As summer draws to an end, the Polish Feast of Greenery takes place on September 8th. Christmas day had its traditional menu, but there was no special number of courses. And the more they are annoyed, the more we dump water on them calling, Dyngus Smigus! Walenty was a dedicated miner who was completely in love and obsessed with his work, so he made a plea to God to let him stay in the mines after he dies. All Saints All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd Often, singing or the reciting of old verses accompany the procession: Marzanna, Marzanna, swim across the seas. Jacek found the flower and made a wish to become rich. Most of us live in safe environment with loving families and thoughtful friends, being quite anonymous while living in the big cities, organizing largely through social media. It is a Polish tradition to offer the birthday boy or girl 100 years of good wishes, good health and long life. (eiderdown)! ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; 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. Eggs are blessed. 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. 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. According to Nefrestim, the city of Pozna hosts two esoteric shops. When the groom arrived with his Starosta, groomsman and family members, the maid of honor began dressing the bride. Bride and Groom and Their First Dance The party officially starts when the couple comes back from the church and steps to the podium to take their first dance. 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. Its the best day of someones life, so why not celebrate twice? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Polish also make a different version of these open sandwiches, however. The wreath, arriving only once a year, was cherished and given much care. In some sections of Poland old custom forbade the exclusion of anyone in the village from being invited to the wedding. 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. The dragon visited the King and required offerings of cattle in order not to devour the humans of the city. var slotId = 'div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-3-0_1'; XI No.2 Summer 1994 by Stan Garczynski, All Saints All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd, Feast of Greenery, September 8th (Matki Boskiej Zielnej), Polish Easter Customs (Polskie Tradycje Wielkanocne), St. Andrews Night, November 30th (Noc Sw. Andrzeja albo Andrzejki), St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (Sw. Mikolaja albo Mikolajki). There must always be a roasted pigs head decked with flowers, ham, veal and the famous Polish sausage strongly flavored with garlic. The Rusalkas would come out from the water at a certain time in the year and hid in birch or willow trees where they would lurk over young, attractive men.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'meettheslavs_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'meettheslavs_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',115,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1'); .large-leaderboard-2-multi-115{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:10px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:10px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. St. Nicholas was revered because of his compassion and love for orphans whom he often visited and comforted with little gifts. No one has ever been able to truly eradicate it, despite centuries of tremendous effort. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Terence P Ward is a moneyworker, journalist, Hellenic polytheist and convinced Friend who lives in the bucolic Hudson Valley with his wife, five cats, and multiple household shrines. Wed love to hear how you embraced the myriad of Polish customs you encountered on your last visit. The Legend about Sir Twardowski and the Devil is, understandably, a devilish story about one of the most popular devils in Polish folklore that signed a pact with the nobleman Sir Twardowski in the 16th century. We have been struggling for it for ages (our judiciary system is very slow and the case may even require the changing of the law).. 7. First, invitations were issued to relatives or friends to act as groomsmen or bridesmaids. Cooking included only the heating of previously prepared food. Another belief was that whichever one of the bridesmaids touched the bride or her wreath first after the marriage would marry that year. Our projects & services:Agencja employer brandingSystem rekrutacyjny ATSOferty pracy w finansach. One result of Church domination is a form of syncretic polytheism. 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 young people break the solemnity of Easter by a burst of frivolity. 04 of 11 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. For example, drowning an effigy of Marzanna - to drive back winter and summon spring - dates back to Slavic faith, while Zaduszki, the Polish All Saints' Day, supplanted the older Slavic Forefathers' Eve. