By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Easter Monday is Dyngus Day, the traditional Polish day-after Easter celebration. For the first time, there's a web site available with complete information about all the festivities taking place Monday.
What is Dyngus Day? How do you celebrate? And what's the deal with those pussy willows? The answers to those and other questions are now available at a new website, DyngusDayBuffalo.com. It's the brainchild of Marty Biniasz. He said it's his goal to make Buffalo's Easter Monday celebration one of the nation's premier ethnic celebrations.
"This is a way of growing the profile of Dyngus Day," Biniasz said. "There are many locations, with many polka bands. This is a way of bringing all the information together."
Biniasz says the roots of Dyngus Day date back to the year 966, when Poland converted to Christianity. Today, it's evolved into a celebration of Spring where boys and girls chase each other with pussy willows and sprinkle water on themselves.
Biniasz says it's a celebration to mark 40 days of fasting during Lent.
"Dyngus Day is the opposite of Mardi Gras," Biniasz said. "While Mardi Gras celebrates the final hurrah before 40 days of sacrifice, Dyngus Day is the celebration after. All the stuff you couldn't eat and drink during Lent you are able to do on Dyngus Day."
There are 30 celebrations scheduled throughout the Buffalo area Monday, featuring 20 polka bands. Biniasz says there will be more live polka music played today than at any other time of the year, not only here, but across the entire nation.