Approximately 16 tonnes of donated food items have been packed into food baskets for the needy in north eastern Poland by the Bialystok-based society Droga as part of an Easter charity campaign.

The charity has put together 5,000 baskets, making the campaign one of the largest of its kind in the region. The group has been collecting donated food items in schools and supermarkets for several weeks.

Droga has also been able to buy an additional 12.5 tonnes of food with money from sponsors and donors to make a total of 30 tonnes of food being donated for the Easter holidays.

Droga, actively working to support impoverished families since 1991, is donating the food to families that they have registered. On the Saturday before Easter Sunday, referred to as ‘Great Saturday,’ the organization will hand out the remaining baskets to other needy yet unregistered families.

Easter is, in Poland, one of the most important holidays of the year. The nation is statistically 96 percent Catholic and takes great stock in the holiday. Officially, Sunday and Monday are state holidays, though many companies do not require employees to come to work on Good Friday.

Polish Easter preparations start with Palm Sunday, the week before Easter, when Pole’s traditionally attend Church and have elaborately decorated branches, symbolizing plams, blessed. The following Saturday, Poles take baskets filled with cakes, sausages, eggs, salt and various goods to Church to be blessed by the priest.

The most interesting tradition in Poland is, however, Easter Monday, known as Smingus Dyngus. More often celebrated in traditional villages, the holiday gives boys and girls a chance to flirt as the goal of the day is to pour water over each other. (mmj/pg)