 | | A Polish Easter in Kidderminster
by Councillor Mike Oborski - Consul of the Republic of Poland for the West Midlands | |
|  | | Easter lamb |
| | Lambs made of butter and eggs made of wood… It must be a very traditional Polish Easter. Mike Oborski, Kidderminster based Consul of the Republic of Poland for the West Midlands, describes Polish Easter traditions. |
| | | While the breakfast is traditionally a cold collation the other meals of the day could be a variety of dishes. These might include;
barszcz – the Polish beetroot soup;
a broth made of beef served with noodles; sauerkraut soup with sausage;
certainly meat of some sort;
eggs;
baked breads and sweets accompanied by wine or vodka.
As the Easter “Breakfast” should come after the “Resurrection Mass” on Easter Sunday Morning it is understandable that it has drifted into being an Easter “Lunch”.
 | | Decorated table cover |
An Easter Lamb takes pride of place on the Easter table in the centre of a white table- cloth. The lamb may be made of cake, butter or sugar. With the lamb is a little banner of victory often depicting a lamb balancing a cross on one of its hooves. Baba, which may take its name from the Polish word for an old woman, is the special rich Polish Easter cake beloved by Polish youngsters.
The Monday after Easter is called dyngus day in Poland when Bigos – the Polish national stew of cabbage, sauerkraut and meats – is popular particularly if the weather is chilly.
Fortunately Kidderminster Poles do not inflict the Easter Monday tradition of “Smingus- Dyngus" – pouring water on one another – on unsuspecting English neighbours. In Warsaw any passer by is likely to be soaked at any moment by mischievous school children armed with water pistols, bottles, or even buckets of water!
For Poles, whether in U.K., scattered world wide, or at home in Poland, Easter is the most important festival of the year.
We wish you all a peaceful, happy and appropriately reflective Easter!
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