Easter Traditions in Poland: A Forester's Perspective
30.03.2024Contact Us
In Poland, Easter has always been a time deeply rooted in tradition and religion. Even if many of us do not practice religion on a daily basis, these customs have been a part of our culture since we were children. And for foresters, Easter has always had special significance.
On Ash Wednesday, they picked up branches of willow, raspberry, or currant and formed them into bouquets, which were blessed on Palm Sunday in church. Such a "palm", placed in the window, was believed to protect the family against lightning strikes.
On Good Friday, the tomb of Christ was set up in church, and foresters were often among those standing guard by it. On that day, branches which were believed to protect against fire were blessed by a priest. In addition, forests and fields were also blessed, and parishioners visited roadside chapels and figures.
Many of you ask us during our hunts - what exactly are these chapels and what significance do they have for us, Poles? We will write about this in a new article :)
Easter celebrations themselves were similar in old times to today's. The most important aspects were the resurrection and festive breakfast, and on Monday, people would sprinkle themselves with water, which, among other things, was believed to cure animal diseases. Easter was traditionally a time free from hunting.
