What I Learned Today - Śmigus-Dyngus
I actually came across this yesterday when I was looking for some songs to share on my Three Tune Tuesday live stream today. Distraction comes very naturally and easy to me, and I often find myself running down a maze of "ooooh this looks neat!" mental pathways.
Today, I present to you: Śmigus-Dyngus!
(By Polimerek - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39490147)
Śmigus-Dyngus is believed to have originated from a combination of pagan and Christian traditions, and is said to symbolize the renewal and purification of the world. In the past, people would pour water on each other as a way of cleaning and purifying themselves after the long winter months. It was also believed that water had the power to bring good luck and fertility.
Per wikipedia:
Traditionally, boys throw water over girls on Easter Monday. In some regions they strike them with pussy willow[1] branches. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Amigus-dyngus)
I'm trying to imagine dumping water on random women here in the US, striking them with branches, and then declaring it to be the part of some form of ritual.
What I Learned Today: There are some really bizarre festivals in the world.
(c) All images and photographs, unless otherwise specified, are created and owned by me.
(c) Victor Wiebe
About Me
Sometimes photographer. Wannabe author. Game designer. Nerd.
General all around problem-solver and creative type.
Blind Skeleton
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Three Tune Tuesday Live Stream: 12:00pm (noon) EST
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tunes with good messages and rhythm only
Hahah this is fun when you are a kid :D We would just run around and splash each other. The best part was to get up before your siblings and still be able to pour water on them when they are still sleeping.
Yea... I know.. weird tradition.
Not so much fun when you are a grown up and some stranger dumps a bucket of water on you on the street.
😂😂
lol. I tried dumping water on my son to get him out of bed once. He won. He literally continued to lie on the wet bed. I'm sure he did it just to spite me.
Hahahah :D
I didn't know this either so you've taught me something too. I did have a laugh thinking about running around splashing water on people, don't think it would end well to be honest 🤣
At least not random people! I'm all for pitching water balloons at the kids when they get home school!
I can remember being water bombed as a kid, it was fun but my oh my, some of them really stung. Definitely not going to win friends with random water balloon attacks 🤣
O.O I never heard of this before. Do people still practice this? Guess I learned something new too today hehe
It's apparently still done in Poland, at least! I had joked about trying it down on Main Street here, but figured I'd quickly be arrested.
DO IT Then record it and put it here and i will reblog too !
Śmigus-Dyngus, that's a very nice name. The water part is not so strange to me. In my country (Argentina) kids throw "little water bombs" at each other, whether they are friends or strangers, at carnival time (and sometimes at some unsuspecting adult too). The part about hitting each other with branches I guess it would end up pretty bad...
Water balloons can definitely be fun in the right circumstance! I remember getting into some wonderful water balloon fights as a child; that was a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon. But the sticks. Yeah. I can see that leading to fights.
Oh man I couldn't imagine doing this to people in the US. They would likely have you arrested lol
lol. Right??