My name is Alan. We often chase after exotic experiences, forgetting that a treasure trove of unusual rituals is right next door. I will take you to Greater Poland, where holidays are an opportunity to slow down and be offline. As the fascinating history of Easter traditions in Greater Poland shows, the local rituals have retained their rough, rural character, which is a wonderful element of Polish culture that captivates me every time. If you want to experience the real Easter traditions in Wielkopolska, forget about plastic decorations from the supermarket. Get ready for rough whips made of string, the smell of smoked meat, the taste of real sourdough cake, smoking bonfires and ice-cold water from oak buckets.

What makes Wielkopolska’s Easter traditions unique? Learn about the origins of the most interesting customs

Local Easter rituals in the Wielkopolska region are a mixture of Old Slavic and German influences, shaped by the Prussian partition. As Oskar Kolberg, a researcher of our folklore, once accurately documented, this fusion creates a unique atmosphere that you will not find in Mazovia or Lesser Poland.

Where did the tradition of searching for gifts from the Easter Bunny in Greater Poland come from?

The custom of searching for gifts from the Easter Bunny came to Greater Poland from Germany at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Prussian influences first took root in bourgeois homes and eventually spread to the countryside. Children build nests in gardens out of moss, sticks and grass, so that on Sunday morning they can search for sweets, eggs and toys in them. It’s a fantastic, bonding activity.

As a parent, I believe it teaches mindfulness. Children tear themselves away from their screens, get their hands dirty with soil and search the bushes with flushed faces. It is pure luxury, far removed from the absurd commercialism of today, where adults panic and type queries such as “witchery emporium phone number” into search engines or frantically check “witchery burnside phone number” just to order luxury gifts from abroad at the last minute. They forget that the Easter Bunny in Greater Poland is not about expensive gadgets, but above all about the joy of searching for trinkets together as a family in the spring garden.

What are the Siwki of Greater Poland and in which towns do their parades take place?

Easter Siwki are masked revellers who, on Wet Monday, whip passers-by with leather whips and smear their faces with soot. This archaic tradition, somewhat reminiscent of the famous gendarmes known from the Poznań Ławica region, is thriving in the areas around Chobienice, Stefanów, Belęcin and Zbąszyń. This colourful procession consists of specific characters: Siwek on a wooden horse, the Chimney Sweep, the Bear, the Old Woman, the Old Man and the Musician. The lash of the whip is not meant to cause pain – it is a symbolic act of purification and the transfer of vital forces for the coming spring.

What was the old custom of burying sour soup and hanging herring?

The burial of sour soup and hanging of herring were expressions of relief after the end of 40 days of rigorous fasting. Although hanging herring was more deeply rooted in Kujawy and Małopolska, in Greater Poland on Good Friday or Saturday morning, villagers would loudly pour out or bury pots of kvass, the staple of their diet. In Kujawy, a cardboard silhouette of a herring was hung on a tree, punishing it for dominating the menu. It was an excuse for lively neighbourhood gatherings.

What do traditional Easter palms look like in the Wielkopolska region?

Considering the regional Easter customs in Wielkopolska, it is worth noting that the local structures prepared for Palm Sunday are low, modest, and based exclusively on local, living plants. You will not find here the several-metre-high constructions made of tissue paper known from Kurpie. The base consists of willow shoots with catkins, boxwood twigs and periwinkle leaves, tightly bound with a red or green ribbon.

Such a construction had a practical purpose. In the past, people would swallow a cut, consecrated palm branch, which was supposed to protect them from sore throats throughout the year.

What techniques of decorating Easter eggs and kraszanka eggs are characteristic of the region?

These colourful Easter symbols in Greater Poland, commonly known as kraszanki, are dyed smoothly in natural decoctions. Housewives obtained dark brown from onion skins, black from oak bark, and green from young rye. Unlike Silesian kroszonki, where patterns are scratched out after boiling, in Greater Poland they were traditionally left smooth or decorated with beeswax, creating so-called batik Easter eggs.

Why does Easter in Greater Poland taste and sound different? Discover the symbolism of the holidays

The sounds and flavours accompanying the rituals are not accidental. Each element is meant to ward off darkness or invoke abundance.

Why is white steamed sausage a key element of Easter in Greater Poland?

