Wielkanocy

Wielkanoc is the Polish celebration of Easter, the annual Christian holiday marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is observed by Catholics and many other denominations in Poland, and it also carries significant cultural and family traditions. The name derives from Old Polish Wielka noc, meaning “great night” or “holy night.”

The holiday’s date varies each year, based on the ecclesiastical calendar: Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (March 21). Wielkanoc is preceded by Holy Week (Wielki Tydzień), with events such as Holy Thursday (Wielki Czwartek), Good Friday (Wielki Piątek), and Holy Saturday (Wielka Sobota). In Poland, Easter Monday (drugi dzień Wielkanocy), often called Lany Poniedziałek, is typically a public holiday.

A key Polish custom is the Święconka, the blessing of Easter baskets on Holy Saturday. A typical basket includes eggs (pisanki or kraszanki), bread (chleb), salt, and items such as sausage or ham (kiełbasa or szynka), butter, and a cake or mazurek. Eggs are usually decorated with dye or wax-resist techniques (pisanki).

On Easter Sunday families share a festive meal featuring eggs, cold cuts, soups such as żurek or barszcz, and pastries like babka or mazurek. The following Monday’s Śmigus-Dyngus (Lany Poniedziałek) involves playful water-throwing between friends and relatives.

Wielkanoc remains a central element of Polish religious life and cultural identity, encompassing solemn religious observances as well as widely practiced secular traditions.