As we gear up for Easter week, I’ve put together a few articles you might enjoy about Polish traditions. Starting with this weekend, when for Palm Sunday we weave palms together with pussy willow awash with soft catkins:

Polish Palms for life and health

As we prepare food for the Easter breakfast or indeed the main meal, take inspiration from what was traditionally served for this feast. Was it babka (yeast cake), żurek soup or pasztet(paté)? This year I’m going to try making żurek from scratch and I understand it was mainly a peasant dish adopted in Śląsk from the German sauer meaning sour. It is very popular in Poland today so I will join them in making it alongside a traditional babka and mazurek cake.

Polish Easter dishes from our grandparents to the future

And finally, who knew our Easter baskets blessed on Easter Saturday are so full of symbols of the Passion. From the Easter lamb to cake, meat and salt trimmed with fresh green leaves from the garden it’s worth it, in the rush of getting our eggs coloured and decorated, to feel at one with our families through the centuries placing each item carefully in a similar basket.

Święcone – What to put in your Polish Easter basket

Enjoy decorating those eggs, roll them, have egg fights and share them in your family, sprinkling them with a little salt, on blessed bread. I wish you all:

Don’t forget about Śmingus Dyngus on Easter Monday. Whatever the weather outside, make sure there’s at least some droplets of water sprinkled about.  The symbolic beating with willow twigs or palms and pouring cold water on oneself to spring clean from diseases and sin is Śmigus. Visiting friends with a symbolic present is Dyngus  so combined, they form the tradition to sprinkle (or House in some areas) family and friends for good luck this year.