Another greeting, especially in the eastern part of Poland is “Christ is risen!” to which the response is “He’s truly risen!”
The celebration of Easter is preceded by the Holy Week (Wielki Tydzień), which begins with the Palm Sunday (Niedziela Palmowa), the day when people bring the pussy willow branches or other custom-made wild flower bouquets, instead of palms, to the church for the blessing. On Holy Thursday (Wielki Czwartek), Good Friday (Wielki Piątek) and Holy Saturday (Wielka Sobota), solemn services are conducted in the churches, with washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, Stations of the Cross (Droga Krzyżowa)on Good Friday ( Wielki Piątek), and Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday when fire and water are blessed and baptismal promises are renewed.
Holy Saturday is also the day of the Święconka or blessing of the food. This is a typically Polish tradition. People go to churches with baskets containing a sampling of traditional foods to be blessed: hand-decorated hard-boiled eggs (jajka na twardo), ham (szynka), sausage (kiełbasa), salt (sól), horseradish (chrzan), bread (chleb) and cake (ciasto). Prominently displayed among these is the Easter lamb (baranek), usually molded from butter or sugar. The foods have a symbolic meaning, for example:eggs, symbolize life and Christ’s resurrection; bread is a symbol of Jesus, the lamb represents Christ, salt – purification; horseradish – the bitter sacrifice of Christ, ham – great joy and abundance. The food blessed in the church remains untouched until Sunday morning.
Easter Sunday begins with a visit to church, where a special surrection Mass (Rezurekcja) is celebrated. Only once the family have returned home from church does the Easter breakfast begin. At this time, custom calls for the head of the household to slice some of the hard-boiled eggs consecrated by priest the previouse day, and share pieces with others much the same way the opłatek shared at Christmas.
The Easter Breakfast (śniadanie wielkanocne), although sometimes beginning around noon-time, is treated as the main meal of the day. Colored eggs (pisanki), cold meats (wędliny), cold meats sausages (kiełbasy), marinated mushrooms (grzyby marynowane) or plums (sliwki marynowane), and lots of pastries including baby wielkanocne, mazurki, serniki and makowce can be found on the table. Polish Easter soup called żurek or biały barszcz is often served at the Easter meal, garnished with the hard boiled eggs and sausage.
Easter Monday (Lany Poniedziałek) is a legal holiday in Poland, too. In addition to all the feasting, it is the day of the traditional Śmigus Dyngus, when in the time-honored tradition. People sprinkle, splash or even pour buckets of water on one another. Originally it was the custom that a young man would only soak a girl to whom he wished to make advances; now, it seems to be the case that anybody is likely prey.
