Happy Dyngus Day! Try Some Polish Food.

Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella is the author of the essay collection Good Apple and a contributing editor at Southern Living. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has spent more than 20 years writing about food, travel, home design, and parenting in outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Coastal Living, Airbnb, and The Kitchn. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now lives with her husband and three children in New York City.
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published Apr 13, 2009
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We just learned about Dyngus Day yesterday, and man have we been missing out. All those years we could have woken up to boys throwing buckets of water over our heads or hitting our legs with willow branches. All those times we could have been eating kielbasa and pierogi. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, read on…

Dyngus Day is a Polish holiday, celebrated the Monday after Easter. It originally commemorated the baptism of Prince Mieszko I, the first ruler of Poland, which brought Christianity to the country. That started the tradition of sprinkling water on people on Dyngus Day morning, which evolved into the custom of young men showing their affection for a girl by dumping water on her head and whipping her legs with branches.

Romantic!

Today, the largest Dyngus Day celebration in the U.S. is in Buffalo, New York. It’s also a big holiday in South Bend, Indiana, where it marks the beginning of the political primary season.

We’re not too big on being smacked with willow branches, but we do love Polish specialties like pierogi and kielbasa. And bigos, a sweet and sour Polish stew with sauerkraut, pork, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sometimes apples or honey, sounds delicious. If you’re not too full from your Easter eating, carry on with Dyngus Day.

Need some food sources? Read this guide to the Polish markets in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Here are some recipes:
• Mrs. Kostyra’s Kielbasa (she’s Martha Stewart’s mom), above.
• Potato and Goat Cheese Pierogi, also from Martha Stewart
• Fried Sauerkraut Cakes with Kielbasa, from Gourmet
• Bigos Stew, from Chow

More about Dyngus Day:
• Dyngus Day Buffalo

Related: How to Make a Butter Lamb for Easter (another Polish tradition!)

(Image: MarthaStewart.com)

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