When listing classic Easter dishes in Greater Poland, we quickly notice that white steamed sausage was once the main proof of freshness and prosperity, because in the 19th century, due to the lack of preservatives, butchers made it on the night before the holidays. It consists of uncured pork, seasoned with salt, garlic and marjoram. There is a rule in the region: raw sausage is never boiled, the water should only “blink”. Steaming at 80°C prevents the casing from bursting and the meat retains its juices and fat.

Why were wooden rattles (klekotek) used instead of bells on Maundy Thursday?

The silence of the bells is a sign of mourning after Christ’s imprisonment, which is why from Maundy Thursday to Saturday evening, the space was filled with the sound of wood clattering. Altar boys ran around churches and villages with wooden rattles. This noise also had an apotropaic meaning: it was believed that the loud clattering itself scared away evil forces, which fits in perfectly with the oldest Easter customs in Greater Poland and is supposed to protect crops from the elements.

What is the significance of decorating the table and basket with boxwood in the Wielkopolska tradition?

Boxwood symbolises immortality, the permanence of life and rebirth. Because it does not lose its leaves in winter, for the ancient inhabitants it was proof that life conquers death. No wonder, then, that every traditional Easter table in Greater Poland is so eagerly and densely decorated with this shrub – boxwood twigs are used to entwine the handles of baskets and line platters of cold cuts.

What does the ritual of blessing fire and water on Holy Saturday look like and what does it symbolise?

In front of churches, after dark, when Holy Saturday is already underway, a bonfire is lit with thorns, branches and destroyed crosses. On this day, the priest first conducts the blessing of fire and water; the Paschal candle is lit from the burning flames. The light brought into the dark temple dispels the darkness, symbolising the resurrection. In turn, the baptismal water is consecrated by dipping the lit Paschal candle into it three times, which inextricably links the symbolism of water and light.

How to prepare a traditional Easter in the Greater Poland style? A practical guide and recipes

Leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind. Preparing traditional dishes takes time, and the smell of roasted meat can bring the household together like nothing else.

What must be included in a Greater Poland basket for the blessing of food (święconka)?

When the blessing of food approaches, Greater Poland adheres to old, strict rules, which is why the contents of the basket are strictly defined. We put bread, salt, pepper, smoked bacon, a piece of raw white sausage, horseradish root and hard-boiled eggs in their shells in the basket. Butter shaped into a lamb is placed in the centre.

How to make a traditional lamb out of butter for a Wielkopolska Easter basket?

You will need a two-piece, carved wooden mould (faska). Before use, soak it in ice-cold water with ice for at least 30 minutes. Knead the butter at room temperature into both halves, put them together, press firmly and put them in the fridge for an hour. The frozen wood comes off the fat smoothly, resulting in a beautiful lamb made of butter. Its eyes are made of peppercorns.

What is the typical menu for a festive Easter breakfast in a Greater Poland home?

A classic, traditional Easter breakfast in Greater Poland begins with the sharing of a blessed egg. Then, heavy, filling dishes based on pork, eggs and spicy seasonings are served.

Category: Dishes	Traditional Greater Poland dish
Hot soup	Rye sour soup with white steamed sausage, egg and crushed marjoram.
Cold meat dishes and cold cuts	Ham baked in bread dough, smoked bacon, homemade pork and veal pâtés.
Appetisers and side dishes	Horseradish sauce, beetroot salad with horseradish, stuffed eggs in various forms.

Is Wielkopolska aspic (cold pork trotters) served during Easter breakfast?

Yes, meat aspic is a staple of the menu, which is abundant in the Wielkopolska Easter breakfast. Classic galart (cold pork trotters) is cooked with pork trotters, pork knuckle and root vegetables for several hours until the collagen naturally binds the broth. Before eating, the jelly is sprinkled generously with spirit vinegar, whose acidity balances the heaviness of the pork.

How to make traditional Wielkopolska sour rye soup with sourdough? (Tried and tested recipe)

Authentic Wielkopolska sour rye soup with sourdough is based on a home recipe, for which the sourdough is prepared 5 days in advance from wholemeal rye flour, water, garlic and bread heel. We then cook the delicious Wielkopolska sour rye soup on a stock made from smoked ribs. When the stock is ready, we remove the meat, add raw white sausage and cook it for 20 minutes. Next, pour in the mixed sourdough starter, add crushed marjoram and garlic with salt. Thicken the soup with 30% cream.

