6. Poland – Zaduski
Much like Tutti i Morti in Italy, Zaduski, which is Polish for All Saint’s Day, is more of a religious holiday than a festival or celebration. The name of the holiday originates from the phrase Dzień Zaduszny, which roughly translates to “the day of prayers for the souls.” The holiday blends Polish folk customs with the Christian traditions of All Saint’s Day that were introduced to Poland centuries ago by missionary monks.
The Polish observance of All Saint’s Day mirrors the Italian tradition of caring for cemeteries as part of honoring the dead. However, Polish folk tradition expanded the holiday and included non-Christian dogmatic elements of belief that the dead visit the homes of the living looking for warmth and sustenance. Several customs persist that pay homage to the idea fo the visiting dead, including traditional offerings of bread.
Women in Poland would traditionally bake special bread that would be either given to poor or even left on individual graves in a reversal of trick-or-treating. In earlier times, many taboos were followed during the days of Zaduski observance including going to bed early so as not to interrupt the nighttime travels of the dead. Care was even taken not to drop night soil out the windows without first giving a warning so as not to offend the dead.