Photo: Forum-0428664678
The feast of Our Lady of the Herbs – a holiday in Poland full of flowers and symbolism
There is probably no day of the year in Poland that combines Catholic tradition and patriotic sentiments more than 15 August. We owe the Miracle on the Vistula in 1920 to the Feast of the Virgin Mary, which falls on this day.
You could say: what an extraordinary combination! Here, in the height of summer, at harvest time, Poles have always stopped working and those who have the will, the strength and the time walk to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska in the Wadowice district of southern Poland, or Święta Lipka, known as the Częstochowa of the North in the Warmian-Masurian Province; others go to nearby churches. All to give thanks for the harvest from the fields, the crops from the orchards and gardens, the flowering meadows and the fruits of the undergrowth.
Polish-Soviet War-1920 Polish recruitment poster./ https://pl.wikipedia.org
At the same time, on 15 August, we celebrate Polish Army Day, which was established by the Polish Sejm in 1992 in reference to the pre-war Soldier’s Day, which was established in 1923 to commemorate our victory in the world-changing Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Bolshevik War.
Jan Matejko – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary/pl.wikipedia.org
Of course, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated in the Catholic Church today, has an incomparably longer history, dating back to the fifth century. In general, the Blessed Virgin is honoured on this day as the patroness of the earth and the gifts of nature.
The origin of these popular expressions can be found in the Apocrypha, according to which the apostles, after opening the tomb of Christ’s mother, saw flowers in it. The deceased was said to have gone to heaven with her body, and various kinds of flowers and herbs became Marian symbols. In Poland, some of them, in addition to their official names, were given popular names that referred directly to Mary, specifically to her appearance, clothing or attributes, e.g. common mullein is Our Lady’s braids, sweet pea – Our Lady’s tears, St. John’s wort – Our Lady’s bells.
The Polish proverb ‘Every flower cries out: take me to church’ captures the essence of the custom of bringing flowers and herbs, grains and vegetables to the temples on the day of Our Lady of the Herbs. The garlands and bouquets made from them – and, more recently, the decorative baskets – are supposed to contain as many plant species as possible. Herbs include mint, chamomile, tansy, wormwood, yarrow and wild ginger; flowers include hollyhocks, marigolds, gladiolas, asters and dahlias. According to tradition, the bouquet should be tied with a lime branch, because it was on the lime tree that the Virgin Mary usually appeared. Some plants, however, are excluded; these are those that are not eaten and are therefore in some way ‘inferior’, such as vetch, lupine, clover or alfalfa.
According to popular belief, after being consecrated in church, the plants were said to have special powers. Nowadays, it is customary to leave the garland or bouquet at home to dry and keep it until the following 15th of August, so that it will protect the house and those who live in it throughout the year. Its purpose is generally expressed: to make us feel safer in a wonderful way. In the past, especially in the villages, elaborate rituals were practised in connection with the plants consecrated on this day. Some rituals were regional, while others took place in many parts of Poland. Immediately after leaving the church, the herbs chosen from the bouquet were left in the furrows of the fields to ward off pests, especially since some of the plants had not yet been harvested, including the staples of the diet, potatoes and cabbage.
When it reached the house, the bouquet, already somewhat reduced in size, was placed behind a holy image or on the windowsill, from where it was supposed to exert a good influence on the interior of the house and its immediate surroundings, including the farm buildings. It would protect against disease, fire and bad weather. Some people burned the sacrificed plants and used the smoke to suffocate all rooms, including themselves and their cattle. If the cows were not giving milk, censing was supposed to change that.
In the Lemko region, housewives used to prepare cheese dumplings, called homiłki, with mint from a consecrated bouquet. Herbs were used to make teas and infusions, which were believed to help with various ailments. They were also added to baths for the same purpose.
Flowers from the Feast of Our Lady of the Herbs were placed in the coffin of the deceased, because, like Her, they were supposed to help the deceased pass on to heaven.
This dimension of the feast is emphasised by the several-day August celebrations in the 17th-century sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which hosts, among other things, the House of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church of Mary’s Sepulchre, where the procession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is held and the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary among the angels on the main altar of the monastery church is venerated. Farmers, firemen and people dressed in costumes reminiscent of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth take part in the procession. According to the faithful, the August feast of Our Lady of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska ‘shows the direction of human life’, which is eternity, but also reminds us that we must take care of it and earn it during our earthly journey.
The Feast of Our Lady of Herbs has inspired many artists, especially painters and poets. Beautiful verses dedicated to this feast were written by Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna and Jan Lechoń, among others. Jan Lechoń wrote in the 1950s about the plants he loved: ‘Oh you, flowers of my youth, straight from the herb meadow / Which on Our Lady of the Herbs they bring to church/And put to Czestochowa to raise her hand / Above the primrose and thyme and above the silver tremble / Above the sedum and lavender, above the rue and mint / Because it’s all divine because it’s all sacred…’
Source: antoneta.manifo.com
The celebration of 15 August in Poland embodies the delicacy of flowers that the poet emphasizes, and at the same time, as if by chance, contrasts with, but perhaps complements, the strength of Polish arms. It unites the sacred and the profane. It is a request and a thanksgiving, it announces the harvest festival and prepares for the next stage of work. It gives hope that we are safe, individually and nationally.
Karolina Prewęcka
Source: DlaPolonii.pl
