Fortune-telling in Poland

If you want to know the name of your future husband or what is waiting for you in future you should know more about Andrzejki, the old Polish tradition celebrated during the night on 29th November, which is believed to be magical. 29th of November is the St Andrew's Day, which is well known also in Scotland, Greece and Russia. In Poland St Andrew's Day is the last day to party before adwent begins. Adwent is the time before Christmas which is meant to be spent in peace and a holy reflexion. Andrzejki is the last chance to have some fun :)

In Poland this night is all about predicting the future. Originally, it was only for unmarried women to gain knowledge about their future husband or the time they will get married. Currently, nobody believes in this all 'fortune telling' and does it only for entertainment. There are several traditional ways to tell the future...

Wax future telling: You take a candle and pour a wax to a jug or a bowl filled with water. There is one condition: you have to pour the wax through a key-hole. When you finish, take the wax out and see what shadow does it give on the wall. Whatever shape you will see, this thing is your destiny.

What is it???
taken from: garnek.pl

Shoe race: Girls gather together in a room (the bigger the better). Every girl taking part in a shoe race takes off her shoe. They put shoes in a line towards the door. Then they take the last shoe from the line and put it at the front. They do the same with the rest of shoes until they reach the door. The shoe which will be the first by the door wins the race and the owner of the shoe is the first one to get married.

Drawing lots: You have to find a box and put different things inside: a leaf, a ring, a beadroll, a coin. Close your eyes and pick the first thing coming to your hand. A leaf means that you'll become a spinster, a ring - that you'll get married very soon, a beadroll - that you'll become a nun and a coin - that you'll be very rich someday.

Predicting future from cards: Take out four aces from a deck of cards. Then close your eyes and pick one of them. Ace hearts means peaceful and calm home you will build in future; ace spade means that your husband will be commanding and strict but very loyal to you; ace club means that you should expect a big suprise in your love life. Ace diamonds is good news coming soon.

Think pink!

Maurycy Gomulicki is a Polish modern artist, making happy and optimistic, but also a bit controversial art.
What is characteristic for his output, is that almost everything he makes, he makes it in pink. It's not only his favourite colour, but it also has its meaning. Pink is a way to demonstrate the ideology of the artist, a kind of manifesto of what he believes in. Pink is for Maurycy a symbol of joy, happiness, gladfulness. It's not a praise for mindless hedonism, but it is meant to be an inspiration for people to get from life what is most important for them. To take what's the best and to treat life as a present to unpack.

Why is it so interesting? Because in Poland many people don't treat life this way, we still have some kind of inferiority complex of developed countries from West. We have a frustrating history, many of us still remember it (ex. the sad and grey days of communism) It sometimes seems that we are a little depressed by it. And so dedicated to our everyday lives; frustrated by all the unhappiness we have to struggle with; problems we have to solve that we lose our optimism and good energy somewhere. Gomulicki tries to inspire, to change people's point of view. Life is simple, you just have to notice that and don't pay attention to bad things that depress you. That you have to think of yourself, be good for yourself, pleasure yourself and make yourself feel happy. That's the true meaning of life and this is what everybody has to learn: be happy even if it's difficult.

And he makes his art with this message. He takes pictures, he makes sculptures, he paints, he makes neons. his works connote simple happiness, all the small things that can bring us joy and remind us that the only thing that is important is our pleasure :)

Take a look at his works in different places of Poland:

fot. Mikołaj Długosz

This neon is called "Światłotrysk" or "A big glass of pink orangeade". It is located in Kępa Potocka park in Warsaw (see it on a map).

Taken from the artist's website

Women's breasts are also a thing that bring joy :) Two swimming breasts you can find by the pier in Sopot, famous Polish seaside town where many people travel to have a good party :) (see it on a map).

 This is a photo taken by the artist to show that even everything's grey there is still beauty to be discovered.

More about Maurycy Gomulicki you can find in his Flickr Gallery and personal blog.




   

Oldschool Polish TV Cartoons

Today in Łodź there has been an opening of a sculpture of three bears from a famous Polish cartoon of 80's. It has reminded me that in Łódź there are many other little figures of cartoon characters. Together they create a path of old but unforgetable cartoons watched by children everyday before sleep. In public television there was an evening programme called "Dobranocka" which was a show for children transmitted at 7 pm, before news. Everyday there was a different cartoon to watch. In 80's and early 90's several animations were extremely popular:
"Przygody Kota Filemona" ('Adventures of Filemon the Cat') which told the story about small white cat which was very clumsy but also very sweet and his flatmate, Bonifacy, who only slept and complained all day.
 "Zaczarowany Ołówek" ('the Enchanted Pencil') was made in the late 60's. It had no dialogues. It tells a story of a boy named Piotr and his dog, aided by an enchanted pencil, which can materialize anything they draw.
"Plastusiowy Pamiętnik" ('the Diary of Plastuś') about a man made from a modelling clay who lived in a boy's pencil case
and, the most loved by every child in Poland - "Miś Uszatek" ('Teddy Floppy-ear') who was still a child but he acted and talked like an adult man... However, the cartoon was also popular in other countries; it is one of the best-selling exports of Polish television.

   

 

The main characters of 'Enchanted Pencil' in Łódź on Traugutta 18 street, before the Łódź House of Culture. (map)

Teddy Floppy-ear on Piotrkowska 87 street, before the Tourist Information Centre (map)

Filemon the Cat and his friend on Zwycięstwa 1 square, by the entrance to the Museum of Cinema (map).

Photos by Marta Rauk from Puszka

Poland by bus

If you are looking for a cheap transport around Poland (and to some cities in Europe) meet Polski Bus. It has appeared in Poland over a year ago and it has immediately gained popularity. Reasons? 1) It's very cheap: price of a single ticket costs you even 1 pln if you make a booking soon enough. 2) There's no need to go to the station, you can buy your ticket through the website (which is often not so easy in Poland) 3) It's comfy, quick and reliable (I have checked it by myself :).

Visit their website to check the timetables: http://www.polskibus.com/en

Places you can travel by Polski Bus