March
Polish Easter
- - Polish Easter customs have not changed much during the centuries.
Eggs are a still major item at Easter. Eggs are blessed. Eggs are painted
in many lovely patterns.
Starting on Palm Sunday the girls will begin gathering eggs, which will
become "pisanki".
Matins are observed in churches on Wednesday of the Holy Week. After each
psalm is sung, a candle light is put out to as a symbol of the sorrow of
the torture of Christ.
On Thursday of the Holy Week, they wash the feet of twelve old men at the
church, in memory of the Last Supper. In olden days, Polish kings
performed this rite. Today, the bishops and their priests do this.
Starting on Good Friday and through Saturday, every one visits the different
churches in town to view. The church bells are silenced on
Thursday and Friday. Then on Saturday they are rung on at midnight
to celebrate the risen Lord.