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Decorating Pisanki Easter Eggs

Polish American Cultural Center’s wonderful, multi-talented, Bernadette Zubel, came to St. Casimir’s church to teach others the Polish tradition of decorating Easter eggs, called Pisanki. The egg symbolizes new life and Christ’s resurrection.  However, the oldest Polish pisanki (the traditional name for painted eggs, singular: pisanka) date back to the end of the 10th century. 

There are different ways to decorate eggs: kraszanki (also called malowanki) are a type of pisanki colored with natural dyes obtained from onion peel, walnut shells, beet juice and various flower petals, cooked until they give up their colors. An egg is then cooked in the resulting dye. Nowadays, artificial food dyes are also used. People would often scratch the egg to reveal the color of the shell and thus make a pattern on a pisanka. These are called drapanki.

For more information on Pisanki and Polish folk art, visit our center to learn more! We have a whole room in our museum dedicated to Polish Folk Art!

Also here is an article: Guide to Polish Folk Art

Bernadette Zubel
Source: cleveland.com

The tradition of food blessing at Easter, which has early-medieval roots in Christian society, possibly originated from a pagan ritual.^[1][2] The tradition is said to date from the 7th century in its basic form, the more modern form containing bread and eggs (symbols of resurrection and Christ) is said to date from the 12th century.^[3]

Please join us for our annual Traditional Wigilia.

The most important day is Christmas Eve called Wigilia (Vee-gil-ee-ya). This is when family members from far away come home to celebrate a very special meatless meal together. It is prepared according to Polish traditions that have been passed down for centuries. Before sitting down at the table, the oldest person in the group passes a thin wafer, called opłatek (o-pwa-tek) to each person present. It is similar to communion wafer but rectangular in shape, with religious nativity scenes stamped into it. Each person breaks off a small piece of the other person’s wafer and eats it while hugging and exchanging good wishes for the coming year. All transgressions are forgiven and family members start over with a clean slate in their relationships with one another. For this reason, the Opłatek is called the “bread of love.” Then dinner is served, and only one person is allowed to leave the table at a time. Poles believe that it is bad luck not to eat at least a little bit of each food served at Wigilia. After the meal, Polish Christmas carols called “kolędy” are sung and gifts are exchanged by the Christmas Tree called “choinka.”   

8-Week Continuing Education Non-Credit Course
Lesław Tetla, Ph.D.
2016 Cleveland State University Visiting Polish Scholar and Kosciuszko Fellow
Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland
When: October 5— November 30
Day & Time: Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: The Polish American Cultural Center
6501 Lansing Avenue, Cleveland
Cost: $125 for the 8-week course
Course Description: This course will examine Polish art and Polish institutions of
culture that are currently in the process of social and economic transformation.
Registration: Visit http://www.csuohio.edu/class/world-languages/worldlanguages
and click on the “Continuing Education (CE)” link.
You may also register in person on the first day of class.
Questions? Please contact Dr. Edward Horowitz, the director of CSU Polish Studies,
at e.horowitz@csuohio.edu
CSU Polish Studies is grateful to Gene Bak and the Polish American Cultural Center for hosting this course.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

03 May 2016

Contact: Lisa Nemeth/Northcoast Promotions Inc.

Phone: 216.570.8201

Email: northcoastpromo@hotmail.com

Start your day on Sunday, May 22nd at the Polish American Cultural Center for an Art Show – 6501 Lansing Ave, Cleveland, OH 44105. The show runs from 10am to 3pm and will feature local artists and craftspeople along with delicious homemade ethnic foods prepared by the club members.  Lunch is available from 11am – 2pm.  Admission to the Art Show is free.

See the beautifully restored hall and refurbished spaces of the PACC, JPII. During the event, come and grow with us with a planting of “Mammoth” Sunflower seeds with a natural art installation in our heritage garden.

Also in Slavic Village on Sunday: Rooms To Let Exhibits

Begin your day with lunch at the Polish American Cultural Center with Northcoast Promotions and our exhibitors at the Polish American Cultural Center. Then travel over to Rooms To Let installations on E. 54th St.

We look forward to seeing you there!

*For more details about Saturday and Sunday Rooms To Let activities in Slavic Village visit:  http://slavicvillage.org/roomstoletRooms

You are invited to attend the Cleveland Polish Constitution Day Celebration!

Benefit Concert featuring members of…

The Cleveland Orchestra

Friday, April 29, 2016     6:30 PM

 Polish American Cultural Center

6501 Lansing Ave. Cleveland, OH

Program

Donation $50/ Person

All proceeds to benefit the Polish American Cultural Center

For additional information please call

Polish American Cultural Center at 216 883 2828

Gene Bak 440 263 5552 genebak@aol.com

Sunday, May 1, 2016

9:30 a.m. Mass at St. John Cantius Church

906 College Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

11 a.m. Luncheon at the Polish American Cultural Center

6501 Lansing Ave. Cleveland, OH 44105

Food for purchase

12:30 p.m. Parade

Starting from Fleet and E61st, E65th north to Forman Ave.

Street performers, music, dignitaries! Ben F. Stefanski II, Grand Marshall.

1:30 p.m. Parade After Party

Seven Roses Restaurant

6301 Fleet Ave, Cleveland, OH 44105

Live music, food for purchase.

3 p.m. Chopin Concert

Konrad Binienda, piano

Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus

3649 E 65th St, Cleveland, OH 44105

3 p.m. Soccer Match

Stefanski Stadium

6550 Baxter Ave, Cleveland, OH 44105

Polonia Sports Club

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

7 p.m. Reception

Polish American Cultural Center

6501 Lansing Ave. Cleveland, OH 44105

Artistic program, hors d’oeuvres, free event

For more information

Please contact: Charles Gliha, chairman of the Polish Constitution Day Committee

216.469.4806

Cleveland Polish Constitution Day website

Cleveland Polish Constitution Facebook page