Easter Magic:
Easter - the oldest and most important festival of Christianity-cijańskie, already celebrated in the second century, it For Christians, the feast of the triumph over death, redemption from sin, the victory of good over evil. Easter was our pagan ancestors also Christmas greeting the spring, the feast and the revival of spring renewal. That is why so many of them symbols of life, rebirth, purification, health (green palm, fire, egg, water) and associated with all sorts of customs and rituals. The Polish customs holidays are extremely rich and colorful. Christian traditions are interwoven here with the ancient mysteries in honor of waking up from winter sleep of nature. ("Guide to Home", "friend")
magic power of the palm:
Palm Sunday, during which the saints of the palms (in memory of Christ's entry into Jerusalem!) Begins Holy Week. But the importance of this more or less colorful twigs is a connected not only with the Bible. It also recall the old tradition of worship present in the pagan. The Slavs believed in the tree of happiness, forever reborn, whose symbol was a willow tree. Easter palm made of willow twigs, is a symbol of life-giving strength and hope for a better future. Height of the palm was supposed to have an impact on long life and handsome offspring. The sacred palm is a wealth of meaning and magic. After the blessing palm stored throughout the year to the next Christmas. It was good to have more than one palm tree. Palm branches placed in the furrows of freshly plowed field, intended to ensure fertility. Stuck on the wall of the Chamber drove evil spirits and protect against plague, fire, hail, and the waving palm tree during a storm was to guard the house from lightning. The recipe for a sore throat was swallowing "baziek" learned from the palm or drinking tea with blueberries adorning it. Pieces of Easter palm as a symbol of the resurrection of the dead were placed in coffins. There was also the custom of walking with a palm tree on the graves of loved ones.
It was believed that, like humans, palm work on cattle - placed in front of the barn protect livestock from disease. ("Frequency", "Zycie Warszawy", "mt")
Magic consecutive days Holy Week:
- in Holy Week observed Wednesdays Żurowej when he runs around the fields with blazing branches having frighten evil spirits,
- it was believed that the Holy Thursday increases the power of witches receiving a benefit from cattle and children, evil forces, from the yard and fields, the host expelled wierzbowym stick
- Good Friday was a day full of dos and don'ts, it was believed that Jesus' death allowed the world wrong, of course, could have been avoided disaster - for example, to preserve the health of people had to wash up before sunrise necessarily sun in running water, no wiping is, in turn, to protect horses against the disease cut off their manes and tails ...
- in Holy Saturday burned garbage, to symbolize the rebirth from the ashes, blessed it, water, fire, candles and foods.
water - water from time immemorial was regarded as a symbol of healing, the source of life, rebirth of spirit and body, resurrection, clean, good and evil, the human soul. (After a bit of each of these symbols is present in Easter Monday oblewaniu Smingus-called Monday ". Read more.)
Fire - Holy Saturday in the holy fire in churches, at dusk, lighting a fire at the church, the priest sacrifices, and the congregation brought him to light candles. Formerly from the burning candles rekindled under the kitchen hosts a "new fire" and bypass the whole house and sprinkled with holy water.
paigns - Easter comes after 40 days of Lent. No wonder that festival presents a major culinary pleasures. Already since the Middle Ages on Holy Saturday holy Easter with traditional dishes, although this custom is derived from pagan times, when he asked the gods to have the care of the simplest human food. During the spring feast of Slavonic prepared for a demon called depletion. This was explained by a huge amount of prepared food.
- bread - the most important human food, the fruit of hard work, the staple food. The bread should have been devoted to overcome three times the house for a year do not run out of bread. If someone fell from the hand of the Easter bread, it was found in a given year the same misfortune. In święconce bread symbolizes the body of Christ
- egg / egg - from the oldest times regarded as a symbol of life, fertility, love and strength, a symbol of creation, birth and the return of spring, it was believed in his life-giving, purifying and healing properties. Painted Birds' eggs have been revered for centuries throughout the world. The earliest Easter eggs come from Mesopotamia, where the egg was a symbol of all things. Beliefs associated with eggs are associated with magic and the cult of the dead, such as Greeks and Romans lodge red dyed eggs, as the victims of post-mortem. Eggs dyed black symbolized death, and red - power, strength, force.
