Easter in Poland

There are three important days of Easter season.

Saturday – when all preparations for holiday start. Traditionally we dye eggs using variety of colours and embroidering. The eggs are placed in baskets containing samplings of Easter foods, which are later brought to church to be blessed. The food remains untouched until Easter Sunday.

 

For regular churchgoers Easter Sunday traditionally starts with a very early(5 o’clock) mass called Resurrection. After that a festive breakfast is eaten, which is very rich as for the early time of the day. A typical Easter breakfast often consists of cold cuts (selection of ham and sausages) served with horseradish sauce and beet salads. There is also żurek, in some regions bigos, smoked salmon or herring. Savoury dishes are followed by sweet cakes and pastries. Baba wielkanocna is a "must’’ for Easter. It is quite similar to Italian Panettone, but of slightly different shape and texture. We can also have cheesecake or a poppy seed cake. Another traditional Easter treat is Mazurek. It is baked in Poland also for Christmas and other holiday seasons. This very thin cake is usually covered with chocolate icing and decorated with dried fruit almonds, roasted seeds, etc.

 




Easter Monday is sometimes called ‘’ Wet Monday”. Traditionally boys throw water over girls and spank them with willow brunches.

Similar celebrations are held in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.