Happy Dyngus Day!!
"Aint no party like a Dyngus Day party, cause a Dyngus Day party is the most random excuse to drink there is."
-Anderson Cooper
Oh Dyngus Day. Where do I begin?
Well, for those of you who do not know what the heck Dyngus Day is, I will refer you to the website Dyngus Day Buffalo. According to the website, Dyngus Day celebrates the end of lent and Easter. It is a holiday to celebrate Polish-American culture, heritage and traditions. Dyngus Day was always celebrated in traditional Polish neighborhoods dated back to the 1870s, but modern Dyngus Day in Buffalo had its start in the 1960s. According to tradition, the boys will squirt those that they fancy they with water and the girls in return will give them a tap with a pussywillow branch. But believe me, sometimes a "tap" turns more into a "smack", and I have seen people get many a welt with a good smack from a pussywillow branch...it's not pretty.
Buffalo is known as the "Dyngus Day Capital of the World," but it is also celebrated in a few different places in the US, such as Cleveland.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Mdh8lTNPw]
The video above is from last year's annual Dyngus Day parade in Buffalo, which goes through the traditional Polish neighborhood around the Broadway Market.
But in most recent history, let's not forget the infamous Anderson Cooper Dyngus Day Incident of 2012.
First of all, I will present you with this picture from this year's Dyngus Day guide.
Anderson Cooper featured "Anyone Who Missed Dyngus Day" on his RidicuList segment of his show last year. Please watch this video to jog your memory:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V61VWE5P5z4]
Oh, Anderson, you silver fox, you. How can you not love that giggle?
As hilarious as this clip was, many Buffalonians took offense to this. Anderson Cooper, calling Dyngus Day stupid?!?
Well, after this aired, Anderson actually apologized to the people of Buffalo, and said that he wasn't calling us and our traditions stupid and he didn't mean any harm. And surprisingly enough, agreed to be in attendance for 2013's Dyngus Day parade as the Pussywillow Prince.
But, alas, Anderson canceled a few weeks ago, saying that he had a prior committment that he could not get out of. In response to this, Towne Automotive has strung up a Mini Cooper on the side of the Central Terminal.
This way, they can say that a Cooper was still delivered to the Central Terminal just in time for Dyngus Day! This actually is a fundraiser for the continued restoration of the Central Terminal where you can purchase tickets to win a two-year lease of the Mini Cooper. If you would like to learn more about the Central Terminal, you can visit their website HERE.
Just like everyone is a bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is a bit Polish on Dyngus Day. Will you be celebrating?