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Crakow - Culture |
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Annually,
every first Thursday following Corpus Christi day a large crowd of people
gathers in the Premonstratensian monastery yard in the Zwierzyniec
district. Some men are dressed in the traditional Cracovian folklore dress
while others adorn oriental garments a hold horse - tail insignia in their
hands. A musical troupe called "The Mlaskoty" stands close by
playing drums, flute bugle, clarinet, fiddle, and double bass. The "Lajkonik"
enters the yard while the troupe plays loud and high-pitched music. The
hero of the festivity - Lajkonik- rides a hobby - horse with peacock
feathers attached to its head and in Tartar disguise through the streets
of Cracow. This magnificent costume is an extremely accurate copy of the
dress designed by Stanis³aw Wyspiañski in 1904. After paying a courteous
visit at the Premonstratensian monastery and parish priest the Lajkonik
leads the pageant trough the Cracow streets: Ko¢ciuszki, Zwierzyniecka,
Franciszkañska, and Grodzka to the Main Market. This procession lasts
about 2-3 hours. At 6 p.m., in front of the Old Tower Hall on the Main
Market the Lajkonik with the colours flying and music blasting dances and
prances merrily around. Usually dinner at the Hawe³ka Restaurant ends the
festivities. A type of
outdoor fair and market taking place on Tuesday after Easter in the
vicinity of the Benedictine church on top of the Lasota Hill in Podgórze.
Today this festivity is usually limited to stands selling gingerbread,
sweets, cheap souvenirs and toys with some shooting galleries and a fun
fair. In the past it was different. According to the 1475 Hetman Volumes,
Stanis³aw Sarnicki describes the ancient tradition of planting trees
around the grave of Rêkawka, bonfires and fencing contains. The name
"Rêkawka" quite probably derives from the world "rêkaw"
meaning sleeve -as in sleeves people carried the soil to the grave of
Krakus. The festivities were transferred from the foot of the
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Krakus
Mound after Cracow was annexed by Austria. During the old times, the poor
were given food but Austrian authorities forbade this tradition in 1897.
What remains is only the fair. On Easter Monday at the church of St.
Salwator in Zwierzyniec St. Luke's gospel is read about the pupils of
Emaus: "And behold, two of them travelled to the town called Emaus as
far as 60 stadiums from Jerusalem. And between each other they talked of
all matters that ever happened. Then it became, that while they were
talking and asking each other did Jesus approach them and walk with them.
Their eyes veiled so they could not recognize Him. [ "This church had
been named Emaus for a long time in the past or more familiar "Hemaus".
This festivity is an occasion for infinite crowds of Cracovians and
visitors to arrive at the folk garden party and fair. Fair stands and
stalls are set up along the whole length of the Ko¢ciuszko Street
reaching the bridge over the Rudawa River. Hordes of passerbyes are soaked
in water being poured at them. Easter Monday is called "Wet
Monday". Since 1976, the Emaus festivity has been organized under the
auspices of the Historical Museum of Cracow. Every year on St. John the
Baptist's Day and Wanda's name-day (23rd and 24th June) the tradition of
Wreaths is celebrated along the Vistula River banks at the foot of the
Wawel Hill This festivity changed after the Second World War. However, the
common elements are amateur and professional folklore group performances
on a stage erected close to the Wawel Castle, floating lit wreaths on the
Vistula River and fireworks display. Annually, this event gathers enormous
numbers of Cracovians and guests between Wawel and the Dêbnicki Bridge.
The genesis of this tradition is ancient and a sum of three customs: Sobótka
(bonfires traditionally lit by country-folk on Midsummer Day, searching
for the magic fern flower and in commemoration of Wanda - the legendary
daughter of Krakus