And in our land since the dawn of the egg was an integral part of various magical rites: they were buried in orchards and fields, thrown on the roofs of huts, were fought on the plowed ground, it touched people, animals and trees, which would ensure that all health, fertility and abundant harvests. Egg shells scattered around the consecrated home was make the chicken better to be at, scattered in corners and scare away all the bugs home. These had to be put into the first sheaf in the barn or in the foundations of the house to protect against mice. Against the charms of the barn it was good to pour water in which boiled Easter eggs on the table. Or, in that water, wash your face girl had to win the beauty. The powdered shells were drunk with water, the perfect cure for toothache. In paigns egg to symbolize the new life promised in Christ.
- sausage - Polish delicacy. It is a sign of "the best", a symbol of abundance and fatness. The sacred, was to protect against snake bites.
- salt - from ancient times was a symbol of indestructibility. Itself does not crash, and protects from corruption. Often offers it as a sacrifice to the gods. Settlement, the pacts and covenants have been concluded at the sacrificial meal is usually treated with salt. Hence, the salt became a symbol of an agreement of friendship and loyalty. In the spiritual realm it is considered that has the power of spiritual purification. In KK used at baptism as a symbol of purity. Is sometimes thrown into the coffin, as a symbol of immortality because it has the power to scare away the devil.
- horseradish - its flavor, sharpness and astringency, causing even tears, to remind the man to the Passion of Christ. Horseradish was devoted to protect against fleas.
- lamb - is a religious symbol - the Lamb of God ", introduced by Pope Urban V in the fourteenth century, the Lamb is a symbol of Christ in the liturgy adopted KK
- rabbit - an animal vital, cheerful. Even in ancient times symbolized life, fertility, sensuality, in the spring - like an egg. Hare was part of pagan rituals associated with the harvest. Hence, the combination of Easter bunny and Easter eggs. He brings this Christmas presents. Depicted in paintings white rabbit down the rate of the Virgin Mary, is a symbol of purity victory over sinful human nature. ("Friend", "Guide to Home", "mt", "Good Morning")
Great Magic Sunday:
full of joy and celebration of Easter sun failed to suppress or mortification and Lenten solemnity or sorrow and mourning of Holy Week. Worship on this day was solemn. On Easter Sunday "vilest rogue goes to church" - posted by Waclaw Potocki. But hungry it was difficult to endure to the end of worship. Potocki, put it this way: "Until we should once again sit in the church longer ckliwo, the meat of thinking, eager to live the table. I worship from the head will fly, and the church. He wants to make up with what he fasted for so long. "
longed Finally came the moment and you could sit at the table. Dividing the first devoted to the egg. (See above.)
breakfast at a table laden with smakowitościami "able najgruntowniej blunt wake up an appetite" to turn into a feast usually lasted several hours. Ate and drank without restraint, which in the sixteenth century, made fun of Naglowice Mikolaj Rej (the great reformer of Polish), writing:
"W dzień wielkanocny, kto święconego nie je, a kiełbasy na węża, chrzanu dla pcheł, jarząbka dla więzienia, już zły chrześcijanin. Z tego nadmiaru jeno sprosna utrata, a potym łakomstwo, a potym różność wrzodów a przypadków szkodliwych i rozlicznych.” („Poradnik Domowy”, „mt”)
Magia „Lanego Poniedziałku”:
Początku tego zwyczaju szukać można w starożytności. Związany jest on z symboliką wody. (Patrz earlier.) Here, since the time of the Slavs, was used repeatedly doused each other with water. This act was to symbolize the breaking ice and life-giving waters of the spring rise. Pouring water maiden speech in addition to explicitly erotic, also refers to the tradition of worship of vegetation. Water symbolizes life, fertility, and thus through the gestures were awarded by the fertility of girls, future mothers. ("Guide to Home", "mt")
to close with a question the author's article "Pagan magic" of the magazine "mt" (this is the journal of Lower Silesia) - Catherine Kaczorowska: "And who would have thought that in the tradition of Christmas is so much hidden meaning and magic?" .
