Archive for 'Religion'
Good Friday traditions in Poland Posted by Kasia on Apr 19, 2019
Easter is almost here! In Poland the last week of Lent, Holy Week, is known as Wielki Post or Wielki Tydzień. During this week Polish families prepare their homes for Easter. Traditionally there is spring cleaning, shopping, baking and cooking for the Easter feast. Many churches in Poland observe Good Friday (Wielki Piątek), which is the Friday…
Why so much dislike for Halloween in Poland? Posted by Kasia on Oct 30, 2018
Recently a lot of my “Facebook friends” have been posting and sharing different messages about Halloween in Poland. Most of them are against this holiday… Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November…
40 years since John Paul II became Pope! Posted by Kasia on Oct 16, 2018
On October 16, 1978, the Cardinals of the Catholic Church gathered in the Sistine Chapel and elected the first non-Italian Pope in 456 years! Many people know him as Karol Wojtyła but the world knows him now as Pope Saint John Paul II. When he first appeared at the balcony of Saint Peter’s basilica Oct…
Religion in Poland Posted by Kasia on Sep 6, 2017
In past centuries, when Poland was still a kingdom, the Polish gentry had the motto: “God, Honor, Fatherland”/”Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna”, where God was always in the leading position as religion is said to have remained an important element of Polish consciousness and identity. When talking about Poland, “religion” often means “Catholicism”. About 87% of Poles…
The Assumption of Mary holiday in Poland Posted by Kasia on Aug 11, 2017
The Assumption of Mary, or the Day of Assumption (Wniebowstąpienie Maryi), is an annual public holiday in Poland on August 15. It is also Polish Army Day (Święto Wojska Polskiego) as it is connected with the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. This battle was considered a breakthrough battle – it decided not only…
Why horseradish is a must on a Polish Easter table? Posted by Kasia on Apr 12, 2017
Easter (Święta Wielkanocne) is a happy holiday, an affirmation of life for Christians all over the world. Most people everywhere celebrate it with joy. Tears are also a part of the Polish tradition, although crying isn’t so much because of the emotion… It’s the horseradish of course! Horseradish is a symbolic food on the Easter table that affects…
Would you step inside this Polish chapel made out of skulls? Posted by Kasia on Mar 4, 2017
Anytime I travel, I try to find one unique, very different place to visit. Today, I have a very interesting one for you:) From the road, it would be easy to overlook this small, unassuming chapel located in one of the oldest towns in southwestern Poland. But the wooden doors hide a spectacular, macabre interior. Thousands of…