On March 22nd, in “Polish Class” we had our first online meeting with a group of students and employees of the Institute of Political Sciences and Administration of the Pedagogical University in Cracow. They will be conducting thematic lectures for us throughout the whole year. It is no coincidence that we started this cycle with a meeting devoted to the traditions of the celebration of Easter in Poland, led by Dr. Joanna Gajda: Easter symbolizes the victory of life over death, renewal, and rebirth.
At the meeting we shared recipes and ways to arrange the festive Easter table, we learned about the unusual Easter Palms competition organized in the small Polish town of Rabka-Zdrój. And what would an Easter Basket be without Easter eggs! There are many techniques for decorating them, it all depends on your skills and imagination. There are also various names that describe Easter eggs, all of them corresponding to a method being used to decorate them. Kraszanki (from the verb krasić – ‘to dye,’ or ‘to decorate’), oklejanki (from the verb oklejać – ‘to stick on’), drapanki (from the verb drapać – ‘to scratch’), malowanki (from the verb malować – ‘to paint’), and ażurki (which means the pattern is embroidered into an egg). Have you heard about any of these? Look!
We learned so many new and fascinating things that evening.
Happy Easter from Poland! We would like to heartily invite you to our next meetings.
