Dyngus Day originated in Poland and celebrates the end of lent and Easter. In the United States, Dyngus Day has come to serve as a holiday that celebrates Polish-American heritage and tradition. On Dyngus Day, or "Easter Monday," boys sprinkle the girls with water and tap them with pussywillows.

Each year, the town of Buffalo, New York, holds a parade and a large Dyngus Day celebration.DyngusDayBuffalo.com: What is Dyngus Day?

In addition to Dyngus Day and Easter Monday, another name for the day is Wet Monday. This alternative name is a reference to the water splashing that is involved in the traditional accounts of Dyngus Day celebrations.

Traditionally, on Dyngus Day the boys are said to wake up girls early in the morning by splashing them with water. After this—as the story goes—the boys whip them on the legs with switches made from willow stems.http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978152626 In some accounts, boys dump an entire bucket of water on the girls instead of merely splashing them. Similarly, instead of hitting the girls with willow stems, apparently long twigs, pieces of birch, and decorated tree branches can be used.

However, celebrations of Dyngus Day within the United States typically do not involve these activities. Instead, the day is one in which people attend local parades and gather with friends and family. One popular area within the U.S. where these kinds of activities take place each year is Buffalo, NY.

Within the United States, Buffalo, NY is one location where many Dyngus Day celebrations are held. 2010 marks the 49th annual celebration in Buffalo.http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978152626 Each year during Dyngus Day, the city holds a variety of parades and celebrations with plenty of food and drinks. Around 100,000 people are expected to attend the festivities in Buffalo this year.

• The day's festivities will be broadcast live on the internet at BroadwayFillmoreAlive.org.