Dyngus Day celebrations combine religion and politics
By Marisa Iati
Associate News Editor
Published: Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Updated: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 01:04
There is no St. Dyngus. But South Bend celebrates Dyngus Day the way the Irish observe St. Patrick’s Day, with crowds drawn to bars, restaurants and clubs for ethnic food, music and plenty of liquid refreshment ...
Tim Hudak, president of the West Side Democratic and Civic Club, said Dyngus Day began as a Polish tradition to celebrate Easter Monday. Boys used to hit girls’ legs with pussy willow branches and splash water on them as ways of flirting.
“It was supposed to be fun, too … but it wasn’t fun for the girls, I guess,” Hudak said. “Here in the 1930s, we were having a little conflict with getting voters to the poll, and we decided there’s got to be some way how we can make this happen” ...
More than eight decades later, political candidates still visit the Club and other South Bend establishments on Dyngus Day to promote their platforms, Morgan said. He said the Club sells Polish food like kielbasa, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to attendees ...
http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/dyngus-day-celebrations-combine-religion-and-politics-1.2838388