Święconka, meaning "the blessing of the Easter baskets," is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions on Holy Saturday. While originally observed by Poles
in the U.S., it has become increasingly mainstream in the U.S and is
starting to grow in the U.K. as Poles go there to live. Catholic
churches, being observed by a wide cross-section of parishes.
For example, the Chicago Tribune reported Francis Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago performing the blessing in a church on Chicago's Northwest Side on Holy Saturday of 2007. In 2008, a similar service took place in the Chicago archdiocese at St. Alphonsus Liguori Roman Catholic Church in Mt. Prospect, Illinois.
The tradition of food blessing at Easter, which has early-medieval
roots in Christian society, possibly originated from a pagan ritual.
The tradition is said to date from the 7th century in its basic form,
the more modern form containing bread and eggs (symbols of resurrection
and Christ) are said to date from the 12th century.
A typical "Święconka" basket of Polish Holy Saturday tradition.
Baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are brought to church
to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is traditionally lined with a
white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood (bukszpan),
the typical Easter evergreen. Poles take special pride in preparing a
decorative and tasteful basket with crisp linens, occasionally
embroidered for the occasion, and boxwood and ribbon woven through the
handle. Observing the creativity of other parishioners is one of the
special joys of the event.
While in some older or rural communities, the priest visits the home to bless the foods, the vast majority of Poles and Polish Americans visit the church on Holy Saturday, praying at the Tomb of the Lord (the fourteenth and final Station of the Cross).
The Blessing of the Food is, however, a festive occasion. The
three-part blessing prayers specifically address the various contents of
the baskets, with special prayers for the meats, eggs, cakes and
breads. The priest or deacon then sprinkles the individual baskets with holy water.
More traditional Polish churches use a straw brush for aspersing
the water; others use the more modern metal holy water sprinkling wand.
In some parishes, the baskets are lined up on long tables; in others,
parishioners process to the front of the altar carrying their baskets,
as if in a Communion line. Older generations of Polish Americans,
descended from early 19th century immigrants, tend to bless whole meal
quantities, often brought to church halls or cafeterias in large hampers
and picnic baskets. The food blessed in the church remains untouched until Sunday morning.
Easter Blessing of Food St. Therese Church, April 7, 2012 by Rev. Vidal Gonzales
The foods in the baskets have a symbolic meaning:
eggs - symbolize life and Christ's resurrection
bread - symbolic of Jesus
lamb - represents Christ
salt - represents purification
horseradish - symbolic of the bitter sacrifice of Christ
Easter Parade is a 1948 American musical film starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, featuring music by Irving Berlin, including some of Astaire and Garland's best-known songs, such as "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and "We're a Couple of Swells."
It was the most financially successful picture for both Garland and Astaire as well as the highest-grossing musical of the year.
In 1912, Broadway
star Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) is buying Easter presents for his
sweetheart, starting with a hat and some flowers ("Happy Easter"). He
goes into a toy shop and buys a cuddly Easter rabbit, after persuading a
young boy to part with it and buy a set of drums instead ("Drum
Crazy"). Hewes takes the gifts to his dancing partner, Nadine Hale (Ann Miller),
who explains that she has an offer for a show that would feature her as
a solo star. Don tries to change her mind and it looks as if he has
succeeded ("It Only Happens When I Dance With You"), until Don's best
friend, Johnny (Peter Lawford), turns up. Nadine reveals that she and Don are no longer a team and it becomes obvious that Nadine is attracted to Johnny.
Angry, Don leaves to drown his sorrows at a bar. Johnny follows him
and tries to persuade him to talk to Nadine, but to no avail; Don brags
that he does not need Nadine and that he can make a star of the next
dancer he meets. After Johnny leaves, he picks out one of the girls
dancing on the stage, Hannah Brown (Judy Garland),
and tells her to meet him for rehearsal the next day. Hannah then
performs a duet, singing a musical number with a member of the band
(Norman S. Barker) on trombone, "I Want to Go Back to Michigan." The
next morning, Don tries to turn Hannah into a copy of Nadine, teaching
her to dance the same way, buying her dresses in a similar style and
giving her an "exotic" stage name, "Juanita." However, Hannah makes
several mistakes at their first performance and the show is a fiasco.
Theatrical release poster
Hannah meets Johnny, who is instantly attracted to her and sings "A
Fella With An Umbrella" while walking her to her rehearsal with Don. At
the rehearsal, Don, realizing his mistake, decides to start over from
scratch by creating routines more suited to Hannah's personality. Hannah
sings "I Love A Piano" and she works out a dance routine with Don that
proves much more successful than their earlier performance. The duo, now
known as "Hannah & Hewes", are shown to be performing
"Snookie-Ookums", "The Ragtime Violin", and "When That Midnight
Choo-Choo Leaves For Alabam'" in a montage of their performances.
