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Polska & Poles
Drowning of Marzanna – a custom from pagan times, so long ago even the oldest Highlanders can’t remember them. Marzanna was the Slavic goddess of death and winter. Because no woman in her right mind would want to play this horrifying figure, effigies of her were made instead. To this day, on 21 March of every year, effi-
gies of Marzanna are drowned any place that’s good for drowning: rivers, lakes or ponds, but a biggish puddle or even a bathtub will do in a pinch. Drowning Marzanna is supposed to summon the spring and call on the heavens to ensure the crops are abundant and the people prosper. Marzanna is so despised that just to be sure
The Corpus Christi procession in Łowicz (above) probably stretches back to the beginnings of this holiday, instituted by Pope Urban IV in the 13th
she is dead, the effigy is set on fire before drowning, which certainly makes the overall effect more spectacular. Children skip school the same day, but not all of them get around to drowning Marzanna; some seek other outlets for celebrating their joy or drowning their sorrow •
century. An inseparable element of the festivities in this Mazovian city is the procession starting with Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica. From there, the crowds follow a portable altar constructed traditionally by the parishioners. Corpus Christi in Łowicz became famous for the incredibly colourful procession of locals dressed in their traditional folk costumes, featured in the National Geographic magazine in the 1930s. Visitors to Łowicz at other times of the year are disappointed to find that the people don’t wear the same colourful outfits every day. Tourists from all over the world descend on Łowicz for the procession every year (in May or June). To accommodate them the Gospel is read in four languages •