wernergallery.com

Easter Wonders and Curiosities: Traditions in Poland and Europe That Still Surprise Us 😁

Easter is a holiday we all know, but everyone celebrates it a little differently. In Poland, we can’t imagine it without Easter eggs, the blessing of food, and… a bit of stress on Wet Monday. These traditions, however, have much older roots than one might think—many of them date back to pagan times, when people celebrated the arrival of spring and the rebirth of life.

Easter eggs, now regarded as mere decorations, were once symbols of life and held magical significance. The blessing of food began in the Middle Ages and remains one of the most distinctive elements of Polish Easter to this day. And what about Śmigus-Dyngus? In the past, it was part of courtship rituals and a cleansing rite—the more soaked someone got, the more luck they would have!

Things get even more interesting among our neighbors. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in addition to dousing women with water, men whip them with willow twigs—for health and beauty. In Germany, Easter trees and the Easter Bunny bringing sweets reign supreme, while in Ukraine, Easter eggs are true works of art with hidden symbolism.

In southern Europe, Easter can be quite a spectacle. In Spain, there are massive processions, while in Italy, the holiday revolves around the dinner table and traditional baked goods. In Sweden, on the other hand, children dress up as “Easter witches” and go trick-or-treating—much like on Halloween.

There’s no shortage of interesting traditions around the world, either. In the U.S., people roll eggs on the lawn in front of the White House, and in Australia, the Easter bunny is replaced by… a small marsupial. No matter where you are, though, it’s all about the same things—joy, togetherness, and a fresh start.

And even though many traditions look different today than they used to (often more “Instagram-worthy” than symbolic), one thing remains the same—Easter still has the power to bring people together and put a smile on their faces. Even if it means dodging a bucket of cold water 😉

Historical jewelry is a trend in jewelry design that consciously references styles from past eras. Ancient art—Greek and Roman—remains a particularly strong inspiration, having been eagerly reinterpreted by artists and craftsmen since the 19th century. During the historicism period, decorations were created that referred to ancient cameos, medallions, and reliefs with profiles of figures, often depicting idealized images of gods, heroes, or anonymous classical portraits.

Such jewelry is characterized by calm, harmonious compositions, symmetry, and motifs known from antiquity: laurel wreaths, profiles in the style of Roman coins, floral ornaments, and decorative backgrounds reminiscent of ancient reliefs. Creators often use techniques stylized to resemble ancient crafts—patinated metal, relief modeling, or forms reminiscent of archaeological finds.

However, jewelry inspired by antiquity is not merely a reconstruction of the past. It is a dialogue with art history, in which contemporary designers interpret classical patterns, giving them new meanings and functions in contemporary visual culture. Thanks to this, ancient ideals of beauty and proportion still find their place in modern design.