It is always interesting to know what dates are marked in other countries. After all, holidays are associated with the culture and traditions of one or another people. Some of them are celebrated with us. Others are characteristic only for a certain people. Well, it’s worth telling about the holidays of Poland - a country located relatively close to Russia, and whose inhabitants are Slavs, like us.
Officially non-working day
We have some holidays in Poland. Naturally, the New Year is leading the list of such celebrations. This is generally an international celebration! In Polish, it is called Nowy Rok. A wonderful holiday that is loved by many people around the world. Although for special skeptics this is just a change of calendar.
By the way, in Poland this holiday is also called St. Sylvester Day. He was a Roman bishop who died in 335. Then the real panic began in the whole Catholic world. People thought that the end of the world was about to come. But the apocalypse did not happen, and from that moment December 31 is considered the day when Bishop Sylvester defeated the evil Leviathan, who wanted to swallow the whole world, than saved the planet.
Poland does not sleep on the night of January 1. All restaurants and cafes are open, loud incendiary music is heard on the streets, and the sky is constantly lit up with fireworks. In addition, the end of December is a time of carnivals, dances and shows! Locals organize a sleigh dance, parties on the street near bonfires, sausages are fried on fire, make sweet brushwood and donuts with jam. In general, they know how to celebrate New Year here.
Winter celebrations
In general, the New Year holidays in Poland begin on the 20th of December. Mass festivities "start" on the 25th. This is the first day of Catholic Christmas. December 26th, the festival continues. These days, locals are not working.
It is worth noting that the holidays of Poland have retained their identity. Catholic Christmas is celebrated here on a grand scale. Traditions have not yet outlived themselves. Many families still leave one seat free at the table - for an unexpected guest. In addition, this is a tribute to those who left the earthly world and could not be on holiday with their family. People who have no one to celebrate with are invited by families. No one should be lonely at Christmas. And before starting to set the table, the hostess puts a little hay, which symbolizes the barn - because in him Jesus was born. And then - fortune telling. Each of the guests, without looking, pulls a straw out from under the tablecloth. Got smooth? So the year will be good. Broken or crooked? Most likely, you will have to deal with some difficulties.
What is also interesting: on the 6th (on Christmas Eve of Orthodox Christmas), the Poles celebrate the Epiphany. That is, Święto Trzech Króli. Literally translated as "Feast of the Three Kings." This is one of the oldest Christian celebrations, which is dedicated to the appearance of Jesus Christ and his baptism.
Christmas Eve
One can not fail to note his attention, telling about the holidays and weekends in Poland. What does the word “eve” mean to us? We usually use it in relation to the New Year. The day when you need to finish all things like cutting salads, baking meat, buying gifts and everything else (many even put a Christmas tree on the eve).
But in Poland, Christmas Eve is the main family holiday, which is called Vigil. On this day, the family together decorates the Christmas tree, prepares food. It is very important to complete everything before dusk - before the appearance of the first star in the sky. Then the family proceeds to the traditional ceremonies, including the reading of the New Testament, the separation between all those who have wafers - a thin crispy leaf baked from unleavened dough. Then dinner. On the table there are only meatless treats. And there are only 12 dishes, which symbolizes the number of apostles. A mandatory treat is kutia. Traditionally served dumplings with mushrooms, pies with cabbage, fish, pancakes and jelly, salads, poppy seeds, vermicelli, boiled potatoes, dried fruit compote (do not drink alcohol in Vigil), mushrooms and mushroom kvass. After dinner, the family goes to the liturgy.
State celebrations
About them, too, is worth a little talk. The first of May in Poland is celebrated Święto Państwowe. That is, Labor Day, which is celebrated annually, starting from 1950. At us, in Russia, it is also celebrated.
In a day comes Święto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja - a national holiday on May 3. This celebration is the most Polish. It was established in 1919, and then renewed after 71 years - on the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland.
But this is not all triumph. Talking about the national holidays of Poland, one cannot but mention November 11th. This day is celebrated Narodowe Święto Niepodległości. That is the National Independence Day. Each year, a memorable event of 1918 is celebrated. It was then that Poland was recognized as an independent state.
In memory
These are not all the holidays in Poland that are worthy of attention. April 13, for example, in 2007 was appointed Day of Remembrance of the victims of Katyn. This is a really important date. Every year on the 13th day of the specified month, people mourn over Polish officers who were shot by the NKVD in April 1940.
Five years ago, another memorable date was announced - March 1. This is the Day of the “Damned Soldiers." Starting in 2011, every first March, people recall young soldiers who were participants in the anti-communist and anti-Soviet armed underground (40-50 years of the last century).
Talking about the national and state holidays of Poland, one cannot forget about Memorial Day of Poznan in June 1956. It is celebrated on June 28 - the day when the first uprising in the history of the republic broke out in the city of Poznan, which is located on the Warta River. It was severely crushed by government forces.
Interesting dates
Well, it’s worth returning to more positive celebrations. For example, on January 21, Grandmother’s Day is celebrated in the country . And the next day is Grandfather's Day. On February 14, as elsewhere, the holiday of all lovers reigns. And on March 27 (in 2016) - Catholic Easter. The country also celebrates Youth Day. September 30, to be precise. And after a fortnight, on October 14, all pupils and students congratulate their teachers on Teacher's Day. Most often this is a day off . Holidays in Poland in October are few, in contrast to the winter months. There is another celebration, celebrated on October 16, is the day of John Paul II. The date when the memory of the great pope is revered.
But the last month of autumn is full of different events. Holidays in November in Poland begin on the first day. 11/01 is All Saints Day. In all the churches and churches of the country, solemn services are held in honor of the date.
And a day later, on November 2, the Feast of the Dead arrives. Or, as it is also called, Memorial Day. How does it differ from the holiday of November 1? The fact that on Memorial Day they remember first of all the deceased relatives and friends.
And on November 30, St. Andrew's Day is celebrated. In the evening, on the eve of the holiday, November 29, people gather for traditional fortune telling.
Easter
This is another significant holiday in Poland. Celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. In Poland, this celebration is called Wielka Noc, which literally translates as "great night." On holidays, fairs are held - with an abundance of Easter baking, bread and meat products (shreds, pastes, saltisons, bacon, rolls, etc.). Before heading to the church, the Poles collect a “velkanotsna” basket, where they put colored eggs, sausage, a shredder, yeast grandmother, “lamb” (butter or sugar) and vinegar.
Poland also celebrates the 7th Sunday after Easter, which is the first day of Pentecost and the 9th Thursday after it. This is the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.
What else is worth knowing?
As you could already understand, in Poland holidays love and know how to celebrate them - whether they are national, state or religious.
Finally, it is worth noting the fact that all significant dates are determined by the law “On non-working days” of 01/18/1951 and the decision of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
And yet, in 2007, a regulation was officially prohibited prohibiting trade during thirteen holidays. Of these, 3 are state-owned, and the rest are religious.