Easter Traditions

Hi Megan,Thanks for the thread! It has been quiet and I have wanted some action, but then I did not want to be the person who starts threads too often :). Polish and Ukrainian egg decorating is basically similar except there may be some different designs that are used. Since both of us have Polish roots, we incorporate many Polish customs into our Easter in the U.S. In addition to attending all the obligatory Masses, we do basket blessing on Saturday before Easter. The "different" kind of Polish Easter custom is Smingus-Dyngus, i.e. pouring cold water on people on Easter Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, men sprinkle woman and, in turn, on Tuesday woman sprinkle men. When I was growing up in Poland, I was actually afraid to leave home on Easter Monday (it was a state holiday) because young men would stand in the street with buckets full of water and specifically target young women. :) It was especially difficult during those years when the Easter time weather was still cold. Brrrr. Within family we would not be this radical - my uncle would spray a small amount of perfume or water on women in the family. My husband does it too!

We did not adopt from Poland, but I am Polish/Ukrainain and your post peaked my interest. Ukrainian egg decorating is called pysanki. I believe in Poland they have something similar, but I am not sure what it is called. But it all has a similar root meaning -- different symbols mean different things such as wealth, prosperity, health, etc. I have enjoyed creating pysanki for years. As for Polish Easter traditions, we had several growing up. My favorite was the smell of Easter "cake bread" baking on Good Friday (of course, we weren't allowed to eat any of it on Good Friday since we were fasting), but the smell was wonderful and it was something the whole family took part in. On Easter Sunday, we always started the meal with "eppering" (not sure how it is spelled), but it was a game we would play by taking our decorated, hard boiled eggs and you would hit each others eggs with your egg and the last one with an egg left uncracked was declared the "winner." I didn't learn how to do pysanky until I was in college attending a Ukrainian college and I was hooked after that. I can't do some of those really intricate, non-geometric designs, but it is enjoyable, and reminds me of my great grandmother, who I knew well and miss. The one I disliked immensly was Dyngus Day -- we do not do that one any longer since I got married.

I am a New Parent to Polish Born Children,I am always looking for ways to Incorporate part of their heritage in Every Holiday. I Love all the customs I have read,,I hadnt thought much about doing anything diffrent as far as Their First Easter Home Until reading this Post. My Husband and I were going to Have the Children Color Eggs ( Dudleys' Dip an Egg ) the night before Easter,,For Breakfast we will then enjoy eating them with Fresh Bread with Easter Lamb Butter and Breakfast Items,,Afterward we will have already Hidden Plastic eggs throught the House,,where I will be placeing either coins and or candy in each for them to search the house to find,,Then for more ways of fun,,I bought pastel Silly String,,that we will go outside in the yard and chase and spray each other. For Dinner I am making a Ham and Potatoe Salad.I would like to pass on some part of my Czeck Heritage Childhood to my children as well as maintaining Part of Polish Heritage....

For us, because our polish child is our fourth child, we already have many traditions in place. For us a big part of Easter is of course church. We have various Holy week services that we attend. (however we are regular year round church attenders so some parts are not so different for our children) The week before easter we color eggs. The night before easter we make a special cookie recipe that is made with egg whites. Each ingredient has scriptures and part of the Easter story. The kids all help make the cookies. Then they are left in the oven over night. The oven is turned off and taped shut (to symbolize the sealed tomb.) The cookies are part of our breakfast in the moring. Also in the morning the easter baskets are on the table and have candy in them, a chocolate cross and bunny and other toys and candy. (peeps!) then we go to Sunrise service (good since it keeps them from eating too much candy!) We have a large breakfast at church thanks to the mens group. Then the children have an easter activity. (they have costumed visitors who tell the easter story and give them items to remember each part of the story) and then they do an easter egg hunt, then they have church. (they are of course all wearing new clothes!) After church we are off to my in laws, it's a two hour drive and we usually bring a cake or something. There we eat and also have another easter egg hunt. The eggs all have names on them, and some have money, some have small toys or jewlery for my daughter, and some have candy, but they have the same amount and the younger kids stuff is not as well hidden as the older kids ones. By the time we get home the children are tired and we usually are ready for a little relaxation and bed. Anyway, that's our Easter.