Wielkopolska was, and still is (e.g. Wyszki near Jarocin), a region where people go around playing water pranks (i.e. they “go dyngus”) with a bear on Easter Monday. Boys chase girls – but only the ones they like – in the morning and douse them with water. In the afternoon, a group of people dress up as a bear, bear handler, grandfather and grandmother, fireman, policeman, chimney sweep, musician, Jew and gypsy. They then go from house to house collecting presents (pancakes, sausage and bread) as thanks for the morning’s jollity. Hence the expression “go dyngus”.

or:

Going around with a bear used to be a common custom in Wielkopolska. A procession of young boys in fancy dress would pass through the village. At the head would be a bear wrapped in straw and led on a rope by a handler, who would make the animal perform tricks and awkward jumps. The group would be accompanied by a grandmother with a basket and a grandfather. Other figures like a chimney sweep, policeman, musician and horse would sometimes appear as well, depending on the custom of the village. This procession would go around the entire village, entering huts and singing songs like “We’re going dyngus…” This going dyngus with a bear was a way of collecting payment in the form of eggs, pancakes, sausage, cheese and money for having doused the girls of the village with water in the morning. These presents were brought along to the communal merrymaking in the evening.