How to bake traditional Wielkopolska ham in bread dough for Christmas?

It is the absolute king of the Greater Poland table. Rub raw, smoked ham with garlic and marjoram. The secret is to cover the meat tightly with a thick layer of bread dough made from rye flour, water and salt. The ham prepared in this way is placed in the oven for 3-4 hours at 160 degrees. The dough becomes a hard crust, and a kind of pressure cooker is created inside. The juice does not evaporate, the meat crumbles and takes on a bread aroma. Break the crust with a hammer just before serving.

How to prepare a traditional Wielkopolska horseradish and egg tart (chrzanówka)?

Chrzanówka is a thick, eye-watering sauce served cold with meat. Peel the fresh horseradish root and grate it on the finest grater. You will cry while doing this, it is inevitable. Immediately pour boiling water over the grated horseradish in a sieve (literally for 5 seconds) to get rid of the bitterness. In a bowl, combine this distinctive horseradish with a hard-boiled and finely chopped egg, thick 18% cream, salt, sugar and a few drops of vinegar. The sauce must be left to marinate in the fridge overnight.

What are the most popular fillings for stuffed eggs in modern Greater Poland cuisine?

Apart from the classic yolk and chive filling, the most popular fillings are based on smoked trout from local farms, mashed with dill and capers. Another hit is any innovative stuffed egg based on blended wild garlic, which grows abundantly in the forests of Greater Poland. It gives the eggs a spring colour and a distinctive aroma.

What cakes reign supreme on the Greater Poland table?

The meal is crowned with sweet pastries. When it comes to mazurkas and Easter babkas, Greater Poland has been famous for centuries for its tables laden with yeast cakes with crumble topping, cheesecakes with a lattice top and heavy, nutty cakes packed with flavour.

What is the recipe for a traditional Wielkopolska kajmak mazurek?

The base is a thin, buttery shortcrust pastry (ratio 3:2:1 – flour, butter, sugar plus egg yolk), baked until golden brown. The filling is a thick kajmak mass. To make a real Easter mazurek, instead of buying a ready-made mass, you need to boil a closed tin of condensed milk in water for 3 hours. Spread the resulting caramel on the shortcrust pastry and decorate with walnut halves and almond flakes.

Is murzin (murzynas) a traditional bread from Greater Poland?

Although it sometimes appears in culinary articles, the famous murzin (also known as szołdra, and sometimes as murzynas), a characteristic bread baked with an insert, is not a Greater Poland bake at all! It is a traditional yeast cake baked in Cieszyn and Upper Silesia, with a piece of smoked meat or sausage inside. Yeast cakes are more common on tables in Greater Poland, although the popularity of this Silesian delicacy means that it is baked throughout Poland as a filling snack.

Why is sand cake an integral part of the Easter table in Poznań?

The presence of this sweet cake is a legacy of the 19th-century habits of wealthy Poznań merchants and the influence of German café culture. The cake, made from equal amounts of wheat and potato flour with lots of butter, had a perfectly crumbly texture. It was perfect for dipping in afternoon coffee.

What was Holy Week like in old Greater Poland? Fasting, work and preparations

For the former inhabitants of the region, the holidays did not begin on Sunday. The entire week preceding Holy Week was filled to the brim with hard physical labour and widespread asceticism.

What household chores and fasting customs dominated during Holy Week?

From Monday onwards, spring cleaning took place, which had both hygienic and magical significance. The walls of the cottages were whitewashed with lime, and the floors made of raw planks were scrubbed with sand and hot water. Goose feather bedding was washed and aired on fences. On Good Friday, field work with horses was suspended and there was a strict ban on lighting fires, singing, playing music and shouting.

What foods were avoided in Greater Poland as part of fasting before Easter?

Meat, bacon and lard were completely excluded from the menu, and sometimes even dairy products. For several dozen days, meals consisted mainly of rye soup, potatoes with linseed oil, barrel herring and sour cabbage. This lack of protein and fat made the anticipation of festive sausage a natural, physical need of the body.

How was Wet Monday (Śmigus-Dyngus) celebrated in the villages of Greater Poland in the past?

