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Home > Traditions |
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Traditions |
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Polish
Traditions | Polish
Songs |
Papercutting
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| Polish
Traditions (Tradycje Polskie)
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| Harvest
Holiday (Dozynki) |
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| Harvest holiday
(Dozynki), is traditionally celebrated at the end of the summer. The popular and
colorful celebrations were held by the nobility and larger landowners
those owning large tracts of land that required hiring farmers from
all around the countryside who had to be rewarded for their hard labor.
The symbol of Dozynki
was a Wieniec, [harvest wreath] which was
presented to the landowner. This large wreath was made of a mixture of
wheat and rye, sometimes one or the other. These grains were considered
the most important. Crafted from the most beautiful ears of grain, the Dozynki
wreath was made in the shape of a dome-shaped crown. It was
decorated with flowers, ribbons, hazelnuts, and the fruit of the
mountain ash tree. 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.
Wearing the wreath was considered an
honor. Generally, it was worn by a young girl involved in the
harvesting, or someone who was considered a very good worker. 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 group was followed by all those involved in the harvest. After
the wreath was blessed the entire procession made for the manor house,
singing the songs that accompanied the event were usually those that
were indigenous to the area, perhaps unknown in other villages.
The entire procession stopped at the
gate leading to the manor house, its members continuing to sing until
the owner emerged. The girl wearing the wreath approached, removed it
from her head, and either handed it over to the owner or placed it on
his head. Sometimes the owner removed the wreath from the girl himself
and placed it aside. She was often given a handsome reward consisting of
either money or some gift. After rewarding those that offered the
wreath, the owner signaled to the musicians to start playing. Taking the
young girl in his arms, the lord of the manor started dancing. The part
of the festivities that everyone had been waiting for, the dancing and
refreshments, began in earnest.
The wreath, arriving only once a year,
was cherished and given much care. It was hung in a prominent place,
such as in an entrance hall, above a chest of drawers, or above the door
of the main living room as a symbol of prosperity. |
| Feast
of Greenery (Matki Boskiej Zielnej) |
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| As summer draws to an end,
the Polish Feast of Greenery (Matki Boskiej Zielnej),
which is usually held on September 8th, takes place on September 8th. The
farm people bring to church great bouquets of herbs, vegetables, and
corn, interwoven with a few flowers from the fields and gardens, which
are blessed by the priest. These bouquets are carried home and kept
until the name day of the following year. 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. |
| All
Saints All Souls Day |
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| All Saints Day
(Dzien Wszystkich Swietych Dzien Zaduszny), November
1st & 2nd, traditionally has been associated in Polish legend with ghosts and
wayward souls. In ancient times, when death entered a peasant's house,
all doors and windows were opened at the moment of passing. Mirrors were
turned to the wall so that the soul would not be captured in the room.
The last rite included a funeral banquet. The vigil lasted until the
burial in order to protect the dead soul from evil spirits.
Later, these pagan customs were
Christianized and people were encouraged to pray and light candles
instead of conjuring up spirits. The candles were to symbolize the
eternal light for which the soul yearns .
Today, All Saints All Souls Day is
celebrated in a very solemn manner in Poland. On both days, at twilight,
the Poles make pilgrimages to their local cemeteries. The people
decorate the graves with chrysanthemums, asters, and autumn flowers ~
and place candles and votive lights. When the graves are decorated and
countless flickering frame cast their haunting shadows amid the dusk,
the mood is set for an outdoor service and prayers for departed souls. |
| St.
Andrew's Night (Andrzejki) |
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| St.
Andrew's Night (Noc Sw. Andrzeja albo Andrzejki) is usually held
around November 30th. In Poland, fortune telling
sets the mood for this evening of merriment which might be the theme for
an autumn social gathering. Single girls pour hot, melted wax into a
bowl of cold water, and the hardened wax is then held up to the light.
The shadow it casts on the wall is said to reveal the girls' marriage
prospects: if its shape resembles something used by a man, she will
marry within a year. The shadow may also contain a clue to who the
future husband might be (traits, interests, occupation). Another
traditional pastime is for the girls to toss their shoes to the middle
of the floor. The first shoe to go over the threshold is that of the
girl who will marry the earliest. Fortune telling, singing, and general
merriment might round out this thoroughly enjoyable evening. |
| St.
