Easter eggs
key words: Easter, natural colours
Matki Boskiej Zielnej / Blessed Mother of the Herbs
key words: Flowers, church
Parada Ceramiczna / Ceramic Parade
key words: pottery, ceramic, local tradition
Important dates in Poland
Styczeń / January:
01.01– Nowy Rok (New Year’s Day)
06.01 – Trzech Króli (Three Kings’ Day)
21.01 – Dzień Babci (Grandma’s Day)
22.01 – Dzień Dziadka (Grandpa’s Day)
Luty / February:
13.02- 26.02 (2017) - Ferie Zimowe (Winter Holidays)
We have got two weeks of winter holidays in Poland. But the date is different in different provinces. In this time students go usually to the mountains for the winter camps, where they can ski or snowboard.
14.02 – Walentynki (Saint Valentine’s Day)
23.02 (2017) - Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday)
In Poland, Fat Thursday is called Tłusty Czwartek. It is the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the next opportunity to feast would not be until Easter. Traditional foods include pączki, which are large deep-fried doughnuts, usually filled with rose jam and topped with glazed sugar or faworki served with lots of powdered sugar.
Marzec /March:
01.03 (2017) – Środa Popielcowa (Ash Wednesday)
It is the first day of Lent Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, which the priest place on the heads of people to the accompaniment of the words "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return".
08.03 – Dzień Kobiet (Women’s Day)
Kwiecień / April:
01.04 – Prima aprilis (April Fools’ Day)
In Poland, PRIMA APRILIS ("1 April" in Latin) is a day in which many jokes are told; various hoaxes are prepared by people, media (which sometimes cooperate to make the "information" more credible) and even public institutions. Serious activities are usually avoided. This conviction is so strong that the anti-Turkish alliance with Leopold I signed on April 1, 1683, was backdated to March 31.
08.04 (2017) – Niedziela Palmowa (Palm Sunday)
Palm Sunday begins the Holy Week and commemorates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem when palm branches were placed in his path. It was before he was arrested on Holy Thursday and before his crucifixion on Good Friday. People in Poland make palms from green twigs and decorate them with colorful paper flowers. Some of them are more than 30 meters high.
16.04 (2017) – Wielkanoc (Easter)
17.04 (2017) – Poniedziałek Wielkanocny (Easter Monday)
19-20-21.04 (2017) – Egzaminy Gimnazjalne (Final exams in Lower Secondary Schools)
The oldest students in lower secondary schools called gimnazjum in Poland have got their three-day final exams. On the first day they have humanities tests (history, Polish language, and history of art). On the second day there are mathematics and science tests. And on the last day there are tests from foreign languages (German and English).
Maj / May:
01.05 – Święto Pracy (Labour Day)
03.05 – Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja (May 3rd Constitution Day)
People in Poland celebrate the declaration of the Constitution of May 3, 1791. The Constitution is considered one of the most important achievements in the history of Poland and it was the first constitution in Europe and the second in the world.
26.05 – Dzień Matki (Mother’s Day)
Czerwiec / June:
01.06 – Dzień Dziecka (Children’s Day)
23.06 – Dzień Ojca (Father’s Day) / Koniec Roku Szkolnego (End of the School Year)
Lipiec / July:
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Sierpień / August:
15.08 - Matki Boskiej Zielnej / Blessed Mother of the Herbs / Assumption of Mary
In Poland the fest day of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven is also called Matki Boskiej Zielnej - Blessed Mother of the Herbs. Mary, Mother of Jesus is seen as the keeper of the whole earth, the Queen of people, animals and plants. On this day people bring to chutch bouquets made from flowers, herbs, vegetables, and wheat, from the fields and gardens, which are blessed by the priest. After the blessing, these bouquets are carried home and kept until the following year. People tuck them behind holy pictures to protect their homes against fire and lightening. Some farmers put some of the blessed flowers into their seed bags in the belief that it would assure a good harvest. When there is sickness in the household, the herbs are brewed and used for medicinal purposes too.
15.08 - Święto Wojska Polskiego / Feast of the Polish Armed Forces
It is a national holiday celebrated annually on August 15th in Poland, commemorating the "Miracle of the Vistula" (Cud nad Wisłą) in 1920, the victory over Soviet Russia at the Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Soviet War, when the Polish Army under the command of Marshal Józef Piłsudski successfully repulsed Red Army offensive.
16-20.08 (2017) – Bolesławieckie Święto Ceramiki / Boleslawiec Pottery Festival
It takes place once a year at the end of August, is the most important cultural event in Bolesławiec and it is also a great opportunity to observe new patterns in our ceramics and to buy something. All the ceramic factories from Bolesławiec participate in this event. Some of them organize workshops and open days. There are also many performers and attractions for everyone.
Wrzesień / September:
01.09 – Rozpoczęcie Roku Szkolnego (Beginning of the School Year)
Październik / October:
14.10 – Dzień Edukacji Narodowej (National Education Day)
This day is the anniversary of the creation of the Commission of National Education, created on October 14, 1773 through the initiative of King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Because of its vast authority and autonomy, it is considered the first Ministry of Education in European history.
Listopad / November:
01.11 – Wszystkich Świętych (All Saints’ Day)
11.11 – Narodowe Święto Niepodległości (National Independence Day)
It is a national day in Poland celebrated on 11 November to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty as the Second Polish Republic in 1918, after 123 years of partition by the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg Empire.
29.11 – Andrzejki (Andrew’s Day)
In Poland, the holiday Andrzejki is celebrated on the night of the 29th through 30 November. Traditionally, the holiday was only observed by young single girls, but today both boys and girls join the party to see their futures. Some girls before sleeping put pieces of paper with the boys’ names under the pillow and in the morning, they take one out. According to tradition they can see their future husband’s name on it.
Grudzień / December:
06.12 – Mikołajki (Saint Nicholas Day)
Saint Nicholas brings presents for good children this day. Noughty child receive only a rod (twig without leaves).
24.12 – Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia (Christmas Eve)
25.12 – Boże Narodzenie (Christmas)
31.12 – Sylwester (New Year’s Eve)