Spring in Poland

1
Spring in Poland
2
Spring

• Spring is one of the four basic season in nature.
  The world of plants and animals wakes up and the
  new life begins.
• Astronomical spring begins with the vernal
  equinox and lasts until the summer solstice.
• During the spring day is longer than night time.
• Medium temperature is 5-15OC.
• Basically spring precedes winter, but between
  these periods is early spring.

3
The first day of spring

• The beginning of the spring in Poland is 21st
  March.
• CURIOSITY
• In 2011, the first day of spring was 21st March.
• Until 2043 the first day of spring will be
  celebrated 20th March, and since 2044 the first
  day of spring will be 19th or 20th March.
• Another first day of spring on 21st March will be
  in 2102.
• The changes are connected with the rotation of
  Earths axis.

4
Signs of spring

• Hazel blooms in February. It can be found on the
  outskirts of the forest, the roads. In autumn
  nuts will be a delicacy for people and animals.
• Storks come from Africa to Europe, Poland.

5
Signs of spring

• Wood anemone blooms from March to April. Flowers
  create white carpets in the forests and cover
  mountains meadows.
• Young leaves of lindens tend to be sticky. Soon
  they will have flowers - small but aromatic. Tea
  made of lindens flowers is tasty and healthy.

6
The first day of spring a day off?

• Students start to skip classes in the spring
  because of nice, sunny weather. For some of them
  its a tradition to skip classes during the first
  day of spiring.
• In extreme cases, this absence can affect an
  entire class of students (usually is caused by
  the fear of a difficult exam) or even a few
  classes and the whole school.
• Authorities in some schools want to legalize
  playing truant by organizing school events, going
  to the theater/cinema or going near the lake to
  drown Marzanna.
• 21st March is known as Day of Truant in Poland.

7
Marzanna

• One of the old Polish customs (described in XV
  century), its a pagan ritual of drowning
  Marzanna. Nowadays it takes place on 21st March.
  Previously, it took place on the fourth Sunday of
  Lent, known as the White, Black or Deathly Sunday.

8
Appearance of Marzanna

• Marzanna is a puppet made, especially for the
  occasion, ??of bunches of straw which symbolize
  death and stillness. Sometimes it is also made of
  branches or old clothes.
• Marzanna wears dress and it is decorated with
  ribbons, beads and flowers. People (children) set
  Marzanna on fire, and then throw it into the
  nearby river or lake.
• It will symbolize the end of winter and beginning
  of spring.

9
Why Marzanna?

• Why do we call a straw effigy Marzanna? Its
  connected with the Slavic goddess who symbolized
  the winter and death.
• You can find the ritual with drowning Marzanna
  also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

10
Superstition connected with drowning Marzanna

• Do not touch Marzanna in the water, because then
  your hand can wither.
• As soon as possible leave the lake/river without
  looking back, because you can be sick.
• Be careful to not stumble and fall, because it
  means death next year.

11
Thank you!