A carnival party from Tuesday to Ash Wednesday was always revelry in Poland but it was finished exactly at midnight, the beginning of the Lent. The guests moved to the dining room where the herrings were served. Today only the custom of eating herrings is preserved. The herring can be served in many ways.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Lent in the Catholic Church. It ends the carnival on 46 days before Easter Sunday. It is the day of penance with strict lent. In Roman rituals, during the mass, the priest puts ash on believers` heads and says : ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel’ or ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’ the ash is taken from the palms from the last Palm Sunday.

It is the last Friday before Easter, the sixth day of Great Week – the time of remembering the death on the cross of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. The second day of Pascha Triduum. The ceremonies of Great Friday in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska start with ‘the morning jugdment ‘ at the chapel of Caiphas.

Next the procession goes to Pilatus and Herod. At 8 o`clock the pilgrims gathered at the Pilatus` palace listen to the Decree. Next the Way of the Cross starts there and ends on the Crucifixion Hill with a liturgy of Christ Torment. It finishes the Misterium in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.

Easter is the oldest and most important Christian holiday. This is the time of remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The preceding week is called Great Week. Easter is a movable holiday which may take place between March 22 and April 25.

It is the first day of Easter in Poland. In the morning the Resurrection Mass takes place. This custom comes from Midlle Ages. After the mass the family have the special easter breakfast. It starts from wishing eachother all the best and sharing the holy food from the easter basket.People eat ham, eggs, sausages and traditional easter cakes. The tables are decorated with first spring flowers and catkin.

In Polish homes there are many traditions connected with that holiday. One of the most important is consecrating the food with holy water. This ritual came from the west of Europe in the 12 th century. First the food was consecrated at homes. The big baskets with food were prepared. The food was eaten during the Easter breakfast. Later on the food was consecrated in the open air, under the crosses. In the 17 th century this ritual was brought into the churches and it is continued this way nowadays.

Polish tradition orders to share the pieces of egg during the Easter breakfast. There is also a sausage and salt which preserves food from rotting and horseradish which symbolizes the Christ`s torment and bread – the most important human food. The basket consists of a sheep which symbolizes God`s Sheep - Jesus Christ. It also includes an egg – the symbol of fertility, youth and strength.

Easter Palms had a great magical power and were good for everything. The palm was blessed in the church. After bringing it home, everything was touched with it to gain its power. The girls who were hit with a palm were Supposed to be more beautiful and stronger.

The householder hit three times every corner to become protected against Poverty. Later the palm was put behind the holy picture to protect the house against fire and bad weather until the next Easter. The palm put into the chimney during the storm blocked the house from the lightnings. Making the long palm used to bring the long life and health to the whole family. It was also believed the more decorated palm the more beautiful kids.

They are the oldest traditional symbols of Easter in Poland. They are the symbols of new life and fertility, they bring the good crops and protect against evil. The oldest coloured eggs are 5 thousand years old and were found in Asharah, Egipt.

The eggs were coloured in Poland long before the country was babtized. It was believed that touching the farm animals with blessed eggs protected them against ilnesses and spells. Another myth claimed that the hens which ate the shells of blessed eggs were laying more eggs. The eggshells spilled around the house protected it. The water where eggs were boiled made the girls beautiful and gave the health to the ill.