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. After the receiving of the blessing, everyone stood in a circle around the couple and the mother blessed them with holy water. Unfortunately my die-hard rabid Catholic Polish grandmother put a stop to it calling it blasphemous, so, unfortunately, I didnt learn anything, which I regret to this day. (Maybe some of those dont formally identify themselves as Rodzimowiercy/Pagans, which is why the census numbers fall between those two endpoints.). The origin of this custom is unknown. I met a Rodzimowierstwo practitioner living in Portland, ME. I wish I had gotten his info. These celebrations, often extended to the following night - 23rd/24th of June, when they were called the Kupala Night or Sobtka instead, were common among all Slavic and Baltic nations, or even further in Europe, but their popularity decreased with the arrival of Christianity, which successfully introduced a substitute holiday - St Johns Eve. Polish Traditions (Tradycje Polskie) All Saints All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd (Dzien Wszystkich Swietych Dzien Zaduszny) Christmas Day (Boze Narodzenia) Harvest Holiday, August 15 (Dozynki) Feast of Greenery, September 8th (Matki Boskiej Zielnej) Feast Of the Three Kings (Trzech Kroli) Palm Sunday in Poland Pisanki (Polish Easter Eggs) Nowadays, Polish Easter traditions vary from household to household, just like they differ a bit when compared to different times in history. I didnt have the time to talk to him about it because we were both working. var cdn = window.StacklaGoConnectConfig ? It is said that if Poland ever needs them again, they will rise and serve their beloved country and nation. var ffid = 2; It is a delightful tradition, Dyngus or Smigus as this custom is called. According to the Polish folk myth from the pre-Christian Slavic tradition, the waters were inhabited with water spirits of western Poland that were called Rusalka and it was said that they were the spirits of dead young women which continued to wander around on Earth, seeking a way to draw life energy from people and other earthly living beings. Fish was served in the families who could afford it. They visit the boys and sprinkle them with water. // embed.js CDN 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. Lacking reliable resources for many Pagan paths on paper or online, the alternative seeking a teacher in person can also be difficult, due to the low density of Pagans overall. All myths and mythical creatures primarily come from the need to explain reality. The nobleman was forcibly stranded on the moon forever. Everyone hurried to be first to cut the top of a spruce or fir and other branches. Large or small, the Polish open sandwich will include pretty much whatever you have lying in your fridge cheese, lettuce, tomato slices, egg, dill, whatever. In some areas of Poland, a loaf of common, everyday bread was placed on top of it and topped with more Oplatek. The Legend of Sir Twardowski and the Devil, 11. St. Andrews Night, November 30th (Noc Sw. Andrzeja albo Andrzejki) This is Easter Monday, and it is due to an ancient custom which is still observed both in villages and cities. The day itself had significance many centuries before Christs birth. 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. The tensions between the pagans and Christians were boiling, escalating with the Pagan Reaction in 1030s uprisings which destabilized the new Polish kingdom. They stopped before a window and sang a carol. Polish are very proud of the traditional hospitality they may extend to a stranger who turns up at their door on Christmas eve (unlikely to happen, but not impossible). We are the most comprehensive English language resource dedicated to educating the world about ancient Slavs and modern Slavic nations alike. 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'; 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 . The wedding feast also followed established traditions. They stuffed a calfskin with smoldering sulfur and gave it to the dragon to eat it, causing a horrible death. The nights were also part of the prognostication. It does not mean that there is no possibility of conducting ones life according to the rules taken from the other faiths (unless theyre contradictory to Rodzimowierstwo), fascination by the other culture or having friends, family or know the people who have the other dominant faith.. Parties begin mid-morning with a buffet of traditional cuisine and last until after daybreak on Tuesday. Sheila said, Polish people (in general) are not very good in being understandable and tolerant. In 1954, the Polish writer Ewa Szelburg Zarembina composed a fairy tale inspired by the folklore motifs of the Warsaw Mermaid Story. "Swan-kow-ski.". It wasn't as bad as another kid in my elementary school classMichael . The first recorded Polish writing on Dyngus dates back to the Middle Ages. I enjoy articles such as this that show us Pagan, Heathen, and Polytheist paths and people in areas outside of North America. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Along with the practice of Wicca and Rodzimowierstwo, age-old folk magic traditions continue to be practiced in Poland. Going back to the earliest, notable stages of history, we may conclude that many phenomena were hard to be comprehended and one of the ways to tackle this was to create a belief system that will put the existence of supernatural powers and creatures forward. 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. Here Is How You Say It. It gets especially serious when it comes to food-related events. Some customs varied at different sections of Poland, but the importance of the holiday was general in the whole country. 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. Nevertheless, Polish mythology is full of exciting stories and characters, so here is a list of 12 Polish legends and myths: In Polish mythology, Latawiec is a mythical creature that is presented as an evil serpent who lives in the deep forest and lurks over attractive young men and women. Taking the young girl in his arms, the lord of the manor started dancing. The bride and groom then went to invite their godparents. 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