 |
|
 |
Polish Castles |
Polish Holidays & Celebrations 
Dozynki - Harvest CelebrationThe traditional gathering for a harvest celebration. September or October.
General background information on Dozynki
[Click Here]
Feast of Greenery (Matki Boskiej Zielnej) September 8 Herbs, vegetables, and other greenery sometimes interwoven with a few flowers from the fields and gardens, are brought to Church and are blessed by the priest. Kept in the home throughout the year, the herbs are brewed and used for medicinal purposes for humans and livestock. More on the Miracle that saved Poland [Click Here] Pułaski Day Uniquely Polish-American Father of the American Cavalry. Gave his life at Savannah, Georgia for American independence. October 11. A Tribute to Kazimierz Pułaski [Click Here] Independence Day End of partitions - November 11.
Send an Independence Day E-card
[Click Here]
Millions of candles, flowers and wreathes on the evening visit to our departed's resting place. Most traveled day in Poland. November 2. The day after All Saints. More on Zaduszki [Click Here] St. Andrzejki Day Rituals This is a special time for young Polish girls who want to find a husband. On this night and the next day, fortunes are told and the results are not taken lightly. November 29. More on the rituals [Clcik Here] St. Barbara's (Patron of Miners) Feast - Miner's Day Although there is no caste system, Poland miners traditionally have been elevated to a special social station of their own. Not only for the Feast of St. Barbara, but also for weddings, funerals and other important political or social ceremonies, miners wear an especially smart looking black uniform adorned with red feathers. December 4. More on St. Barbara [Clcik Here] St. Nicholas Day (Św. Mikołaj) Traditionally, Christmas trees are not displayed until they are put up on Christmas Eve Day, and Jolly St. Nick brought the kids presents on his namesake day, December 6th. This takes crass commercialism out of the Holy Day of Christmas. The Vigil & Christmas Eve Supper (Wigilia) Sharing of Oplatek and leaving an empty chair open at the table for a wayward stranger or Christ Himself if He decides to drop in. Kids watch for the evening star, when it's spotted the traditionally meatless 12-course meal is served. After, presents are exchanged. The custom in more detail [Click Here] Pasterka After Wigilia comes midnight Mass - Pasterka, which means the Shepherds Watch, and there is popular belief in Poland that while the congregation is praying, peace descends on the snow-clad earth and that during that holy night, the humble companions of men - the domestic animals - assume voices. But only the innocent of heart may hear them. Midnight Mass - the Koledy, the Crčche, the Shepard's Watch [Click Here] Christmas Day (Boże Narodzenie) The Christmas Day, called the first holiday by the Poles, is spent with family at home. There is no visiting, no cleaning, no cooking on that day, only previously cooked food is heated. Elaborate Nativity Scenes in Poland [Click Here] St. Stephen's Day St. Stephen's Day is known as the second holiday. This is a day for visiting and expressing Christmas greetings. And when night begins to fall, you can hear stamping and jingling, and singing outside. These are carolers--Herody, who began their wandering from home to home. Herody is a popular form of caroling and usually done by twelve young boys. More information regarding St. Stephen's Day [click Here] New Year's Eve Day (Sylwester) In the country, New Year's Eve day has traditionally been an occasion to commit pranks of all kinds. It was not unusual for the village jokesters to disassemble somebody's wagon and reassemble it on the roof of a house. New Year's Eve (Sylwester) New Year's Eve in the city is celebrated at more or less formal balls always beginning with a polonaise. Three Kings (Trzech Króli) The initials K M B for Kaspar, Melchior and Baltazer, with a cross between them, are written in chalk at the top of entrance doors of Polish homes. Also the day the Christmas tree comes down. January 12. Three Wise Men [Click Here] Kulig (Sleigh Rides) Kulig, is a festive sleigh ride and singing songs to the rhythm of the jingle bells. Candlemass Day ~ Purification of the Virgin Marks the end to the Polish Christmas Season - February 2. Karnaval The time is reserved to tighten the bonds of friendship and to maintain contact with loved ones, usually through various rituals of partying subject to regional variation. Zapusty The