Origin of Smigus-Dyngus

In the 14th century, Christians honored the March equinox using water to symbolize the renewal of life. The exact origin of the day is unknown, but scientists have some ideas as to how it began and what it means. One idea is discusses the baptism of Duke Mieszko I (r, 2020), who united all of Poland under Christianity in the 900s AD (Mieszko I | duke and prince of Poland, 2020). When people are soaked with water, it represents the Christian baptism and the forgiveness of sins (r, 2020). The start of Wet Monday did not occur until some time after Mieszko’s reign, but rather during the Middle Ages. Past Wet Mondays involved a sort of courtship ritual, where the boys would pour water on their potential wives (Podeszwa, 2020). In this ritual, the water represents a sign of affection towards the women. In turn, the girls would offer decorated Easter eggs to the boys in attempt to prevent getting wet.

Poland's Wet Monday is also a combination of two older traditions called Smigus and Dynus, which is where Wet Monday got its name. Smigus is a tradition "that involves the symbolic whacking of people's legs with palm fronds or willows and drenching them in cold water" (Culture.pl 2014). This was seen as some sort of cleansing ritual that could cleansed the body of anything from diseases to sins. On the other had, Dynus is the tradition of "the chance to save yourself from being drenched a second time by bribbing the drencher with a decorated egg" (Culture.pl 2014). Nowadays, no person is safe from being doused. Anyone and everyone can join in the fun using anything from cups, to hoses, to water guns (Blair 2020).

Wet Monday Today

In modern Poland, Wet Monday's popularity is slowly declining. The tradition has changed from choosing targets to people throwing water on anyone who happened to be in the middle of the mayhem. The holiday is harmless for the most part, but oftentimes leads to unwanted water dumping. Police and the older generations work to manage this waste, but Wet Monday is still not close to being saved (r, 2020). A present Wet Monday contains a free-for-all of water usage. In addition, the cold spring weather in Poland contributes to the dwindling popularity of the holiday. The Easter season in Poland can tend to be cold, and so being wet is not the most appealing idea (Blair, 2020).

Although it may seem a bit unorthodox, Smigus-Dyngus is a light-hearted and culture-packed tradition. Towns all across Poland host Wet Monday-specific events for people to join in the fun, and hope for as many people as possible to join in the festivities (Blair, 2020). Some areas celebrate the holiday on two days: Monday the boys soak the girls, while Tuesday the girls take revenge on the boys. It occurs all throughout the country, with people hosting parties in their homes or universities. In general, the day leaves everyone at risk of getting soaked.