There are many traditions during Easter celebrations in Poland. I can only compare them to the Spanish speaking countries I lived in whish is Spain and Colombia. I also once spent Easter in Guatemala. I absolutely loved how Easter is celebrated in Guatemala.
Palm Sunday
Takes place a week before easter. the Easter Palms can be bouht on the local markets. In some regions families prepare them on their own and take them to the church to bless. Kids in some kindergardens prepare them too.
Good Saturday
On this day families prepare baskets with food that they will take to the church to bless them. In the baskets we put bread, sausage, butter, salt, eggs, and a little sheep or a little rabbit (toys)
We put on nice clothes and we go to the church to bless the basket with the food. What we blessed we eat afterwords at home. The breakfast on Good Saturday is the beginning of Easter. The tipical breaksat is white borscht with white sausage. As it turns out it looks as heavy for breafkast as the caldo de costilla the Colombians used to have for breakfast 🙂
Egg painting
Eggs painting is my kids favourite attraction. I think this is done in many countries except Spain (or at least people I am sourrounded with do not do it). I usually meet with my international Friends for eggs painting and eggs hunting.
In Poland we used vegetables to obtain naturally couloured eggs. To get pink we cook eggs with beetroot. To obtain orange we cook them with carrot or pumpkin. Yellow – curry or cúrcuma. Green – spinach. And to obtain blue we cook them with red cabbage or blueberries.
Good Sunday
It is a family day. Families gather together to share a meal. Below you can find pictures of some of the main dishes.
Good Monday or Wet Monday
It is a Polish tradition where people throw wáter on family and Friends. It is believed that the girl that gets more wáter on her will have more chances to get married. I still remember when I was at my aunts place and I had to escape from home through the window. I had to hide at the neighbours house still wearing pijama. However that was the only time I managed to escape. Later that day I had wáter on me too.
We also tell the kids that a little rabbit will bring them a gift. Recently the tradition of Easter Egg Hunt has come to Poland too.
Some of the main dished we have for Easter:
