed among the Polish people that Christmas Day and each of the following eleven days foretold the weather for the equivalent month of the year. Many of the traditions and beliefs are still here today in slightly adapted forms. During Easter, work, both occupational and domestic, is kept to a minimum. It was the moment when the Czepek the cap of married woman was placed upon the head at her wedding celebration. They usually began at the manor house or church rectory and made stops at various homes. The myth about the Polish Eagle is one of the most recognized in Poland since this bird is the symbol of the Polish Republic and it is also a focal element in the Polish crest and the Polish coat of arms. When the groom arrived with his Starosta, groomsman and family members, the maid of honor began dressing the bride. Did we miss any of your favourite Polish traditions? 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. We use cookies to analyze our traffic, enhance our websites functionality and performance, and a better experience for our users. People bless the eggs on Easter, they decorate the table with green, they have a Christmas tree, they eat the meals that are traditionally connected with Winter Solstice, they hang mistletoe, they celebrate Pagan Dziady (the festival connected to death) and they have to add some invented holidays (e.g. The custom of caroling in Poland, or Chodzenie Po Koledzie, began on St. Stephans and lasted until the Feast of the Purification on February 2. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); Rogalinski explained more of the tenets of this native religion, which varies depending upon the source material. This large wreath was made of a mixture of wheat and rye, sometimes one or the other. The trip to the church took place in various ways, with the bride and groom riding together or in separate wagons. Then they are taken home and placed by the holy picture of the Blessed Mother, and remain there until the next year. The belief was that those sitting down to eat must add up to an even number. This was a live production done by a group of individuals, usually older boys and young adults, about the last days of King Herod. The people decorate the graves with chrysanthemums, asters, and autumn flowers ~ and place candles and votive lights. ins.style.width = '100%'; Every able-bodied individual trudged through freezing weather in the dark of the night, or rode in sleighs to local churches by way of town streets or country roads. Boze Narodzenia, Christmas Day, was considered so important a holiday that menial work of any kind was not even thought of. However, each country has its own version of this mythology and all its features, therefore, it is worth mentioning that events and changes in history have contributed with alterations to mythical stories, legends, and tales so every mythology is unique even when it comes from a common source of cultural and social influences.var cid = '6354310426'; Behind the wagon, on horseback, rode the master of ceremonies, the Starosta and the best man with a bottle of vodka who alternately offered it to the wagon driver. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Smigus Dyngus This is consistent with my personal history. Taking the young girl in his arms, the lord of the manor started dancing. Growing up, I never connected with my Polish ancestry, even as it marked me with the unwieldy last name Swankowski. The Three Kings day was also the traditional day to take down the Christmas Tree, which was erected and decorated on Christmas Eve. We are the most comprehensive English language resource dedicated to educating the world about ancient Slavs and modern Slavic nations alike. ins.style.display = 'block'; Marzanna was the goddess who personified winter. Usually several horse wagons with stately horses and guests dressed in their Sunday best with bouquets of flowers pinned to their heads, followed them. After rewarding those that offered the wreath, the owner signaled to the musicians to start playing. Oops! Then they kindle new fires in their home, to signify the renewal of faith and greeting of the spring. According to a completely different version or interpretation of this legend, the Treasurer is a humanized creature with a white beard and a lamp who is forever stuck in the coal mines because he is punished for the murder of his daughter. 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. He encouraged him to carry on with his pursuit and told him that he will soon celebrate his victory. published: Ewelina Nurczyk Her comment about Poles being intolerant about other than Roman Catholicism is so true. Manage Settings The shadow may also contain a clue to who the future husband might be (traits, interests, occupation). After each psalm is sung, a candle light is extinguished to signify the sorrow over the torture of Christ. Today, the bishops and their priests do this. ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; One of the branches of Slavic mythology, which may be concluded as East Slavic, West Slavic, and South Slavic mythologies is the Polish mythology that belongs to the Western Slavic realm. This ceremony is a reminder of the humility with which Christ washed the feet of his disciples. The Legend of King Boleslaw, the Brave, and his Knights is about a mighty and courageous ruler who has united Poland and exalted her state power. Family picnic on St Johns Day, fireworks display and concerts. Pisanki from different regions of Poland can be distinguished by the unique patters. It is said that if Poland ever needs them again, they will rise and serve their beloved country and nation. 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. Along with the practice of Wicca and Rodzimowierstwo, age-old folk magic traditions continue to be practiced in Poland. When he came back to the village, no one recognized him and he went back to his castle. On their way to the Mass, they carefully observed the heavens. In areas like the mountainous regions where the priest was not able to travel, people brought chalk to church on this day to be blessed. Matins are observed in churches on Wednesday of the Holy Week. (Dzien Wszystkich Swietych Dzien Zaduszny) Tomasz Rogalinski is one such practitioner. Although sad, it is a remarkable sight to see and experience. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); 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. he has come! St. Nicholas entered, filling the room with not only his presence, but with his smile, the twinkle in his eye and his teasing booming voice. On the same Saturday, in another Vistula-based city, the celebrations focus on music, with multiple stages and artists presenting different music genres. They then literally throw winter into a lake or a river to drown. He first encountered the tradition in 1978, before it had acquired the standardized name. In some sections of Poland old custom forbade the exclusion of anyone in the village from being invited to the wedding. One method of accumulating their needed supply is to take a small spruce tree and decorate it attractively. 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. Still, the client base has not grown large enough to support many such businesses yet; online shops fill that gap, especially for Pagans who dont live in the larger cities. Easter in Poland is a beautiful Polish holiday that straddles Christian and pagan traditions. Warsaw, Garlands over the Vistula River 23, Krakw, Wianki - a Celebration of Music 23. Like in many other European countries, the arrival of summer is celebrated on St. John's Eve in Poland. Ham and Polish sausage were very popular, since pork had always been eaten at special festivities. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); St. Stephans Day marked the end of work contracts for the year; new bargains were struck for the upcoming year. From the PGST News Vol. Polish law does not provide it. After the receiving of the blessing, everyone stood in a circle around the couple and the mother blessed them with holy water. As the day began to darken and family members began to ready themselves for the evening meal, a child was sent out to look for the first star in the sky. Desserts really steal the show on Easter and often consist of cakes such as babka, mazurek, sernik (cheesecake) and more! Because the majority of Poland's population identifies as Catholic, it follows the Western church calendar in its celebrations, and Christian symbolism is strong in the observance of this holiday. var cdn = window.StacklaGoConnectConfig ?
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