Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Greek Easter

A rowan tree in art

The picture 'Jarzębina' was made by a priest, Marian Malarz, who was born in 1922 in Poland. The artist started painting in 1952. His passion is painting all types of flowers. He painted a lot of paintings showing flowers and one of them is this beautiful painting 'Jarzębina'. It was painted with oil paints and it shows bouquet of rowanberries. The colour of this work are gorgeous. These various and vivid colours make that smile appear on people's faces. The background is soft, muted, rather in dark colours. Applying those colours was a painter's goal to get observer’s attention focused on the main part of the painting – the bouquet of rowanberries. The author wanted to show us that living around flowers can be really amazing.

The painting 'Kobieta na tle gaju z jarzębiną' was painted
by Jacek Malczewski in 1917 in Poland. Its dimension are: 31,7 x 54,5. It was painted with oil paints on cardboard. It shows a mature, dreamy look woman who is having a rest in a grove overcrowded with rowan. She is savouring this beautiful place and the scent of the surroundings. She is wearing a modest white and blue dress. There is quite a big watch on her hand, which attracts our attention. She has a pleasant and calm look on her face and her hair is pinned up. She seems to be happy. The painting colours are subdued and calm but expressive. The painter perfectly presented that beautiful woman's feelings.

Greek Easter tradition


Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter in Poland

Easter in Poland

Easter, also known as Pascha , the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious celebration of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April. Before Easter a whole family clean the house. We bake cakes and we paint Easter eggs. Eggs which are painted in one color are called “kraszanki”. On Saturday people go to church with the small baskets to have the food blessed. In our baskets are: bread, eggs, some ham, horseradish, pepper, salt, cheese, butter or honey. After that, on Sunday morning everyone sits at the table and we eat traditional breakfast, we divide an egg and we wishes each other health, wealth and happiness. The beautifully laid table is covered with colored eggs, cold meats, coils of sausages, ham, yeast cakes, pound cakes, poppy-seed cakes, and in the middle of it all, a lamb made of sugar, commemorating the resurrected Christ. Horseradish was mixed with beets, “cwikla”, traditionally present on Polish Easter tables. Sharing a boiled egg with our relatives is a national tradition. A piece of egg with salt and pepper, consecrated by priest, is an inseparable accessory in the good wishes we extend to each other at Easter.
On Easter Monday there is a very ancient Easter tradition called “Smingus-Dyngus” – custom of pouring water on one another. "Smingus Dyngus" is celebrated in Poland on the first Monday after Easter. On this day boys sprinkle girls with water. It is said that girls who get caught and soaked with water will marry within the year. It's been suggested that this is the very reason why some girls make feeble attempts to escape the dousing. In that day everyone is wet. It is very funny celebration.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Happy Easter

The Greek team has painted these Easter cards in order to send to all partners its best wishes for "Happy Easter"

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Poland

Kuyavia (Polish: Kujawy) is a historical and ethnographical region in the center of Poland in the Greater Poland Lakes area. Kuyavia is situated in the basin in the middle of Vistula River and upper Noteć River, with its capital in Włocławek.
The etymology of the name Kuyavia was seen differently in history. The most probable explanation has been put forward by professor Stanisław Rospond who thinks the name Kuyavia derives from the words kui, kuiati, meaning: gale and also flat, dune land which was at the risk of this gale. Though, the etymology of the name Kuyavia is connected with the physiography of the land.
For the first time, the name Kuyavia appeared in written sources in 1136 in the Bull of Gniezno (Polish: Bulla Gniźnieńska, Latin: Ex commisso nobis. The Bull of Gniezno was issued by the Pope Innocent II.
Later, the name of the land was mentioned in many documents from medieval times. It is also mentioned in the chronicles of Wincenty Kadłubek.
The episcopal see of Kuyavia was Kruszwica, and later Włocławek (after the episcopal see in the early 12th century). The capital of this Duchy, and later (from 14th century until the year 1772) the residences of the governor was Inowrocław, Brzesć Kujawski, and Radziejów as a residence of the shared Regional Council of the Kuyavia provinces. Now, the biggest centres of Kuyavia is Bydgoszcz, Włocławek and Inowrocław. Also the southern part of Toruń (Podgórz) lies in the historical region of Kuyavia. This region is divides into White Kuyavia (west) with the capital in Inowrocław and Black Kuyavia (east) with the capital in Włocławek. The latin equivalent for Inowrocław delineates it as New Włocławek. The capital of Kuyavia is Włocławek.
Kuyavia lowland has an average high of 100-130 meters above sea level, is post-glacial landscape, slightly undulating, in some places there are moraine hills elevations and sandy gravel embankments. In deep dykes and depressions is about 600 lakes with surface higher than 1 kilometre, under ice formation there are layers of rock-salt and potassium, in the layers from the Tertiary Period there are layers of lignite and ceramic clay.

Saturday, April 4, 2009