OTHER LOCAL THEMES
agriculture
economics
education
environment
environmental knowledge
family life
forestry
health
history
industry
resettlement
social relationships
tourism
water

BACKGROUND
introducing the area

festivals

 quotes about festivals
 key testimonies featuring festivals

As the majority population has changed, so have festivals in the Klodzko Valley. Several narrators remembered festivals that were common before the war, but died out as a result of the forced displacement of the German inhabitants. For example, Corpus Christi was popular - particularly the annual procession through the village. As one narrator explained, "each district, each village had its own celebrations . they didn't have that in the towns . only in the villages . there was a pig-slaughter in the villages as well". Other festivals that were celebrated in particularly German ways were Whitsuntide, May Day, St. Johns Day and Harvest Home Festival. Afterwards, Polish customs and ways of celebrating such days predominated.

 top

quotes about festivals

""On Palm Sunday, girls would go round the village singing songs. We had this ball on the stick, with colourful paper ribbons, and we collected eggs, sweets. That was a custom. And boys, on the other hand, I don't remember what day it was, either on the first day of Easter or the second, they had those willow twigs, and they chased girls and beat them. Not too hard, of course.... After the war, it all disappeared.""
Anna, F/69, pensioner, Poland 13

""Traditions.? May Day was always celebrated, the working class day, wasn't it? Yes, but that was introduced only in Hitler's times. Only since Hitler came to power was May Day celebrated. Before that, it was only the communists who celebrated it. They had those marches then. And there was also . Harvest home festival! Yes, harvest home festival has always been celebrated. And some festival that was! Yes I remember that well. And there was also Corpus Christi. With a procession.""
Hane, F/85, pensioner, Poland 28

 top