Nicholas Day (Mikolajki) |
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| On
St.
Nicholas Day, December
6th, the
youngsters are visited by Santa Claus (Sw. Mikolaj). In Poland, Sw. Mikolaj is not an
oversized man with red pompom topped cap, red Jacket, and riding boots.
Instead, he is a saintly, more dignified figure, dressed in the regal
purple and gold robe, wearing a cape and bishops hat, and carrying a
crosier (a crooked staff, the symbol of his bishop station). 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. Sw. Mikolaj does not live at the North
Pole, but up in Heaven.
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. St. Nicholas was revered because of his
compassion and love for orphans whom he often visited and comforted with
little gifts. His name is celebrated more in some Central European
countries than is Christmas itself.
The one selected to represent St.
Nicholas was usually driven in a sleigh to the homes in a Polish
village. He was dressed in a long white robe, wearing a tall head piece
much like a bishop's miter, a long white flowing beard, and in his hand
he held the shepherd's staff.
The sound of snow bells and horses'
hoofs could be heard on the cobblestone pavement, while eager young
faces with their noses pressed to the window panes shouted, "he has
come! 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.
He rebuked the mischievous, praised the
obedient, listening to the children recite their catechism and prayers,
and passed around heart shaped Pierniki, honey cookies, holy pictures
and big red apples, which he produced magically from under his cloak. In
case St. Nicholas could not make the visit personally, his gifts were
placed under the pillow during the night, which made children and
parents sleepy the next day from waiting and watching to be sure that
the children were sound asleep when St. Nicholas arrived! |
| Christmas Eve Dinner
(Wigilia) |
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| Wigilia or Wilia, from the
Latin word vigilare to watch, Czuwac in Polish, is reverently close
to the heart of a Pole. It is greeted with such mystical symbolism, that
it is considered by many to be a greater holiday than Christmas itself.
The very word Wigilia, which in Poland
was formerly known as the day before a feast day is now used only as the
day before Christ's birth. The Wigilia supper is so special there is no
other like it throughout the year. The day itself had significance many
centuries before Christ's birth. Since it followed the longest night and
the shortest day it was considered the last day of the year and the
mystical symbolism associated with it was closely tied to the solar
system.
The severe cold weather and deep snows
made family hold their festivities near the hearth within family groups.
This day became known for generations to come as the holiday which
strengthened family ties. Some customs varied at different sections of
Poland, but the importance of the holiday was general in the whole
country.
Another custom arising from the past,
was the belief that spirits pervaded the home on this day. Everything
was to be made as comfortable as possible for them and that this last
day of the year would prophesize everything that was to happen in the
coming year. From very early on, everyone was careful of conduct and
observed everything that occurred in the house, garden and heavens. The
rules were to rise early, say your prayers earnestly and carefully, wash
thoroughly, dress cleanly, and then peacefully and patiently attend to
your work.
The first preparation for Christmas Eve
began very early, right after midnight. One of the young girls of the
family went to the nearest stream and brought back pails of water. The
water was used to sprinkle the cows in barn and also sprinkled on the
family, awakening them in this manner. It was believed that water on
this day had the power to heal and prevent illness. The entire family
washed themselves in this water in order to assure plenty of money for
the rest of their lives.
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. Everyone hurried to be first to
cut the top of a spruce or fir and other branches. The top of the spruce
or pine was hung from a beam in the ceiling, with the tip facing down
over the table where the Wigilia was to be held.
In preparation of this most important
meal of the year, the table was first covered with straw or hay, and
then with a white tablecloth. On the best plate of the house, the
blessed wafer or Oplatek (Christmas wafer) was placed. In some areas of
Poland, a loaf of common, everyday bread was placed on top of it and
topped with more Oplatek.
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. With the appearance of the
first star, the Wigilia meal would begin. The belief was that those
sitting down to eat must add up to an even number. An odd number
foretold that someone would not live to the next Christmas Eve supper.
To make up for this, someone was always invited to make up the
deficiency, be it honored guest or wandering beggar.
