Main Festivals
Cyclic:
- Jare Święto – the Spring Festival, the Vernal Equinox – kindling the sacred fire, the ritual of drowning the Marzanna, decorating Easter eggs;
- Święto Ognia i Wody – Summer Solstice – kindling of bonfires, fire walking, ritual bathing;
- Święto Plonów – the Harvest Festival, Autumn Equinox – blessing of crops and fruit, ritual feasting;
- Godowe Święto – the Winter Festival, Winter Solstice – inviting the Tree of Life into the household, ritual feasting called tryzna.
Other:
- Dziady
Occasional (family celebrations):
- Postrzyżyny
- Swaćba
The observation of the main cyclic festivals is usually carried out in public and open to everybody – guests from outside the community are welcome provided they respect the native faith and culture. The festivals’ rituals are performed according to suitable liturgy and conducted by either an ofiarnik or an appointed żerca.
Read more about this topic: Native Polish Church
Famous quotes containing the words main and/or festivals:
“Dust rises from the main road and old Délira is stooping in front of her hut. She doesn’t look up, she softly shakes her head, her headkerchief all askew, letting out a strand of grey hair powdered, it appears, with the same dust pouring through her fingers like a rosary of misery. She repeats, “we will all die”, and she calls on the good Lord.”
—Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)
“This is certainly not the place for a discourse about what festivals are for. Discussions on this theme were plentiful during that phase of preparation and on the whole were fruitless. My experience is that discussion is fruitless. What sets forth and demonstrates is the sight of events in action, is living through these events and understanding them.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)