There were no concessions. Analysing Wet Monday, the traditions cultivated in Greater Poland almost always had strong matrimonial undertones and were brutal in nature. Under the pretext of playing Śmigus-Dyngus, groups of bachelors would break into the homes of marriageable young women in the morning, pull them out of bed and pour water from wells on them using heavy wooden buckets. A girl who was not doused with water was considered an old maid with no prospects.

Where to find living traditions? Unique Easter customs and events in the region

If you are tired of the commercial approach to holidays, I invite you to explore the countryside. Here is a map of places where crafts and folk culture are treated with deadly seriousness.

What Easter events does the Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice organise?

The extremely valuable Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park is an open-air museum on Lake Lednica, which regularly organises Easter events. Wandering among the wooden farmsteads on Easter Monday, you can see live Easter decorations and processions of people in costumes (“Bears”). The cottages are decorated with festively adorned peasant and manor tables. This is an absolute must-see for every fan of the slow life.

Where in Greater Poland can you see demonstrations of traditional egg painting and bread baking?

The key place on our map here is the Museum of Agriculture in Szreniawa (i.e. the fully-fledged National Museum of Agriculture and Agricultural and Food Industry). During the annual Easter Fair, folk artists demonstrate various techniques for creating Easter eggs. You can also try your hand at traditional decorating methods. Be warned, it teaches humility.

What unique Easter traditions do the Poznań Bambrzy cultivate?

The Poznań Bambrzy are descendants of settlers from Bamberg who arrived in the depopulated villages around Poznań at the beginning of the 18th century. They quickly integrated with the Poles, but retained their beautiful traditions. Today, their distinctive festive costumes with tall, flower-covered cornets can be admired mainly during the Corpus Christi procession and the Bamberski Festival in August.

Where in the garden do children in Greater Poland prepare nests for the Easter bunny?

In Greater Poland, traditional nests for the Easter Bunny are built in very secluded places: under forsythia bushes, between boxwood branches or in the roots of old fruit trees. The nest, lined with moss, must be invisible at first glance, which makes the search even more exciting for children.

Are there any Emaus-type fairs in Poznań or the surrounding area?

The bustling and colourful fair known as Emaus is actually a Krakow tradition. There is no event of this specific scale in Greater Poland. The local residents spent Easter Monday more locally, visiting each other’s homes or splashing water on each other in the streets of their home villages.

Has the custom of dyngus calls been preserved on the border with Kujawy?

Yes, joyful dyngus calls as a ritual still continue in Szymborze, which is now a district of Inowrocław. On Easter Sunday, after dark, young men climb onto roofs or platforms and shout rhyming verses. They call out the names of young women, assessing their diligence and announcing how many buckets of water will fall on them the next day. It is an amazing spectacle of local sociology.

Easter in Greater Poland – frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Short answers to the questions that most often find their way into our inbox before spring trips to the villages of Wielkopolska.

What time does the Resurrection procession take place in Wielkopolska and how does it proceed?

In most parishes in Wielkopolska, the joyful procession and Resurrection begin at 6:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday. The crowd of worshippers, awakened by the ringing of bells, circles the temple three times, singing songs to the glory of the Lord. The sound of bells and the cool morning air create an unforgettable, mystical atmosphere.

Was the custom of “walking with a bear” practised in western Greater Poland?

Yes, in many villages (e.g. in the Jarocin region or in the vicinity of Chobienice), cheerful walking with the bear has been an extremely strong Easter tradition for centuries. People dressed up in pea straw symbolised strength and vitality, and the blow of the bear’s cap brought good luck. Unlike in Silesia, where “vodzenie bera” takes place during carnival, here the ritual is associated with Wet Monday.

What rituals accompany Holy Saturday in the parishes of Greater Poland?

This day actually has two parts. In the afternoon, baskets with food are blessed. However, the real, powerful ritual is the evening Easter Vigil, which includes the blessing of the fire, the procession of the lit Paschal candle into the dark church and the renewal of baptismal vows.

Which of the Easter traditions in Greater Poland are worth experiencing in person?

Plan a trip to Chobienice to see the harsh, soot-stained procession of Siwki with your own eyes. It is a brutal but fascinating relic of the old countryside. When you return, try baking a yeast cake or a delicious mazurka yourself. If you are looking for more niche inspiration, write to us – we will be happy to suggest where else in Poland you can find authentic offline life.