Easter is here again, with all its magic - palms, processions and painted eggs. In the Eastern Carpathians, Highlanders believed that painted eggs (pisanki) had a talismanic value. You had to paint as many as possible, otherwise a fiendish serpent - the devil - would wreak havoc in the world. In other regions, the eggs were harbingers of Spring. Folk believed that a parallel kingdom existed beneath the earth. When Winter passed, children would cast pisanki into rivers and streams, as they knew that the waters would flow down into the underworld. The coloured eggs would be discovered by the people of the hidden kingdom, who would now know that Spring had arrived!
If you're in town on Saturday, don't miss the chance to drop into one of Cracow's many churches. For much of the morning and afternoon, priests will be blessing baskets of victuals. The custom is known as 'Swiecone' ('Blessed') and it's been going on since time immemorial.
This week has also seen the second anniversary of the passing of Pope John Paul II, Cracow's former Archbishop. As Holy Week began this year, news broke that the former pontiff is edging closer to sainthood. A French nun who had suffered from Parkinson's disease has claimed that the Pope was instrumental in her healing. If the Vatican accepts the miraculous story, John Paul II will be one step nearer to canonization.
For more info about Easter in Cracow, click here
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