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. At the conclusion of
the prayer, the most important ceremony of the night, sharing of the
Oplatek, and the exchange of wishes began. After everyone had an
opportunity to share the wafer, the supper could begin. Tradition
dictates that this be a meatless dinner, that there should be an uneven
number of dishes served. 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.
One of the traditional dishes was
Kutia, which was served in both the homes of the nobility and the serfs.
The Kutia was made from hulled barley or wheat, which was cooked and
sweetened with honey. Then mashed poppy seeds, raisins and nuts were
added. 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. The rest of the
meal reflected the products of the family's labor, Barshch (Barszcz), a
beet soup; dishes made from beets, cabbage, sauerkraut, beans, noodles,
dumplings, potatoes, dried fruit, fresh apples, and nuts. Fish was
served in the families who could afford it.
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. The smoke from the candles on the tree, lit by the
Gospodarz, (head of the family) foretold the future. The period
approaching midnight was a magical time when animals talked and well
water turned to wine and everyone readied themselves to attend the
midnight Mass of the Shepherd or Pasterka. The Poles called it the
Shepherd Mass, because the shepherds were first to greet the new born
Christ. 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.
On their way to the Mass, they
carefully observed the heavens. If there were many stars, they rejoiced,
for as many stars as there were in the heavens, that many sheaves of
grain would be harvested the next year. |
| Christmas
Day (Boze Narodzenia) |
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| Boze Narodzenia,
Christmas
Day, was considered so important a holiday that menial work of any kind
was not even thought of. This day was spent in comparative quiet
surroundings within the intimate family group. Christmas day had its
traditional menu, but there was no special number of courses. Ham and
Polish sausage were very popular, since pork had always been eaten at
special festivities. The old Polish literature testifies that Bigos, hunters
stew, was often used as the principal dish on Christmas Day. Cooking
included only the heating of previously prepared food.
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. The nights
were also part of the prognostication. 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.
The second day of the Christmas season
(December 26) was St. Stephan's Day, the traditional day of visiting and
wishing everyone the joy of the holiday season, a direct contrast to
Christmas Day. St. Stephan's Day marked the end of work contracts for
the year; new bargains were struck for the upcoming year. It was also
the official day for caroling to begin. The custom of caroling in
Poland, or Chodzenie Po Koledzie, began on St. Stephan's and
lasted until the Feast of the Purification on February 2.
Jaselka is the general name
given to the two forms of Christmas caroling called Szopka and Herody.
Szopka was a portable crib or manger scene carried by young boys
from house to house. This traveling mode of entertaining with caroling
provided a somewhat lucrative way of making money and/or receiving
something sweet to eat. 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. However humble
or intricate, the portable crib always portrayed the mysteries of the
birth of the Infant Jesus.
The other form of Christmas caroling
was Herody. 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 oldest form of Christmas caroling in Poland was with the
Turon. To go caroling with Turon required that at least
one of the participants be dressed in some type of animal costume and
mask. The custom of Turon is named after the wild ox or tur, the
largest and foremost of the animals that were prolific at one time
throughout Europe and caused great damage to the villages. |
| The
Feast of the Three Kings (Trzech Kroli) |
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| Although the story of the Three
Kings is taken from the apocryphal literature for which strict
historical truth is not assured, the love and respect held for these
three wise men was so strong, so universal, that the church also paid
homage to them. 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.
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. Upon their return, they wrote the initials of
the Three Kings on the door themselves, not to be disturbed until
the following year. These initials written with blessed chalk, along
with the palms from Palm Sunday and blessed candles from Candlemas Day,
were together to be a force to avert disaster.
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. One of them carried a large homemade star on a long pole
that was lit from within by a candle, so that it could be seen in the
dark of night.
Their particular repertoire was to walk
throughout the village singing carols. One of the carolers played a
musical instrument to accompany their songs. They usually began at the
manor house or church rectory and made stops at various homes. They
stopped before a window and sang a carol. After obtaining permission to
enter the house, the boys sang both religious and popular Christmas
carols. The Three Kings day was also the traditional day to take
down the Christmas Tree, which was erected and decorated on Christmas
Eve. |
| Polish
Easter Customs |
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| Easter observances in
Poland actually begin on Ash Wednesday, when "kocanki" or
"bazie" are cut and placed in water. When their buds
open in a few days, this is regarded as a good omen for fair and mild spring.
