If on the first day of spring in Poland you happen to see a decorated effigy floating down the river or burning in a bonfire, don’t be surprised. This is Marzanna, a symbol of winter that Poles say goodbye to on the first day of spring.
Marzanna is an ancient Slavic goddess of winter and death.
In order for the warmth to return faster, people have long held a special zwyczaj: they made a doll out of słomy, dressed it in a dress, decorated it with wstążkami and beads, and then ceremoniously wrzucali do rzeki or palili.
This used to be a serious ritual, but today it has become a fun tradition, especially for children. Schoolchildren make Marzannę with their own hands, decorate it, and then go to the water together. There they laugh, sing, recite poems, and watch the effigy float away, taking winter with it.
So if you find yourself in Poland on March 21 and see the locals joyfully wrzucają do rzeki a decorated scarecrow, know that this is not a magical ritual, but simply a beautiful and cheerful way to say to winter: “Farewell, time to make way for spring!”
Dictionary:
▪ topić – to drown
▪ palić – to burn
▪ żegnać – to say goodbye
▪ witać – to greet
▪ wrzucać – to throw inside
▪ wykonywać – to do
▪ związany z – related to
▪ zwyczaj – custom
▪ bogini – goddess
▪ doll – stuffed animal
▪ słoma – straw
▪ Rags – rags
▪ wstążka – tape
▪ podobny – similar
If you're lucky, you can not only see this ritual, but also take part in it - after all, the more people say goodbye to winter, the faster spring comes!
