Easter is the oldest and principal Christian holiday. It originated from the Jewish Passover, commemorating the Jews’ exodus from Egyptian captivity to the Promised Land. From the earliest generations, Christians solemnly celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ during the night from Saturday to Sunday. There is not even certainty about the date of His resurrection, which is why Easter is a movable feast. The Council of Nicaea in 325 established that Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. However, no binding date for the spring equinox was specified.
For centuries, the anticipation of Easter was preceded by a long and arduous fast. Lent, lasting 40 days, is a time of becoming better, a time of cleansing the soul, body and stomachs. A particular accumulation of Lenten customs takes place during its final week. Among the many Easter symbols, the most prominent are the egg, a green branch, fire and water. In the Middle Ages, if Ash Wednesday was a so-called fast day, people fasted. Initially among the Piarists, and later among the Dominicans, Franciscans and other orders, Tenebrae was celebrated. After each psalm, one candle was extinguished. After the service, priests made noise by striking psalters and breviaries against the benches, to recall the changes occurring in nature during Christ’s Passion. Boys imitated the priests, banging on the benches with sticks specially adapted for this purpose. During the solemn evening Mass on Holy Thursday, the ringing bells fall silent, to sound again only at the joyful Alleluia. They are replaced by rattles. They remind us that Christ was handed over to the Passion of the Cross and is suffering, while the church is plunged into sadness and mourning. After Mass, the priest strips the altar, commemorating the stripping of Jesus of His garments.
Good Friday is the saddest day of the year. After long suffering, Christ died on the cross. It is the only day of the year on which Mass is not celebrated. Instead, an evening liturgy is held, consisting of the account of the Lord’s Passion, the prayer of the faithful, adoration of the cross and Holy Communion, followed by the transfer of Jesus to a symbolic tomb.
Symbols...
The Lamb – in our Polish tradition, the Easter lamb with a banner bearing the inscription Alleluia reigns on the festive table. The lamb symbolizes the slain Jesus, who rose from the dead, conquered death and defeated Satan...
The Palm – it should consist of branches of hazel, willow, yew, pine or juniper. According to legend, all these plants grew sad after Christ’s death. Different customs for making palms have survived in various regions of the country. In Kashubia, Kurpie, the Kraków region and among the highlanders, four palms are blessed. One is intended for the cemetery, another is placed behind a religious image to protect the home from fire and lightning, and the third is placed in farm buildings to guard the cattle. The fourth is broken into sticks and tied into little crosses, which are planted at the edges of fields before evening on Good Friday to ensure a good harvest.
The Tombs of Christ – this is a truly Polish tradition. Depending on the situation in which the country found itself, they depicted scenes from Scripture or had a national character. They were guarded by the faithful, usually dressed in firefighters’ uniforms. They were ordinary people, and often respected citizens. People visited tombs in different churches, spending a moment in prayer at each one. Collections were often organized at the tombs to build hospitals and help the poor. Holy Saturday is the day of Jesus’ rest in the tomb, a day of prayer and waiting for His resurrection. At home, preparations for the blessed food were completed. When the faithful went to church with their baskets of blessed food, young men sat in the trees near the churches and loudly, without restraint, praised or criticized the qualities, appearance and behavior of individual girls... who were often the objects of their affection...
The Liturgy of Fire and Water – it takes place in the evening, during the Easter Vigil. The faithful gather outside the church around a fire. The fire is blessed, and a candle called the Paschal candle is lit from it. The fire symbolizes Christ, who is the light illuminating the darkness, the light of life. After the fire and candle have been blessed, the faithful follow the priest carrying the Paschal candle into the dark church. This procession recalls the Israelites’ journey through the Sinai Desert with a pillar of fire. During this liturgy, water is also blessed; it is used to administer the Sacrament of Baptism throughout the Easter season.
The Feast of the Lord’s Resurrection – initially, it was celebrated only during the Easter Vigil and ended just before dawn. On Easter Sunday, the faithful rose early, before sunrise, to wash their eyes and bodies in the nearest lake, river or stream. It was believed that the water had healing power. Dressed in their finest clothes, they went to church for the Resurrection service.
A description of this celebration from the 18th century, according to Fr. Kitowicz: "The Resurrection service, or procession on Easter Day from the tomb, was conducted just as it is today; proceeding three times around the inside of the church, or around the church through the cemetery or cloisters, depending on what was possible in each place."
Eggs, decorated eggs – the egg is a symbol of life, while the decorated egg is a symbol of Easter. It is not known how long decorated eggs have been regarded as a symbol of the holiday. They vary greatly depending on the region. The best eggs are selected for decorating: yellowish ones with rough shells, which take dye best. For ages, traditional motifs have recurred on decorated eggs, sometimes resembling embroidery or ceramic patterns: various spirals, pinwheels, ladders, grids, crosses and stylized flowers. Human or animal figures appear less often. An egg blessed on Holy Saturday was believed to protect the home from misfortune. Shells from blessed eggs were scattered over cabbages “so that caterpillars would not eat them,” and eggs were rolled along the furrows to protect fields from weeds. The decorated egg was also significant as a gift. Guests received them during the holidays, godparents gave them to their godchildren, girls gave them to their favorite boys, and beggars received them so that they would pray for the souls of the dead; decorated eggs were also placed on graves...
Perhaps the significance of the egg was attributed to the fact that it contained hidden life, and that its round shape symbolized strength and health. For example, in some parts of Poland, cattle going out to pasture for the first time that year were rubbed on the back with an egg. Today, all these rites connected with the egg have disappeared, but a colorful decorated egg remains an ornament of the Easter table, and it would be a shame to abandon this custom.