Balls were held not only during the carnival, but, as tradition dictated, it was for these few winter weeks that people indulged in fun, flirting, visiting family, friends and neighbors. Many families from the circle of middle-class landed gentry decided to stay longer in the city, especially if they were raising adolescent daughters ready for marriage. Parents tried at all costs to enable their children to present themselves in better spheres than those in which they rotated on a daily basis. Carnival games were thus a kind of marriage exchange, an investment that sometimes yielded very serious profits.
For maidens on the verge of marriage, the Carnival period was a time of high hopes, but also serious disappointments. The absence of a serious candidate for a future husband could result in old age, which used to be perceived as a defeat in life. Unmarried young women were often the recipients of much derision and malice.
At the beginning of the 20th century, balls were still held according to a 19th-century script. They usually began with a polonaise. Ladies at the entrance received passes, in which the gentlemen reserved individual dances. The fun was led by a ringleader, who made sure that the ladies sitting against the walls, who were not very successful, also participated in the fun together. Among the dances could not miss mazur, krakowiak, oberek and fashionable novelties such as waltz, tango, one step and boston.
Carnival in the countryside was traditionally a time for peasant weddings. Here, maidens on the receiving end usually went along with their parents' matrimonial plans, although secretly they dreamed of a young, strong and handsome husband. Marriages of great love, in which only the young's feelings, character traits, temperament or beauty mattered, usually occurred in songs and dreams.
In the villages, the physical aspect of courtship and love was discussed without restraint, and the songs commonly known and sung were full of aroused sensuality. Even though social opinion in the villages was not as harsh as in other states, there was still a watchful eye to ensure that the young in their courtship did not go too far.
Getting married was an extremely important matter, so the procedures surrounding the event were solemn, perpetuated by tradition and strictly observed. Preparations for the wedding and reception were lived by the entire village. It was a great change in the monotonous everyday life of the local community, and a harbinger of good fun and great feasting. As Jan Stanislaw Bystroń wrote: "The wedding was an extraordinary period: the village forgets about hard work and sings about the riches of the wedding house [...]".
For some time in Poland, February 14, St. Valentine's Day, has been celebrated as the Feast of Lovers. On this day we give each other cards and small gifts to show love or affection in this way. Although this is a good excuse to express often hidden feelings, it is worth showing them not only on holidays!
Text: Joanna Radziewicz
Photo: polona.pl - public domain
Sources:
1. Łozińska, M.: W ziemiańskim dworze: codzienność, obyczaje, święta, zabawy. Warsaw, 2010.
2. Ogrodowska, B.: Polish rituals and customs. Warsaw, 2009.
3. https://folklorysta.pl/walentynki-swieto/
