Dziady / Zaduszki - All Souls Day in Poland

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https://lamusdworski.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/dziady/

Dożynki harvest festival: the garlands

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Dożynki (phonetical: Dozhinki) is the annual harvest festival celebrated in Poland around the turn of August and September since the ancient times. The mandatory, very special part of dożynki is presentation of the huge decorative garlands and sculptures (often in a shape of e.g. crown) formed from the crops, straw and other elements like flowers or colorful ribbons.

Girl standing next to a dozhinki garland, celebrations in Mońki, Poland [picture's source]

The dozhinki garlands and sculptures (in Polish: wieńce dożynkowe) by tradition were prepared out of the last few handfuls of the crops from the field - as to ensure the continuity of the good harvest. The last crops could have been cut only by the best reaper and ceremoniously passed to the best local harvesters who were weaving the decorations.

Dozhinki garlands hold a special, very symbolic place during the celebrations. It can be especially seen during the larger form of dozhinki, above the local level. Some small administrative units of Poland (gminy), medium (powiaty) or large (województwa) often create dozhinki festivals for the villages and towns within their regions. Each of the village or town representative that appears on such joint festival prepares a highly decorative dozhinki garland, which is later carried in a procession. Such a garland is meant to represent the place of origin, often being adorned with the name of the village or town (or a region), therefore the preparations are very significant to the local organizations. The dozhinki garlands are always a matter of a competition and the winning administrative unit is proudly holding the title of the most beautiful wieniec (singular form of wieńce) for the whole following year. Only one garland is prepared each year and if the village or city is being invited to multiple dozhinki feasts, then the garland travels with them during the whole "dozhinki season".

Dożynki harvest festival: the bread

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Old-Slavic symbolism of bread and harvest rituals in Poland