6th April 2015
Easter Monday is a holiday in Poland. Wet Easter Monday (Dyngus Day) was traditionally the day boys tried to drench girls with squirt guns, buckets of water, and much more. The girls got their chances for revenge the following day. Now the Monday is usually celebrated by everyone drenching or sprinkling each other. According to Rev. Krysa, Dyngus Day is a commemoration of the birth of Christianity in Poland (966 A.D.) in which Holy Baptism was administered to Prince Mieszko on Easter Monday, uniting all of Poland under the banner of Christianity. The Dyngus custom is also reminiscent of the mass Baptisms that took place in the Lithuania after the marriage of Polish Queen Jadwiga and Lithuanian Duke Jagiello.
Smigus Dyngus (shming-oos-ding-oos) This term now refers to the Easter Monday drenching custom, although once signified a kind of house-to-house Easter trick or treating that has survived only in a few rural areas. The merrymakers often pulled along a special cart with a live or wooden rooster and received treats and drinks from the households they visited. American Polonian descendants of the 1890s-1930s immigration often celebrate Dyngus Day with a polka dance.
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River Slepotka - located in Katowice.. in May 2104
Now this tradition is very popular in small towns and villages not in big cities.
Sound like a fun few day in the county. Great to read about that. Very different from our culture.
ReplyDeleteEurope is different from your country
DeleteAn interesting custom.
ReplyDeleteyes but now is popular in smaller communities
DeleteThe river is lovely, and what a fun holiday, Gosia! Hope you don't get too wet.
ReplyDeleteLinda thanks. It's a small river. I am dry..
Deletehow interesting! hadn't heard about the drenching tradition!
ReplyDeleteSo you are welcome to my place
DeleteInteresting holiday where everyone gets drenched, seems like lots of fun and laughter. The river picture is lovely and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteYes it is a lot of fun and laughter
DeleteSounds more interesting than boring Easter Monday in Australia.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, no problem I ma waiting for you in Poland next Easter. Buy a big bucket and come!!!
DeleteHmmm...I hadn't heard of this tradition either. Could be fun.
ReplyDeletedefinitely yes
DeleteNot much happens here today!
ReplyDeleteWow, you're almost a century ahead of the rest of the world - May 2104!!?? :))
ReplyDeleteso no problem it is a mistake..
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny custom. I hope it's a warm day!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to learn about the Polish Easter customs. I'm sure my youngest sister would love to adopt the squirt gun fight tradition--but it's a bit too cold here still!
ReplyDeleteHi, Really great effort. Everyone must read this article. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing blog and very interesting stuff you got here! I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one!
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