Dozynki
Festival
In upkeeping with the
traditions, customs, culture and food recipes of Poland, a treasure to cherish, left
to us by our ancestors of out Polish heritage, the Holy Mother of Sorrows Parish
conducts every year (first Sunday after Labor Day) the Polish Harvest Festival
with excerpts from the celebrations. We
hope you will enjoy and treasure this day with us as we open the Festival with
the blessing of the harvest wreath in church and procession to the Tent. Everyone will receive a greeting as you file
past the wreath and partake of a treat of bread, cheese and wine and a token of
good luck and the harvest bounty, a wheat boutonniere tied with red and white
ribbon, as you in turn pin your donation of green onto the ribbons on the
wreath. May you experience a day of warm
fellowship, enjoy the tantalizing foods, baked goods, and various displays in
the booths, the games, the mini flea market and a visit to the Country
Store.
Meaning of Dozynki
The word “Dozynki’
(do-zyn-ki) derives from the Polish word meaning to
cut down or reap, thus relating to the harvest. Poland being an agricultural
country for centuries, traditionally held harvest festivals on or about August
15, Assumption Day, known as the Feast
of Our Lady of Harvest. Owners of large estates or farms would usually hold
this celebration for the people who worked during the sowing and reaping. On chosen afternoon after the crops had been harvested,
the farm folk of the village, in their most impressive costumes would gather at
the manor house. This group always included the best reapers. A huge wreath either round or cone shaped was
made of vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts and streamers of red, and white
ribbon. This wreath was carried by the
best reapers both male and female and presented to the owner or Lord of the
estate. The village priest would impart
the blessing on harvest bounty, represented by the wreath. After the blessing the village folk responded
with songs of praise to God for the abundant harvest. The owner in turn would
treat his workers with vodka, bread, which was baked by the hostess and cheese.
There would be dancing and singing around the first “snop”
or sheaf of wheat. After this all were
invited to a large barn which was cleared for dancing and a hearty supper was
served by the landlord to all who participated.
This merrymaking would continue into the hours at dusk when all would
return to their homes.
Symbols of
the Harvest
WHEAT – This has
a two fold representation not only of the harvest but also the bread of life as
in communion with God.
WINE –
represents the wine used by Christ at the Last Supper, the bountiful fruit of
the vine.
CHEESE – represents the land of milk and honey or an
abundant harvest.
COLORS – red and
white ribbons or streamers represent the colors of Poland.
COSTUMES – Polish
costumes are colorful and various regions have different ones. But they include vests for women with beads
onto red, wine blue or black velvet or suede cloth. The skirts are made of white cloth with
several rows of colored ribbons for the small girls. Shirts and blouses are
white with long puffy white sleeves.
MONEY – It was
considered good luck for the following harvest when a guest outside of the
harvesters would redeem himself with a monetary gift to the harvesters
