Today is Dyngus Day, a day that 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 a way of flirting.
It’s also an opportunity for community members to meet candidates for local, state and national political office – a practice that has been a tradition since the 1930s. In South Bend, candidates meet at the West-Side Democratic Club where they speak on a small stage in front of a mural illustrating a 19th century Dyngus Day celebration.
