Easter Food Blessing - An Ancient Polish Custom

Last night, at the end of our Good Friday service, our pastor, who happens to be Polish, mentioned that there was an old Polish custom of gathering one's Easter meal into a basket and bringing it to church to be blessed. He said that he would be doing the traditional Polish blessing on Holy Saturday at Noon.

Well, having sat through a very beautiful Polish Christmas Mass, I decided, why not? Why not learn more about another culture and tradition? So this morning I set about locating an small laundry basket. I tossed in some bags of potatoes and onions for the potato salad that we are bringing to our extended family's Easter gathering at the farm. I had some time, so I dashed out to feed and water the chickens, and also to collect any last minute eggs. I hurriedly washed the eggs and put the cartons in the basket. My basket now weighing 20-30 pounds, I heaved it out the door and into the minivan. It was now 10 minutes to Noon and I just knew I was be coming in the door of church just as everyone else was coming out. After all, how long does it take to pronounce a blessing over baskets of food?

Arriving at church. I thought maybe my clock was way off. I was expecting most of the small parkinging lot to be full and was surprised to only find a handful of cars. Also, there was only a few people in front of the church, half of them children clutching small Easter baskets. So I whipped the minivan in, popped open the door, and heaved my laundry basket of spuds, onions, and eggs out and into the church. A few folks stared and made some quiet comments among themselves. I assumed it was because either they don't know me since I'm not Polish and or that the laundry basket was very pink and feminine looking. Approaching the front of the church I realied that there was a third possibility that I hadn't anticipated. It was the size of the basket. There lined up in a single horizontal row were about a dozen dainty looking Easter baskets. I placed my basket down on the end where it immediately looked like an 18-wheel Mack truck parked next to a row of Volkswagon bugs. Somewhat embarrassed to find myself being the Ugly American, I humbled myself and slipped into a pew behind everyone. The pastor appeared by my side shortly after and handed me a blue sheet of paper explaining the Polish tradition, including the use of small baskets containing not potatoes and onions, but bread, eggs, kielbalsa, salt, bitter herbs, and a sprig of greenery. Oh!

The pastor soon reappeared in an alb and stole and started the blessing. While I have no experience with Polish beyond attending a single church service, I do know that we started with the sign of the cross, "The Lord be with you - and also with you." There was a scripture reading in Polish followed by the reading of what seemed to be an Easter letter in Polish. I caught all the "Christos" and "Alleluia's". Then the pastor approached the baskets, stretched out his hand and pronounced the blessing on our baskets. This was followed by sprinkling the baskets with blessed water and then sprinkling the congregation with blessed water. I recognized this as a reminder of our baptism and recalled my baptism vows. The sprinkling was followed by an exchange between the pastor asking a series of questions and the congregation responding the same each time. The pattern seemed to match the Catholic tradition of renewing one's baptismal vows each year at Easter, although that usually occurs at the Vigil and all Easter Sunday services, so I don't know for certain what occured. The service concluded with a blessing on the congregation and a dismisal.

I lugged my doomsday supply of spuds, onions and eggs back to the van and drove off thinking: "Next year. Next year, I'll bring a dainty basket lined with a lace doily, sans spuds, and looking like we're going for the blue ribbon at the county fair. Yep. That's what we're gonna do. Next year."

For those that would like more information on Swieconka, the Polish American Center has a Swieconka page with photos. The definitive Swieconka page is maintained by Ann Hetzel Gunkel. Ann provides histories, videos, English summaries of the blessings, and a Diagram and list of Swieconka basket contents and symbolism. Ann does mention on her page that "Older generations of Polish Americans, descended from early 19th century immigrants, tend to bless whole meal quantities, often brought to church halls or cafeterias in large hampers & picnic baskets." Wish I had known all of this sometime after dawn this morning. Ah well. Next year.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35

Source: Swieconka