Celebrate Dyngus Day in Buffalo

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There’s nothing quite like Dyngus Day in Buffalo if you’re looking for a fun and funky cultural festival! Not many people outside of Poland or a handful of Polish-American communities in the US have heard of the annual tradition held on Easter Monday. Over the years the celebrations have grown and Buffalo, New York has become the Dyngus Day capital of the USA.

Contents

1. What is Dyngus Day?
2. Why Does Buffalo Celebrate Dyngus Day?
3. How Buffalo Celebrates Dyngus Day
4. Tips to Celebrate Dyngus Day in Buffalo

What is Dyngus Day?

A tradition most closely associated with Poland where it’s known as śmigus-dyngus, the roots of modern Dyngus Day likely go back to pagan celebrations of the spring equinox and the end of winter. Over the centuries the tradition has evolved into a joyous Christian celebration of Easter and the end of lenten restrictions. 

Celebrated on Easter Monday, customs varied a bit across regions, but most celebrations included traditions of boys dousing the girls they liked with water and swatting them with pussy willow branches while reciting verses teasing them. The next day (Tuesday after Easter) was customarily the day for the girls to get revenge by repaying the boys’ pranks from the day before. In some regions, girls could avoid getting soaked by bribing the boys with painted eggs (pisanki). Dyngus processionals or parades were also common practices with participants going from door to door to share good wishes and ask for food from the Easter feast.

Why Does Buffalo Celebrate Dyngus Day?

Buffalo has one of the largest Polish-American populations in the country, and there are newspaper accounts of śmigus-dyngus customs being observed as far back as 1897. In the 1960s the community decided to start holding bigger celebrations as a way to honor their heritage and culture. Dyngus Day in Buffalo has grown so popular that it’s now a huge celebration fusing Polish and American cultural traditions with multiple events held across the city. Buffalo is the Dyngus Day capital of the USA with the highest concentration of events, polka bands, and traditions in the country. 

How Buffalo Celebrates Dyngus Day

Centered around the historic Polonia district, revelers decked out in the red and white of the Polish flag come together for a day full of festivities. Beginning with an Easter Monday mass at Corpus Christi Church, several venues host parties featuring live music, food, and dancing throughout the day and keep the party going well into the evening hours. The Dyngus Day parade along Broadway features over 100 participating groups/floats, and is a highlight of the day! 

Eat

Attendees can enjoy plenty of Polish and Polish-fusion foods like pierogi, sausages, or Polish-inspired tacos. Many of the pubs, social clubs, and the Pussy Willow Park Festival Tent have Polish foods available. There was a section of Peckham Street by the main festival tent where several food trucks were serving up food to the hungry crowds. You can also visit the Broadway Market which was established 1888 by Eastern European immigrants and continues to serve as a community meeting place with a variety of shops, delis, and restaurants.

Drink

Western New Yorkers love a good beer tent, especially after a long winter! If visitors wish to join in, they can enjoy sipping Tyskie Polish beers, krupnik honey liqueur, or vodka drinks in addition to a variety of other (more American) beverages. Regardless of what’s in your cup, when celebrating Dyngus Day in Buffalo be sure to toast to the health of your companions with ‘na zdrowie’ (pronounced nah-zdrov-e-yay).

Music

Rousing polka bands will invite everyone to get up to dance, but if joining in the dancing isn’t your thing you can just enjoy watching and singing along. Even if polka isn’t your jam, there will be plenty of local bands playing other types of music at some of the pubs and parties. If you’re lucky you might even find yourself at a venue where traditional Polish folk dancers are performing! When we saw a troupe of the traditional dancers in the Pussy Willow Park Festival Tent, a few volunteers from the audience were able to get up on the stage to try out some of the steps too.

Merriment

While most people make sure to sport their red and white outfits, there are some who go above and beyond with their Dyngus Day duds. I had fun trying to pick out my favorite outfits in the crowd, from pierogi shaped jewelry and traditional flower crowns, to butter lamb leggings and three piece red and white suits, it was a challenge to narrow it down. The crowds still carry on the traditions of water dousing and using pussy willow branches to swat each other, although the dousing has evolved into water fights with squirt guns. Don’t be surprised to find yourself on the receiving end of these pranks by other partiers.

Tips to Celebrate Dyngus Day in Buffalo

Dress Appropriately

Even more important than sporting your red and white to represent the Polish flag, is dressing for the weather. The weather on Dyngus Day in Buffalo can be unpredictable, some years the weather is sunny and 70℉ (21°C), the next year it might be a blizzard with a foot of snow on the ground or pouring down rain. Make sure you check the forecast to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you. I’d also recommend wearing comfortable shoes as you’ll spend much of the day on your feet!

Get the Pussy Willow Pass

The Pussy Willow Pass is your ticket into all the official event sites as well as access to unlimited free shuttle rides between the event locations. It’s available for purchase at several of the official event locations and at local Tops grocery stores around western New York. Festival-goers can pick up a voucher for the pass in advance and exchange it for their wristband on Dyngus Day or in advance at the Dyngus Day stand at the Broadway Market. The list of sites to purchase the Pussy Willow Pass is available on the website.

Bring Cash

When in the main Pussy Willow Park Festival Tent area, all food and drink is purchased using a ticket system and the ticket booth was only accepting cash payments for tickets. There was an ATM available on site, but it’s best to be prepared in case you’re unable to get cash from the ATM. We also encountered various vendors throughout the day that only accepted cash, so having cash on hand is important to ensure you’re able to fully enjoy your day.

Pace Yourself & Plan Your Transportation

Dyngus Day in Buffalo is an all-day event that lasts well into the evening hours, so make sure to enjoy some delicious Polish food and drink water periodically to make it through the day. With so many events and parties, it can be easy to get carried away enjoying all the vodka, krupnik, and Tyskie beer available. Many Buffalonians take off of work not only on Dyngus Day, but also the following Tuesday to recover from the festivities. 

If you plan to take part in the merrymaking, make sure you have a safe way to get back home or to your hotel. We didn’t have very good cell phone reception in the historic Polonia district, and the available Ubers can go quick. The free shuttle provided by the event through the Pussy Willow Pass can get you to several event locations around the city, many of which will have parking available or you could arrange pick up from.

Join in the Fun!

In order to have the best Dyngus Day experience, you have to join in all the fun! Wear a Polish shirt if you have one, or at least whatever red clothing you have available. Dyngus Day merchandise is also available at the main Pussy Willow Park Festival Tent if you’d like to purchase some to wear or as a souvenir. Go enjoy the live music and put your polka prowess to the test! Cheer on the traditional dancers and maybe try out some of the steps yourself. Sample all the delicious Polish foods and drinks then join the merriment of squirting water at other revelers or chasing each other with pussy willow branches.

Everyone is Polish on Dyngus Day in Buffalo!

Go Celebrate Dyngus Day in Buffalo

I don’t think there’s anywhere better to celebrate than Dyngus Day in Buffalo! Anyone with Polish heritage, who loves Polish culture, or even just loves to experience cultural festivals should visit Buffalo at Eastertime to enjoy Dyngus Day festivities. 

Have you ever celebrated Dyngus Day?

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