# Happy Dyngus Day!!??!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052 "2003-04-21T15:54:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lwaxana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Lwaxana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lwaxana)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/1 "2003-04-21T15:54:36Z")
I have lived all over the USA and had never heard of Dyngus day untill I moved here to South Bend, Indiana. It seems that the day after Easter is polish/political event where you drink beer and eat sausages…ALL day Is this only in this area or have other dopers heard of this practice? around here it is a major event, more important to some than any other day 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/2 "2003-04-21T15:59:54Z")
[Smigus Dyngus](http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art758.asp) ---
**Author:** ![IDemandBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@IDemandBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDemandBeer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/3 "2003-04-21T16:17:55Z")
> [@](#): > > It seems that the day after Easter is polish/political event where you drink beer and eat sausages…ALL day Damn, can I be an honorary Polish-person? Please? 🙂 –IDB ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/4 "2003-04-21T16:29:06Z")
I’m Polish, and while we are _aware_ of the holiday, it’s not something we outright practice. Its main component involves splashing water on your unsuspecting friends and relatives–something that would probably not go over too well among a non-Dyngus enlightened population. FWIW, I’ve always been taught that it’s mainly a “release” from the long lenten season with its fasting and praying and giving stuff up. Kind of like the reverse of Fat Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/5 "2003-04-21T16:44:42Z")
It was big in Buffalo in the early 90’s anyway, our Union at work had that day off in their contract. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/6 "2003-04-21T16:49:09Z")
[LoB] Does it amuse you when I say ‘Smigus Dyngus’? [/LoB] ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/7 "2003-04-21T20:19:49Z")
> [@](#): > > From the article **Arden Ranger** provided: > > Older men behave like gentlemen spraying their wives with colon water rather than with the regular one. “ **Colon water?!** ” Do I even _want_ to know what that is? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/8 "2003-04-21T20:31:00Z")
And if it’s older men the accuracy and timing is going to be pretty haphazard. ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/9 "2003-04-21T21:14:46Z")
First one to make a “squirting” joke gets a size 13 boot to the head… ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/10 "2003-04-21T23:40:24Z")
we did the water flinging thing at church, after services on bright monday. everything went well for a while, with little dixie cups of water being flung, outside. then one year 2 guys got the bright idea of filling one of the huge soup kettles with water. good heavens, the amount of water in that kettle was amazing. knocked down 3 women. the main problem was that they flung the water inside soaking people who did not want to participate. then another guy thought that flinging water was tiresome and just grabbed a girl and put her in the sink ( the sinks were at least 2 1/2’ deep to handle the kettles.) and turned on the taps. the next year water flinging was banned due to 3 guys behaving badly. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/11 "2003-04-22T02:06:08Z")
Hey, I think a Dyngus is eating your baby. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/12 "2003-04-22T03:00:34Z")
I lived in a Polish neighborhood for a while. Smingus Dyngus was an occasion for the young teens to run around the streets soaking people. Also, I grew up in Poland - Smingus Dyngus was pretty big. You had to figure out a way to be awake before everyone else was, cause the ones sleeping got a rude (and wet) awakening. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/13 "2003-04-22T12:20:38Z")
I introduced my 3 year old son to Dyngus Day yesterday. It was easy. I just handed him a squirt gun and pointed at his older sister and said go for it… I saved the switching for my wife. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/14 "2003-04-22T14:24:07Z")
Yea Dingus Day! I was in South Bend this weekend, but had to come home yesterday. Did you go out to celebrate? M.R. Falcons has probably the biggest/best celebration in town. Nothing says “Lent is over!” like 3 lbs. of kielbasa and 2 hard boiled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![TelcontarStorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@TelcontarStorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TelcontarStorm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/15 "2003-04-22T16:40:29Z")
Well, I’m of Pollish extraction and I’ve never heard of it before now. Next year I plan on introducing it to LittleTel. Oooohhhh, the possibilities 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/16 "2003-04-23T02:04:06Z")
Dyngus Day is **BIG** in Buffalo. Many businesses in the city’s eastern suburbs close down that day. ---
**Author:** ![Lwaxana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Lwaxana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lwaxana)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dyngus-day/170052/17 "2003-04-23T04:37:17Z")
Sadly I didn’t get to go Dyngusing this year (had to work all day then teach a class last night) But I did hear many-a-tale of friends/clients celebrations. Seem folks in this part don’t know about the water/switch part. Just the beer and brats! Its also a time to campaign if your are running for office. Alot of places were closed here also and from the condition today of some of my friends those places should of closed today too!! But I am glad to learn that it really was started for a real reason (like beer and brats wern’t reason enough:D )