These willow twigs are used on Palm
Sunday as "palms" to be blessed in the church. Then they are
taken home and placed by the holy picture of the Blessed Mother, and
remain there until the next year.
Throughout the Holy Week until the
blessing of the fires on Holy Saturday, the Poles are engaged in
traditional Easter activities. Starting on Palm Sunday, the girls will
begin gathering eggs, which will become "pisanki". One method
of accumulating their needed supply is to take a small spruce tree and
decorate it attractively. Then at dawn on Palm Sunday, they will carry
the tree from one house to another. The girls knock on the windows and
sing songs in praise of their spruce tree. Sleepy husbands and wives
arise and give them a gift of eggs.
Polish Easter customs have not changed
much during the centuries. To this day, eggs are a major item at Easter.
Eggs are blessed. Eggs are artistically painted in various lovely and
intricate patterns, and different sections of Poland are noted for their
special designs.
Matins are observed in churches on
Wednesday of the Holy Week. After each psalm is sung, a candle light is
extinguished to signify the sorrow over the torture of Christ. 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. This ceremony is a reminder of the
humility with which Christ washed the feet of his disciples. In olden
days, Polish Kings performed this rite. Today, the bishops and
their priests do this.
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".
Nothing was eaten all day except a little bread and water. Starting on Good Friday and through
Saturday, every one visits the various churches in town to view Christ's
sepulchers so beautifully and artistically arranged and bathed in
flowers. There is much pageantry in this church ritual, with the life-size
image of the stricken Savior lying in a grotto, guarded night and day by
priests and faithful worshippers. The church bells silenced on Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday, are now rung on Saturday at midnight in noisy
celebration heralding the risen Lord.
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. Lent ends Saturday noon, but fasting is
observed until Resurrection Mass. Also on Holy Saturday typically Polish
ceremonies are performed in the church yard. It is the blessing of the
fire, the reverence which goes back to pagan times.
Old fire in the house is put out, then
a large bonfire is made in the churchyard. The people wait for the
priest to bless it, then each person takes a flaming piece of wood from
the fire and hurriedly carries it home. 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. Then they kindle new fires in
their home, to signify the renewal of faith and greeting of the spring.
In every house, from the richest to the
poorest, the table is spread with food that is blessed on Holy Saturday.
The Easter table will be covered with a white tablecloth. The white
tablecloth is indicative of the white swaddling cloth with which Our
Lord was wrapped when he was placed in the Holy Sepulcher. There must
always be a roasted pig's head decked with flowers, ham, veal and the
famous Polish sausage strongly flavored with garlic. In the middle of
the table is a lamb holding a cross which is made of sugar. On the
Polish Easter table there is also a great number of cakes made in
special shapes tall iced babki, flat and thin kolacze, and the most
delicious mazurki flavored with lemon and dried fruit. The blessed eggs,
the symbol of life, are sliced into pieces, and each person present
takes a piece of egg and wishes each other good health, prosperity, and
happiness for the coming year.
The Easter season in Poland ends on
Monday when the traditional "dyngussmigus" custom is
observed. The young people break the solemnity of Easter by a
burst of frivolity. They visit from house to house singing songs,
playing pranks, and merrymaking. After getting the girls out of their
beds, the boys will douse them with water. On Tuesday, the girls are
supposed to reciprocate in kind. They visit the boys and sprinkle
them with water. The origin of this custom is unknown. Some say it is a
pagan tradition handed down from the earliest settlers in Poland.
|
| Smigus
Dyngus |
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| There is one day in the
year when the consumption of water in Poland shoots up. This is Easter
Monday, and it is due to an ancient custom which is still observed both
in villages and cities. It is a delightful tradition, Dyngus or Smigus
as this custom is called. There are two versions: one amiable and
elegant when it is only a matter of a gentle sprinkling with water or
scent, the other quite merciless when whole bucketfuls come into play.
The custom of pouring water is an
ancient spring rite of cleansing, purification, and fertility. The pagan
Poles bickered with nature Dingen by means of pouring water and
switching with willows to make themselves pure and worthy of the coming
year. Tradition also states that the first Polish ruler Prince Mieszko
The First (960-992), along with his court was baptized on Easter Monday
in 966.
