Wet Monday

Easter is a special time for Polish people - especially Easter Monday. It is a day when everything is closed (look, the streets are deserted! I took the picture above standing in the middle of the main street - only on Easter I guess), people spend all day at home eating and drinking with family, and boys run around the streets chasing girls - with water.

That's right - groups of boys spend all day standing on street corners, market squares, and upper story windows carrying bottles and baskets full of water - patiently waiting for their "victims." Girls run away and scream - but there is no escape, they should have just stayed at home (to eat and drink hehehe). Apparently, the communists tried to wipe out this tradition (called "Smingus-Dyngus") a long time ago, seems like there were pretty unsuccessful.

Here is a boy waiting for his next victim:


And here is a girl filling up for a counter-attack (this is pretty rare, they usually just run away and scream hehehe):


Of course, men can also be victimized - especially "strange-looking men" (i.e. foreigners). Fortunately, it was raining the whole day, so I was pretty much spared from the wrath of these water-carrying lads.

I was still wet though, but from the rain - not from water bottles.

I am still not used to spending Holy Week in cold weather, away from family. I guess I have to get used to it though - depending on how things turn out, soon I'll spend more and more holidays away from home.

(If you're confused about that last comment, send me a message - I can explain hehehe).

I hope you had a great Easter - Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych! (that's "Happy Easter" in Polish - impossible to pronounce, I know).