At an audition for Ziegfeld Follies,
where they perform "Midnight Choo-Choo", they meet Nadine who is
starring in the show. Hannah realizes that Nadine was Don's former
dancing partner and demands to know if they were in love. Don hesitates
and Hannah runs out of the rehearsal where she encounters Johnny. Later,
Don meets Hannah back at the hotel and reveals that he turned down the
Ziegfeld offer, believing that Hannah and Nadine do not belong in the
same show. Johnny soon arrives and takes Hannah out for dinner at which,
after a comical routine by the waiter, Johnny reveals that he has
fallen in love with Hannah. While Hannah does like Johnny, she admits
she is actually in love with Don; she also admits to deliberately making
mistakes when they rehearse so she can be with him longer. She and
Johnny continue to have a close friendship.
Meanwhile, Nadine's show opens and Don goes to see it ("Shakin' The
Blues Away"). He is the only member of the audience who seems
unimpressed. Later on, Don goes to see Hannah and tell her that they
will be starring in another show and invites her to dinner to celebrate.
Hannah goes to dinner at Don's, only to have him suggest a dance
rehearsal. She is immediately upset and turns to walk out, telling him
that he's "nothing but a pair of dancing shoes" and that he doesn't see
her as a woman, but as a dancing aid. Hannah is particularly annoyed
that Don doesn't notice her new clothes and all the effort she has made
for him. She tries to leave, but Don stops her and kisses her. Hannah
then plays the piano and sings "It Only Happens When I Dance With You,"
after which Don realizes he is in love with Hannah and they embrace.
The couple take part in a variety show, with a solo by Don ("Steppin'
Out With My Baby") and then comes the most famous musical number in the
film ("A Couple of Swells"), in which Don and Hannah play a pair of
street urchins with vivid imaginations. Don and Hannah go out to
celebrate after the show and end up watching Nadine perform. Nadine is
mad with jealousy when the audience gives Don and Hannah a round of
applause as they come in. Nadine is the star dancer in "The Girl On The
Magazine Cover." The song features an ingenious stage act, in which
women appear against backdrops that look like the covers of contemporary
magazines. Nadine herself appears on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.
Afterwards, she insists that Don perform one of their old numbers with
her for old times' sake, as she tries to win Don back - "It Only Happens
When I Dance With You (Reprise)." When Don reluctantly agrees, Hannah
becomes upset and runs out.
She ends up at the bar where she and Don first met. There she pours
out her troubles to Mike the bartender ("Better Luck Next Time"). Later,
when Hannah returns to her apartment, she finds Don waiting for her.
Don tries to explain that he was forced to dance with Nadine, but Hannah
thinks Don used her to make Nadine jealous and win her back. Don tells
Hannah he'll wait all night for her to forgive him, but just before
Hannah opens the door, Don is kicked out of her building by the house
detective. The next morning Hannah is telling Johnny about her and Don's
misunderstanding. Johnny says if he loved someone he would let her know
it, implying that Hannah should forget the argument and be with Don.
Hannah realizes that Johnny is right and goes to meet Don for their date
for the Easter Parade.
Meanwhile, Don has been receiving various gifts at his apartment that
morning, such as a rabbit and a new top hat, unaware that they're from
Hannah. She arrives unexpectedly at his house, as if the argument never
happened. Don is a little confused by this turn of events, but decides
to go out with Hannah anyway. As they walk in the Easter parade, photographers, echoing a scene with Nadine from the beginning of the film, take their pictures and Don proposes to Hannah ("Easter Parade").
Pysanka is often taken to mean any type of decorated egg, but
it specifically refers to an egg created by the written-wax batik method
and utilizing traditional folk motifs and designs. Several other types
of decorated eggs are seen in Ukrainian tradition, and these vary
throughout the regions of Ukraine.
Krashanky (see below. –from krasyty (красити), "to decorate"– are boiled eggs dyed a single color (with vegetable dyes), and are blessed and eaten at Easter.
Pysanky –from pysaty (писати), "to write"– are raw eggs created with the wax-resist method (batik). The designs are "written" in hot wax with a stylus
or a pin-head. Wooden eggs and beaded eggs are often referred to as
"pysanky" because they mimic the decorative style of pysanky in a
different medium.
Krapanky –from krapka (крапка), "a dot"– are raw eggs
decorated using the wax-resist method, but with only dots as
ornamentation (no symbols or other drawings). They are traditionally
created by dripping molten wax from a beeswax candle onto an egg.
Dryapanky –from dryapaty (дряпати), "to scratch"– are created by scratching the surface of a dyed egg to reveal the white shell below.
Malyovanky –from malyuvaty (малювати), "to paint"– are created by painting
a design with a brush using oil or water color paints. It is sometimes
used to refer to coloring (e.g. with a marker) on an egg.