The first recorded Polish writing on
Dyngus dates back to the Middle Ages. A Polish historian wrote of what
he called the Oblewania. "It is the universal custom, among the
common masses as well as among the distinguished, for men to soak the
women on Easter Monday. On Tuesday, and every day thereafter until the
time of the Green Holidays Pentecost the women doused the
men."
Dyngus began somewhat around five in
the morning, and the custom demanded that the house where the women
slept be secretly invaded. The men crept through a window or through a
chimney. 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. 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. Up with the Piwezyny! (eiderdown)! There was
screaming, shouting, and confusion. The girls are shrieking and
hollering, but in their hearts they are glad because they know that she
who isn't gotten wet will not be married that year. And the more they
are annoyed, the more we dump water on them calling, Dyngus Smigus!
Then we had to change our clothes because there wasn't a dry thread on
the girls and we boys were not better off." |
| Polish
Songs |
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|
|
| Jeszcze
Polska Nie Zginela |
back
to Songs |
Jeszcze Polska
nie zginela
kiedy my zyjemy
Co nam obca przemoc wziela szabla odbierzemy
Marsz, marsz, Dabrowski, z ziemi wloskiej do Polski
Za twoim przewodem zlaczym sie z narodem..... |
| Sto
Lat |
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to Songs |
|
Sto lat, sto lat, niech
zyje, zyje nam,
Sto lat, sto lat niech zyje, zyje nam,
Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz,
niech zyje, zyje nam, niech zyje nam...
Good health, good cheer, may
you live a hundred years,
one hundred years... |
| Rozmowa |
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to Songs |
Dzien dobry, Good
morning, Dobranoc, good night
Jak sie masz, How are you? W porzadku, all right,
Badz wesol, Keep smiling, Ja robie, I do,
To milo, It's lovely, Dziekuje, Thank You
Ja kocham, I love you, Twe oczy,
Your eyes,
Na zawsze, Forever, To pieknie, That's nice,
Kochanie, My darling, Ty jestes, You are,
Mym sloncem, My sunshine, Ma gwiazda, My star,
Jak cicho, How quiet, Dokola,
Around,
Wiatr wieje, The wind blows, Bezglosnie, no sound,
Lsni Ksiezyc, The moon shines, Na zewnatrz, Outside,
Pocaluj mnie, Kiss me, Dobranoc, Good night... |
| Polish Paper Cut-outs
(Wycinanki) |
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to top |
| Polish
cut outs (wycinanki) are the result of cutting, clipping,
punching, tearing and carving of paper into sometimes abstract and at
other times recognizable forms, according to Grace Bazylewski, whose
works include many types of wycinanki. Among them are gwiazdy or
stars, kodry or composite designs and nalepianki, or
multiple glue ons.
A Chicago born Polish American, Grace
Bazylewski is the daughter of post World War II political immigrants.
She learned the art of wycinanki from Polish artists living in
the United States while a member of the Polish Youth Association, Harcerstwo.
She has been a teacher and practitioner and teacher of the folk art
form for nearly twenty five years.
Paper cutting was created in the fourth
of fifth century by the Chinese (who invented paper in 200 A.D.).
By the seventh century it had spread to Japan. Since paper was
expensive, the early uses of paper cutting were limited to monasteries
for religious purposes and themes.
The earliest known Polish paper cut
outs date to the mid 1800s. While the art form was influenced by its
journey across Europe, in Poland it developed as a unique, long-lived
folk art tradition of Polish peasants. It was often used as household
decorations placed directly on walls of homes. The Poles added color to
the art form as well as layering of color to create multiple layered
designs. The actual patterns reproduced can be stylized recognized forms
such as birds and flowers, as are seen in some of Grace Bazylewskis
creations. The repetitions and designs are limited only by the paper cutter's
practice, perseverance and imagination.
In "real" life Ms. Bazylewski
is an urban planner and holds the position of Director of Planning and
Development for the Village of Lansing, in Chicago's south suburbs. She
earned degrees in her field from the Illinois Institute of Technology
and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Grace is active in a variety
of professional organizations in Chicago and the south suburban region. |
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