Dyngus Day
Happy Dyngus Day!
Load your squirt guns and grab your pussywillows (should you be lucky enough to find any), because today is Dyngus Day, the Polish-American celebration that comes at the end of Lent. According to the Dyngus Day Buffalo Web site, the modern traditions involving squirt guns and pussywillows started when “farm boys in Poland wanted to attract the notice from the girls of their choice.” Apparently subtlety wasn’t their strong point, so they got the girls’ attention by throwing water on them and whacking them in the legs with pussywillows. The girls got the last laugh, though, when they reciprocated “by throwing dishes and crockery” at the boys. Ouch. Dyngus Day has evolved over the years to become primarily a celebration of Polish-American culture, heritage and traditions. For the lay person, that means Polka, pierogies, kielbasa and vodka. (more…)
