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An Easter palm ( pl, Palma wielkanocna, lt, Verba) is a traditional Lithuanian and Polish symbolic decoration associated with
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
. Barbara Ogrodowska states that the ceremonial
palm branch
The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm ''(Phoenix)'' was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In ...
is the "most important attribute" of Palm Sunday in Poland.
Communities of Polish emigrants, such as
those in the United States, observe the tradition of making of Easter palms as well.
Appearance and composition
Traditionally, Easter palms are prepared on
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...
, from
willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
branches (with
catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...
s).
As
palm trees
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
are not
indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
to
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, willow branches serve as symbolic substitutes for palm branches.
An Easter palm may also sport some decorations, such as
ribbon
A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mater ...
s or dried flowers or other plants, with attributed beneficial effects.
[
In the early 20th century, around ]Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
( pl, Wilno, now in Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, but between the wars part of Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
), decorations made to resemble palm trees began to be sold on Palm Sunday each year. Rarely more than long, the Easter palms soon became popular throughout Poland, and were exported to France in significant quantities as well. It is possible that the Easter palm was originally designed by Polish interwar artist Ferdynand Ruszczyc
Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) was Polish painter, printmaker, and stage designer. He was a member of the aristocratic Ruszczyc de Lis family.
Biography
Born in the village of Bohdanów (then Russian Empire, now Belarus), Ruszczyc spent his ...
; further historical research is needed.[
Easter palms may reach as high as .][ In the 2011 edition of an Easter palm competition that has been held yearly since 1958, one entry reportedly topped , making it the tallest Easter palm on record.
There are many regional variations between Easter palms in Poland.] In the south of the country, willow branches of various lengths are tied together, sometimes with hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
branches or wicker
Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...
as well, and topped with a large flower bouquet
A flower bouquet is a collection of flowers in a creative arrangement. Flower bouquets can be arranged for the decor of homes or public buildings, or may be handheld. Handheld bouquets are classified by several different popular shapes and style ...
and other decorations, including a golden cross.[ In the ]Kurpie
Kurpie () is one of a number of ethnic regions in Poland, noted for its unique traditional customs, such as its own types of traditional costume, traditional dance and distinctive type of architecture and livelihoods. Kurpie is also the name of t ...
region, the entire length of the Easter palm is often decorated with flowers.[ The ]Ethnographic Museum of Kraków
The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum of Kraków ( pl, Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Seweryna Udzieli w Krakowie) is a museum in Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland. It was established in 1902.
History
The plans for the establishment of the Ethnographic Mu ...
holds over 200 Easter palms in its collection.[
The craft of Easter palm binding is becoming endangered in Lithuania. It is a tedious and time-consuming process. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find flowers and herbs (a very large number of varieties are used in a single ''verba'') or special dies to color them. The buyers are wary that the dried plants would cause allergic reactions and ''verba'' binders suffer from allergic reactions themselves.
]
Cultural significance
Easter palms are an important feature of Polish Easter celebrations. They are consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
in a church, and subsequently paraded. Some regional customs include using the palms to sprinkle water in a house, feeding them to animals, using them as decorations for religious paintings, and burning them and using the ash in Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...
ceremonies the next year. Easter palms were said to bring about a good harvest when "planted" in a field.
As with some Christian symbols and traditions, the Easter palm's origin can be traced to pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
religions which held the willow to be endowed with beneficial qualities, and to symbolize enduring life, and rebirth.[Magdalena Woźniczko, Dominik Orłowski, , in POTENCJAŁ TURYSTYCZNY W REGIONACH, Wydawnictwo SGGW, 2008] In time, the willow was adopted as a symbol by Christians in Poland.
See also
* Pisanka
*Święconka
Święconka (), meaning "the blessing of the Easter baskets", is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions on Holy Saturday during Easter. With roots dating back to the early history of Poland, it is also observed by expatriate and th ...
*Śmigus-Dyngus
''Śmigus-dyngus''; hu, Vízbevető; german: Smigus dyngus; uk, поливаний понеділок; sr, Vodeni ponedeljak () is a Roman Catholic celebration held on Easter Monday across Central Europe, and in small parts of Eastern and So ...
References
External links
Niedziela Palmowa i historia palmy kurpiowskie (Palm Sunday and the history of Kurpie Easter palms)
{{Polish folk customs and traditions
Easter traditions in Poland
Polish traditions
Christianity in Poland