The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

DYNGUS

THE MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTER EASTER ARE CALLED DYNGUS
BY THE POLISH PEOPLE. ON MONDAY EARLY IN THE MORNING,
THE BOYS USED TO GO OUT AND CUT A SWITCH, USUALLY A
PUSSY-WILLOW, AND GO TO A GIRL'S HOUSE WHERE HE WAS
LET IN BY HER MOTHER. IF THE GIRL WAS ASLEEP, THE BOY
COULD AWAKEN HER BY THROWING WATER ON HER. IF HE WERE
A GENTLEMAN, HE WOULD SPRINKLE COLOGNE ON HER. WHEN
SHE AWOKE, HE SWITCHED HER WITH THE BRANCH HE HAD CUT.
THIS WAS DONE TO INSURE HER GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR THE REST
OF THE YEAR. WHEN HE WAS DONE, HE WAS USUALLY TREATED
TO SOME REFRESHMENT BY THE GIRL'S MOTHER. ON TUESDAY,
THE GIRLS WOULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF REVERSING THE
PROCESS ON THE BOY'S PEACEFUL SLEEP, AND THEIR ACTIONS
USUALLY DEPENDED ON THE TREATMENT THEY HAD RECEIVED
THE DAY BEFORE.

Submitter comment: THE INFORMANT, MY MOTHER, REMEMBERS THIS TRADITION
VERY CLEARLY FROM HER CHILDHOOD WHEN SHE LEARNED IT
FROM HER MOTHER, WHO WAS BORN IN POLAND.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 01-08-1964