Nakleyanky –from kleyaty (клеяти), "to glue on"– are created by glueing objects to the surface of an egg. (see straw examples from the Czech Republic below)
Travlenky –from travlenya (травлення), “etching” – are
created by waxing eggs and then etching away the unwaxed areas. This is
not a traditional Ukraine practice, but has become popularized
recently.
Biserky –from biser (бісер), "beads"– are created by
coating an egg with beeswax, and then embedding beads into the wax to
create geometric designs.
Lystovky –from lystya (листя), "leaves"– are created by dyeing an egg to which small leaves have been attached.
All but the krashanky and lystovky are usually meant to be decorative
(as opposed to edible), and the egg yolk and white are either allowed
to dry up over time, or removed by blowing them out through a small hole
in the egg.
A traditional and still widespread way of colouring Easter eggs in the Czech Republic
is boiling them together with onion skins. The patterns can be gained
by attaching leaves of various plants to them before boiling, and
removing them afterwards. In this picture there are just egg shells, but
usually whole eggs are boiled and decorated in this way.
A traditional way of decorating Easter eggs with straw in the region of
Haná, the Czech Republic. The photograph was taken on an exhibition of
egg decorating in Bělkovice-Lašťany, the Czech Republic, on 1 April
2006.
Polish pisanka (plural pisanki) is a common name for an egg (usually that of a chicken, although goose or duck eggs are also used) ornamented using various techniques. Originating as a pagan tradition, pisanki were absorbed by Christianity to become the traditional Easter egg. Pisanki are now considered to symbolise the revival of nature and the hope that Christians gain from faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Left, A Polish pisanka of the drapanka type. Center, A Polish drapanka with very dark dye. Far Right, A Polish drapanka with reddish dye.
There are various types of pisanki, based on the technique and preparation used:
Kraszanki (sometimes called malowanki or byczki)
are made by boiling an egg in a decoction of plants or other natural
products. The colour of kraszanka depends on the kind of product used:
brown: onion peels;
black: oak or alder bark or the nutshell of walnut;
golden: the bark of young apple tree or the marigold flower;
violet: petals of the mallow flower;
green: shoots of young rye or leaves of periwinkle;
pink: the juice of beet.
Drapanki or skrobanki are made by scratching the surface of a kraszanka with a sharp tool to reveal the white of the egg shell.
Pisanki are created by drawing (Polish: pisanie) on an
egg shell covered with a layer of molten wax, or alternately drawing
designs with wax on a bare egg. The egg is then submerged into a dye.
Naklejanki or nalepianki are decorated with petals of elderberry, scraps of colourful paper (including wycinanki) or with patches of cloth. Popular in Łowicz and the surrounding area.
Oklejanki or wyklejanki are decorated with bulrush pith or yarn. They are common in the Podlaskie region of Poland.
The oldest known Polish pisanki date from the 10th century, although it is probable that eggs were decorated by Slavic peoples even earlier.
In the past, only women decorated eggs. Men were not allowed to come
inside the house during the process, as it was believed that they could
put a spell on the eggs, and cause bad luck.
Until the 12th century, the Catholic church forbade the consumption of eggs during Easter.
The church wished to distance itself from the pagan roots of the
tradition connected with the cult of the dead, in which the egg played
an important role as a symbol of rebirth. This ban was lifted, but it
was necessary to offer a special prayer before eating.
Today in Poland, eggs and pisanki are hallowed on Easter Saturday along with the traditional Easter basket. On Easter Sunday, before the ceremonial breakfast,
these eggs are exchanged and shared among the family at the table. This
is a symbol of friendship, similar to the sharing of the Opłatek (Christmas wafer) on Christmas Eve.
Pisanica (pl. pisanice) is a decorated Croatian Easter egg that comes from an old Slavic custom dating back to pagan times. During Easter,
eggs would be painted with bright colors, and would be given as gifts,
especially to young children or a significant other. Before paint became
common, villagers would have to use whatever resources they had
available around them to make the dyes and paints themselves. The most
common color for eggs was red, due to the abundance of red beets and
other vegetables. In the Međimurje area, soot would often be mixed with oak to make a dark brown color. Green plants would be used for green dye. The word pisanica is derived from the Croatian
word that means "writing." The most common phrase put on pisanicas is
Happy Easter, or "Sretan Uskrs." Other common decorations are doves, crosses, flowers, traditional designs, and other slogans wishing health and happiness.
The day before Easter, Roman Catholics and other Christians go to a late night mass
carrying a basket of traditional food (including bread, cheese, and
eggs (either pisanicas or regular eggs). During the mass, priests bless
the food, which are kept for the next morning to eat.
On Easter day, a traditional game is played in which at least two
people choose eggs and hold them vertically while one person lightly
taps the end of the other egg with their end, to see whose will crack.
Anyone whose egg cracks must choose another and then tap the other
person's egg, and they continue until all the eggs have been used and
cracked but the last one. Whoever holds the strongest egg in the end
which has not been cracked, wins.
