The joint initiative of the Podgórze Cultural Centre and the Drużyna Wojów Wiślańskich KRAK historic re-enactment society means we have been able to explore the roots of another celebration since 2001.
Dating back around a millennium, the Rękawka indulgence is celebrated on the Tuesday after Easter at the Krak Mound and it recalls Slavic funereal rites with their fires and offerings of bread, apples and eggs to spirits of ancestors. Around a thousand years ago the custom became Christianised and the format changed accordingly. However, until the late 19th century, locals engaged in folk games such as rolling bread, cakes, eggs and coins down the slope to be caught by urchins waiting at the bottom. By the early 20th century, Rękawka was surviving only as a fete. The square at the historic Church of St Benedict at the Lasota Hill filled with carousels, market stalls and fair attractions, and Cracovians flocked to the venue to buy balloons, sweets and toys. Today, locals gather at the Krak Mound to travel back in time to mediaeval settlements and to sample ancient Slavic dishes and listen to music our ancestors danced to in days gone by. Events include a spectacular re-enactment of a battle between Vistulans and foreign invaders: the two mighty armies face one another at the foot of the hill, cross swords, axes and spears and fight for glorious victory.
