Tasks include: blessing the fire, putting away żurek, bathing.
Fire is said to be an effective method of fighting evil. In Kashubian homes, all hearths are put out, to be relit on Saturday. The fires should be restarted with smouldering coals of buckhorn or blackthorn brought from campfires which are kindled near forks in the roads. Once the magical cleansing is complete, the remaining coals are used to mark black crosses on every door of the home and the stables, meant to guarantee success. Near Bytów, people used to kindle fires at the cemetery, and the ashes were thrown onto fields to protect against hailstorms.
While Good Friday is a part of Lent, on Holy Saturday, it’s time to say goodbye to this period. And how? It’s important to ceremoniously chase it out of Poland. The symbol of Lent is żurek, and in Kashubia, this sour rye soup is the main dish – alongside salted herring (‘W posce beczka sledzy, a w żniwa beczka piwa’ [‘At Lent, a barrel of herring, and at harvest time, a barrel of beer’]).
In Kartuzy County, there is a tradition of hiding żurek, or taking part in a ceremonial walk through the village with a pot of soup, which is then smashed against the back of one of the participants (at least, that’s how ethnographer Bożena Stelmachowska remembers it). That’s where the saying ‘Nie gadôj o żurze, bo są ju Jastrë’’ (‘Don’t talk of żurek, it’s already Easter’) comes from – in other words, ‘what you’re talking about is no longer pertinent’.
Midnight is the best time for bathing in a lake or river. Water from these sources protects against skin and eye ailments and even contains anti-aging properties. If someone lacks the courage to take a ritual dip in the freezing water, it’s enough to fill up a pot and bring it – in silence – to their house. It can later be used for cosmetic purposes, ensuring beautiful skin. However, one must hurry when collecting the water, as it loses its potency once the sun comes up.