Poland: A Place of Love and New Discoveries

Poland is a beautiful European country that has brought incredible culture and real beauty to the world. Find out more about this great nation with this mini-guide to interesting Polish customs and traditions.

Winter in Poland

Christmas Tree

Just like in many other countries, one of the main holidays in Poland is Christmas, or Wigilia. Christmas time in Poland is really magical – beliefs and superstitions even say that animals start speaking at this time. Santa Claus, known in Poland as Mikolaj, visits Polish children on December 6 instead of December 25. The traditional meal for Christmas dinner consists of 12 dishes, one for each of the 12 disciples. People wait for the first star to appear in the sky before sitting down at the dinner table.

Summer in Poland

Summer Sky (800x600)

A great summer festival to visit in Poland is Wianki. It’s the perfect opportunity to try traditional meals, buy unique souvenirs and party with the Poles. Wianki means “wreaths” in Polish and at this festival women put handmade wreaths in the river to predict their future. The main celebrations take place in the Polish city of Krakow in June.

A favorite holiday among young people is Juwenalia. It is a summer festival that again has its roots in Krakow, often regarded as the main city for parties. The whole city turns into one big celebration zone. Polish students attend concerts, games, parades and other activities. If you want to have fun at Juwenalia, plan your visit to Poland in May or early June.

Halloween in Poland

Another important Polish holiday you should know about is All Saints’ Day. It follows the ancient Halloween tradition, but is observed in a different way and is celebrated on November 2. On this night, people leave their doors and windows open to let in the souls of their ancestors. Poles also visit cemeteries and put thousands of candles in beautiful glasses there. This holiday is very important for every family in Poland, so if you are planning to find your soulmate in this beautiful country you should learn more about it!

Flavors of Poland

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If you want to experience Polish food, then forget about a diet! The cuisine is very hearty and most of the dishes contain a lot of meat. Two favorite dishes are “bigos” – stewed sauerkraut with meat and “barszcz” soup, which is a beetroot soup with dumplings. The two most popular drinks are tea and vodka. People in Poland usually have four meals: early breakfast, second breakfast, a dinner after work and a small dinner before going to bed.