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The world's largest Dyngus Day celebration is coming up right here in Buffalo. And if you're wondering what Dyngus Day is, exactly, we're here to help.History

Dyngus Day is historically a Polish-American tradition celebrating the end of Lent on the day after Easter. This year, Dyngus Day falls on April 21, 2014.

In Buffalo, Dyngus day has become a fun holiday to bring in the spring and celebrate Polish-American culture, heritage and traditions.

How Dyngus Day in Buffalo Began

Traditional Dyngus Day celebrations date back to Polish neighborhoods as far back as the 1870s; modern Dyngus Day celebrations in Buffalo started with the Chopin Singing Society in 1961. Judge Ann T. Mikoll and her late husband Theodore V. Mikoll held the first Dyngus Day party at the society’s clubroom on Kosciuszko Street on the East Side.

The success of the Chopins’ Dyngus Day parties in the 1960s led to many Dyngus dances on the East Side at the Warsaw Inn, Broadway Grill, Polish Singing Circle and Buffalo Central Terminal.  In the 1980s, the Chopins left the East Side and moved their party to Cheektowaga. Their tradition continues to this day, with parties at the Hearthstone Manor in Depew.

2014 Dyngus Day Celebrations

The 2014 Dyngus Day Buffalo Parade will begin at 5 p.m. on April 21 at Corpus Christi Church and will make its way through the city’s Historic Polonia District, concluding at the Central Terminal. It's one of the biggest and best Dyngus Day parades in the country, and there will be prizes for the best floats.

After the parade, you can take a ride on the Sobieski Vodka Shuttle and "party hop" to over 10 venues in one of Buffalo's oldest neighborhoods.  The official festival halls are located in the Historic Polonia District, Cheektowaga, Depew, South Buffalo and Black Rock. There is even an official Dyngus Day hotel located at 4600 Genesee St. in Cheektowaga!

If you are looking to embrace and celebrate your Polish heritage, you are not going to want to miss Dyngus Day 2014!

Contributed by Dane Johnson

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