Śmigus-dyngus
Celebration held on Easter Monday in Poland and Central Europe / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Śmigus-dyngus[lower-alpha 1] (Polish pronunciation: [ˈɕmigus ˈdɨnɡus]) or lany poniedziałek[lower-alpha 2] (Polish pronunciation: [ˈlanɨ ˌpɔɲɛˈd͡ʑawɛk]) is a celebration held on Easter Monday across Central Europe, and in small parts of Eastern and Southern Europe. The tradition is widely associated with Poland in English-speaking countries and is observed by Polish diaspora communities, particularly among Polish Americans who call it Dyngus Day. The tradition is also deeply rooted in Hungary.
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (March 2016) |
Traditionally, boys throw water over girls on Easter Monday. In some regions they strike them with pussy willow[1] branches. This is accompanied by a number of other rituals, such as making verse declarations and holding door-to-door processions, in some regions involving boys dressed as bears or other creatures. The origins of the celebration are uncertain, but it may date to pagan times before 1000 AD; it is described in writing as early as the 15th century. It continues to be observed throughout Central Europe and also in the United States, where certain patriotic American elements have been added to the traditional Polish ones.