last six days of Carnival from Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday) to Shrove Tuesday. Major partying everywhere. More information regarding Zapusty [Click Here] Shrove Tuesday (Pączki Day) Day of indulgence, which, in ancient times, permitted pantries to be cleared of foods restricted during the fast like eggs and lard. More information regarding Pączki Day [Click Here] Ash Wednesday (Popielec) You stayed up partying on Shrove Tuesday - Herring was your first meal after midnight. At the break of dawn you got your ashes. What's the Ashes all about? [Click Here] Lent (Wielki Post) First day of Lent - "kocanki" or "bazie" (willow branches) are cut and placed in water. While Groundhog Day is a prognosticator of winter's end in America, Poles believe their buds opening in a few days, is a good omen for fair and mild spring. Because of the obvious climatic conditions traditionally these willow twigs are used on Palm Sunday as "palms" to be blessed in the church. They are then taken home and placed by the holy picture of the Blessed Mother, and remain the entire year. Dzien Świetego Józefa A dispensation from the rigors of Lent on March 19. More information regarding St. Joseph's Day [Click Here] Back to Lent Pisanki - On Palm Sunday girls begin gathering eggs, which they painstakingly decorate to become "pisanki" (artistic masterpieces) noted for their intricate designs. Palm Sunday, celebrated in churches across the country to commemorate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In Poland pussy willow branches were more available than topical palms in days gone by. Matins are observed in churches on Wednesday of the Holy Week. After each psalm is sung, candlelight is extinguished to signify the sorrow over the torture of Christ. On Thursday of the Holy Week, comes the ceremonial washing of the feet of twelve impoverished old men at the church, in memory of the Last Supper. Holy Saturday (Swięconka) Blessing of Easter baskets. Lent may end Saturday at noon, but fasting is observed until Resurrection Mass. The church bells silenced on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, are now rung on Saturday at midnight in noisy celebration heralding the risen Lord.
Details of the basket, blessing and symbolic contents
[Click Here]
The Easter table is covered with a white tablecloth. It is typically customary to have a roasted pig's head decked with flowers, ham, veal and kielbasa. In the middle of the table is a lamb shaped cake. The blessed eggs, the symbol of life, are sliced into pieces, and each person takes a piece of egg wishing each other good health, prosperity, and happiness More about Polish Easter [Click Here] Śmigus - dyngus Easter Monday. All hell breaks loose. Mieszko I is baptized this day making Poland a Christian country in 966AD. Boys douse girls with water. On Tuesday the girls get their revenge usually with switches. More on Dyngus Day [Click Here] Women's Day Just because women are women. March 8. Constitution Day (Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja) What trouble you get when you ratify the second Democracy in the modern world and end up partitioned for 123 years because your neighboring countries are autocratic totalitarians. May 3. More on Constitution Day [Click Here] Mother's Day (Dzien Matki) Fixed date on May 26. Children prepare "laurki" (hand decorated cards) for their mothers. Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) Feast day for the Eucharist and procession. 9th Thursday after Holy Week. Father's Day (Dzien Ojca) Rather than the third Sunday in June as customary in America, Poland has a fixed date celebration on June 23. Sobótka (St. John's Eve) A Midsummer's Night Eve. Maidens construct wianki (intricate wreathes) decorated with herbs and flowers. At dusk they launch them, candle lit, into the river hoping the boy who finds her wianki will ask for her hand. Bonfires smoke the crop fields for good luck in growing and harvest. Boys show off jumping over the flames. Fertility rites abound and the barren fern blooms this night for only a moment. Priests this night turn a blind eye to hanky-panky among the girls and boys. Summer solstice. More on Sobótka [Click Here] Assumption Mother Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. August 15.
Sto Lat! Don't forget to celebrate your birthday too!
|
 As holidays come near listen to Melodies of Poland for informational segments on the significance and history of each Polish celebration.
|
 |