Ancient European Traditions Play an Important Role in Modern Easter Celebrations

Easter in Poland is a religious holiday having many unique traditions and customs. Many of these customs, having existed for thousands of years, are unknown to outsiders where the Easter Bunny, Easter Egg, Easter Parades and Easter Egg Hunts are widely accepted as the norm.

Perceived first and foremost as a religious holiday in Poland and Polish communities throughout the world, many Poles attend church services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and on Monday, which the Poles refer to as Smigus Dyngus.

The Blessing of the Easter Basket, which is called Swieconka in Poland, is an important Polish tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. During the day the basket, which is usually lined with white linen or lace napkins, is filled with an assortment of foods including but not limited to a lamb-shaped bread, salt, butter, horseradish and sausage. Also placed in the basket are special Easter eggs called pisanki.

Many Poles believe that Lent, which is the forty-day fast before Easter, is not over until the basket has been blessed and this is the reason why it is called Blessing Basket.

These blessed foods are served during breakfast on Easter starting with a hard-boiled egg being sliced into pieces and given to each person at the table. As it is eaten best wishes are exchanged amongst the family.

Often times the Polish host or hostess will serve "baranek wielkanocny," which is butter that has been shaped into a lamb, the Christian symbol for Christ, either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mould, alongside dinner.

Another tradition often mentioned, albeit not favorably, occurs on Smigus Dyngus which roughly translates to Wet Monday. This particular tradition, which continues today in some parts of Poland, involves buckets full of water being thrown at young girls. Why would this happen you ask? According to my source "in the past it meant that if a girl was wet she had more chances to get married." Unfortunately, according to my source the practice has become somewhat disorderly to the extent of water being thrown at the elderly and automobiles. The furor over such "stupidity" may bring this tradition to an end in the near future.

Bulgaria is another country having unique Easter traditions unlike those observed in most parts of the world.

Lazarouvane, a ceremony held on the day before Palm Sunday, is one of Bulgaria's most cherished traditions. The festival, which is dedicated to young girls, pastures, fields and woods, celebrates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Young girls dressed in national costumes with garlands of flowers on their heads visit all the houses in the village, chanting traditional songs, dancing and wishing health, happiness and fertility. After completing their round, the girls returned to the house they started from to share the presents they had received. On the next day, Palm Sunday, the girls gather once again to go to the river and drop their willow wreaths in the stream. The wreath to be carried away the fastest would determine who will be the "kumitsa", which means best girl. All of the girls then return to the kumitsa's home where they are served are traditional meal of bread, hominy and mashed nettles.

Romania is another European country where you will find an abundance of traditions during Easter. One of the major customs in Romania occurs on Holy Thursday, a day Romanians believe the souls of loved ones will return. On this day chairs with blankets are placed near the fireplace for souls that have passed on to sit in. Buckets of water, carried by girls and woman of the house, are also left at graves for the souls who may sit there.

References:

Easter in Poland - Easter Traditions in Poland, retrieved from http://www.dgreetings.com/easter/easter-in-poland.html, 7 April 2009, 2:13 p.m.

Bulgarians Celebrate Best-Loved Spring Festival on St Lazar's Day, retrieved from
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=21776, 7April 2009, 6:13 p.m.

Easter in Romania - Easter Traditions in Romania retrieved from http://www.dgreetings.com/easter/easter-in-romania.html, 7 April 2009, 6:31 p.m.