An Easter Message from Jesus (via Saints Matthew and Mark)
by Mark Kohan
Over centuries, traditions and practices change. Luckily for Poles and Polish Americans, our Easter customs have endured these tests.
However, as Poland’s global power grows in tandem with its integration, change is inevitable. Easter egg hunts and Easter gifts (hidden by the Easter bunny) are two examples of Western traditions gaining popularity. As the Church’s influence in modern society wanes, (fewer Poles identify as Roman Catholic), so too does exposure to Easter traditions.
This is especially true in rural Poland, which is experiencing complex population shifts. Some villages are shrinking as people move away and become older, while others — particularly those near major cities — are expanding due to suburbanization. Suburbs are less likely to have common ground (cultural and religious institutions, for example) where traditions, through social interaction, are reinforced.
Assimilation and intermixing are nothing new in Polonia. We have experienced them since our ancestors arrived here. We now serve pierogi at Easter and tolerate Polish folk songs in English. When was the last time you asked your priest to bless your home and inscribe K+M+B on your doorway for the feast of Three Kings?
WHAT TO DO. Ethnologists have chronicled the many and different customs of Polish Easter. These indigenous behaviors are more than just essential to our culture; they define us.
However, reading about the Holy Saturday basket blessing and actually taking one to church is not the same thing. If we want our children and grandchildren to understand the delights and complexities of our past and faith, we must make an effort. Unfortunately, how often have we heard (or said) “no one ever showed me how to make pisanki,” “our church does not bless baskets,” or “why waste money on a butter lamb?”
BEZ PRACY NIE MA KOŁACZY, ALE … There is no gain without pain. Find an organization offering egg-decorating lessons in your region. Talk to your priest about implementing the święconka blessing in your parish. Purchase (or make your own) butter or cake lamb for your Easter feast. The internet has plenty of information about our Easter traditions, so even if you do not live in a traditional Polonia, you may learn how to do them on your own or with family. If you are ailing or of the age where this is no long possible, share your recollections with your children, grandchildren, or younger relatives.
THE TRUE MEANING. At the same time, it is also to remember another ancient adage: bez Boga ani do proga, which best translate to “without prayer, God’s help, and blessing, no action should be undertaken, even the simplest.” Most often used in the context of daily morning prayer and entrusting one’s day to God, it brings us back to the true meaning of Easter, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
In Matthew 15:1-20 and Mark 7:1-16, Pharisees and teachers of the law questioned Jesus about why his disciples disregarded the “tradition of the elders” by not ritually washing their hands before eating. Jesus responded by accusing them of hypocrisy, stating they prioritized human traditions over God’s commands.
I have seen (as I’m sure you have) family and others as obsessed as the Pharisees. We must make kielbasa just like granddad did. We must not use anything but rye bread in the święconka basket. You have to splash the girls with water on Dyngus Day, despite the sub-freezing temperatures.
Should you make kielbasa like dziadek did? By all means, yes, if possible. Are you going to be sent to hell for substituting whole-grain sourdough for rye? Probably not (although the rye is better). Should some poor gal get pneumonia just because it’s Easter Monday? Your deductible says no.
We are living in changing times, different times. It is impossible to expect things to be exactly as they were in 19th-century Poland, so do not be too hard on yourself or on those who show little or no interest in learning customs. At the heart of it all should be the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. And we all have that down pretty well.
May this Easter bring you and your loved ones a sense of renewal, peace, and hope.
