 | | A Polish Easter in Kidderminster
by Councillor Mike Oborski - Consul of the Republic of Poland for the West Midlands | |
|  | | Painted Easter eggs |
| | 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. |
| | | Of course attendance at Mass on Holy Thursday, Wielka Noc (‘Great Night’ meaning Easter Friday), Easter Saturday, and Easter Sunday is essential for Polish Catholics.
On Easter Saturday it is traditional for the lady of the house to take Swieconka to Church to be blessed by the Priest.
In Kidderminster this sometimes also takes place at the Polish Ex-Servicemen’s Club in St. George’s Terrace.
Swieconka is the basket of food usually lined with the homemade linen or special cloth that she has woven, crocheted, embroidered or inherited.
Traditionally the basket will contain:
a lamb – representing the lamb of God – made of butter, cake or sugar;
eggs – the symbol of new life;
meat – signifying prosperity;
horseradish – a bitter herb signifying the suffering of Christ;
salt – which in Polish tradition is presented to guests as a sign of welcome and hospitality; greenery of some sort – as a symbol of the awakening and greening earth;
bread – as a symbol of the bread of communion and the Last Supper.
 | | Traditional painted eggs |
The same name, Swieconka, is also given to Easter Sunday Breakfast which might consist of cold baked ham, fresh sausage with marjoram, smoked sausage, thickly sliced rye bread, butter lamb, beet relish, hard boiled eggs and almond pastry.
The head of the house cuts a hard boiled egg, blessed the previous day, into segments one of which is offered in turn to each of the people present with wishes for long life and happiness and joy on this Easter Sunday.
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