The Easter Palm Contest in Lipnica Murowana
Lipnica Murowana is located in the wide valley of the Uszwica Lake at the area of Pogórze Wiśnicka. Between the 14th century and 1933 it had city rights. The urban layout with the rectangular Market Square, monumental buildings and the statue of St. Simon from Lipnica Murowana can still be admired today. In this small town you can also see two churches – the baroque-styled church of St. Simon, built in the place of the saint’s family home, and the gothic church of st. Andrzej, rebuilt in the 18th century.
In Lipnica Murowana, one of the most beautiful traditions associated with Palm Sunday is organized every year – The Easter Palm and artistic handicraft contest. In 2014, it was organized for the 56th time. It is a one of a kind pre-Easter Festival, which is visited by by tourists from all over Poland. The biggest attraction of this event are the giant Easter palms. Several years ago, the highest palms crossed the border of 30 meters. The palms can only be made from natural materials. In the mid-2010s, the record of the highest Easter Palm was credited to Zbigniew Urbański, and it could only compete with with the 39-meter tower of the St. Andrzej church. So far, another contestant managed to create a palm that was 3 meters lower, although there already was a 39-meter palm, but unfortunately it broke while being set vertically at the Lipnica Murowana Market Square
If a palm break, its height is no longer meaningful and it gets disqualified from the competition. These hard rules were unchanged for decades.
The contest is accompanied by a folk festival, during which you can buy the products of local craftsmen and farmers. Of course, right before Easter, the most frequently purchased products include Easter eggs, cakes and meat products.