Polish Easter Tradition: Saturday basket blessing

On the Saturday before Easter, The Faithful pack a basket and take it to the church for blessing.

My students told me about this tradition -- that they fill the basket with eggs, meat (fresh kielbasa?), salt and pepper, bread, cake and a tiny lamb made from sugar. This basket is taken to the church on Saturday and the foods are blessed by the priest. Then it’s taken home and eaten for Easter breakfast.

As we walked around Krakow on Saturday, so many people were carrying beautiful baskets, covered with white cloth napkins and topped with a sprig of fresh greenery (I read it’s boxwood).