Dyngus Day and Earth Hour

I'm deviating from usual themes.  Last night, at Liz' urging, we participated in Earth Hour, killing all the lights for an hour.  I've never been a big fan of symbolic gestures, but the issues of global warming and energy waste are too urgent to keep ignoring.  A site to visit:  http://www.earthhour.org  If you want to see some photos of how Earth Hour played out in Toronto and other cities, check Liz's blog Speedy Ice Effect (link over to the right).

The Irish have St. Patrick's Day, the Nawlins folk have Mardi Gras, but in Buffalo, the Poles have Dyngus Day!!! (I am told that it is celebrated in Pittsburgh and in Chicago too).  The idea seems to be a city-wide post-Lenten party, with good food and polkas everywhere, and busses to move you from bar to bar. The story is that on the Monday after Easter, long ago, people would sprinkle potential lovers with water, and touch them with pussywillow branches.  Dyngus Day in Buffalo has that, and I am told (have not seen it yet myself) that squirt guns are now involved.  Anyway, I invite you to check this out at http://dyngusdaybuffalo.com or, more generally at htpp:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday  You have to love the idea of a party involving "the world's largest squirt gun" (a red fireboat);where there are bus shuttles to the"official Dyngus taverns" and where the dancing, eating and partying even includes a public library (Adam Mickiewicz Library, known locally as Mickey's) and some churches (such as St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish, known as St. Stan's).  There is a parade too.  Google this thing!  As a NYS car dealer says, "It's HUGE"