I invite you to take a trip to a Polish village – a place full of charm and tradition. If you are a foreigner living in Poland and would like to get to know our countryside, then this article is just for you! Polish villages are fascinating places, where traditions and customs are still an important part of everyday life. I will introduce you to a few common customs in Polish villages that sound like stories from the past.

A few words on the background

If you live in Poland, you maybe already noticed that Christian Religion is still very important part of people lives, especially a Roman Catholic one, but this depends on the area, as there are places in the Eastern Poland where Orthodox Church or Greek Catholic Church is more common, or they at least equal. Currently nearly all the traditions in Poland relate to the Christian fests. But not always the chritianity was here, before it arrived in 10th century, there lived a huge civilization of Slavic Nations in this area and reached far more to the East and West of modern Poland. The Slavic culture was very strongly connected to the nature. It cultivated the four main, sacred elements: fire, water, earth and wind and praised the natural rythm of Mother Earth. There was a number of Slavic customs and rituals which were addressing the cosmic powers and spirits living on Earth. These traditions were thousands of years long so it is obvious that with the arrival of christianity they did not dissapear from the Slavs menthality in a day, not even in a thousand years. Christianity had no choice but to adapt to the strong tradition and it took over the old customs and re-named them, giving them christian background and validation. But the core of the rituals stayed untouched, even though nowadays majority of those who cultivate them, are not aware of the origin.

When talking about Polish customs, we have to bear in mind that in the past Poland or Polish country was quite diverse ethnically and depending on the area, there were local customs, culture and dialects.

In this article I will try to give you an outlook on the more general traditions which you may still meet when living in the rural Poland, or your kids may meet them when attanding rural school. Perhaps in some of them you will recognize the reflections of the customs from your own culture.

1. First Day of Spring

On 21. March the calendar Spring starts. Back in past it was a big fest due to end of unpleasant and poor period of Winter. The Nature wakes up and the live is getting ready for a new season. In Slavic tradition it was the New Year, which was called Jare Gody. The farmers plough the ground and seed the grains. The Winter which is inpersonated in the goddes of death, Marzanna, has to let go and let the Spring in. In the older times, before the Roman calendars were intoduced, month of March was called Brzemień – which means a month of pregnancy (brzemienna means pregnant). The name Marzec also matches with Marzanna which may be derived from Mars – ancient god of War and Winter, Planet Mars also drives the zoodiac Aries, which according to the Western Astrology starts on 21. March. Some scientists connect the goddes Marzanna not only with death but also life, and her drowning under water (water is crucial for life) is like going down under Earth to re-birth again (for Christians sounds familiar?).

How it was, and maybe in some places is celebrated?

I recall from kindergarten and primary school that we prepared a straw doll dressed in a feminine clothes, which we then took in a colorful procession with singing out of the village to the river or stream or lake, burned it and drown in the water. In this symbolic ritual which connects all the 4 elements (staw – Earth, Water, Fire and Wind) we were ordering the Winter to go away and we invited the Spring in. This ritual was aimed also to bring the fertility and good harvest.

In some areas there is a custom related to drowning of marzanna, called gaik or walking with gaik (still active in Upper Silesia). After drowning of marzanna, the people come back to the village with a pine tree decorated with ribbons which is being taken from home to home to bring good wishes of luck and harvest.

In some areas you may note the reflection of gaik custom in other fests, like Green Fest which falls in Pentecoste, Corpus Christi or on Easter Tuesday.

The first day of the Spring in the cities is often celebrated by the school kids and students as Dzień Wagarowicza (The Truant’s Day). Usually this is a loose day in school, where kids from older classes lead the lessons for the youngers, everyone dresses up, there are costume contests and a lot of kids hang out around the town and noone makes a fuss of it.

2. Śmigus-Dyngus or Lany Poniedziałek

Another Spring custom is Śmigus-Dyngus or Lany Poniedziałek which always falls on the Easter Monday.

The tradition also leads to Slavic times and is related to the joyful celebration of the end of Winter by cleaning the body by lashing legs with young trees springs and spalishing others with water. Initially it was a custom related to the fertility, so mainly young single girls were the object of the spalshing, especially those who were looking for a husband.

Nowadays, the tradition is just a fun, it lost its original meaning. The custom takes no exceptions on the sex and marriage status – everyone can get wet on Easter Monday. Few years back in the cities it was rather risky to go out on that day – on some estated there were running real bands of young guys with buckets of water and they had no mercy over the passers-by. In some villages even the local fire brigade would support the tradition and splash the water over those who had fun on the roads. Before this day, you may note in the shops a lot of water guns and other splashers for the kids.

3. Wianki – Noc Kupały, Noc Świętojańska or Sobótka

This is the fest related to the Mid-Summer Night. As you may guess, it does origin in the old times and is a celebration of the longest day of the year. There is a nice story related to this custom, which tells that the couples would go for the whole night into the forest to find the fern flower, which blooms only on this one night and is very rare. What a romantic metaphore of first love this is, don’t you think?

Traditionally, this is a also a fest of fire and water. Girls weave the garlands and wear them till the midnight. Boys jump over the fire pitch or both boys and girls dance around the fire. At the midnight they go to the water and put the garlands on it. Boys are suppose to catch the garland of the girl whom they are fond of. Another version is that whichever garland goes furhter, the girl who plait it will find her boy soonest.

In many places in Poland – not only in the countryside – around this day there are organized festivals with concerts and local food. Although, there is not much left from the initial traditions in such festivals, you still may sometimes plait the garland or see the girls wearing them.

4. Boże Ciało – Corpus Christi

I want to mention this tradition because it is always a Bank Holiday which falls on Thursday and you definitely will see a procession in every city, town or village where there is a church. It is a Catholic fest related to the belief that Jesus entered the heaven after he raised from death. The procession is usually quite long time one and goes through the streets and stops at 4 altars on its way. The priest is dressed in gold and under walks under a baldachin with the piece of eucharistic bread in a monstance – lifting it up to show the world that the Christ is resurrected. The altars are prepared by the people from the parish and decorated with the young birch trees which people then take home and decorete the entrance to bring the luck.

The children who had their first comunion in this year the go at the start of the procession and throw the flower petals on the road before Jesus. This is usually a big thing for the girls in the countryside to throw the flowers, they have rehearsals before and get very excited 🙂 Mothers, grannies and aunts collect as much flower as they can for their girls.

For one week from Boże Ciało the procession goes around the parish church only with the same ritual but shorter and without stops.

5. Dożynki and Matki Boskiej Zielnej – Harvest and Mary Mother of Herbs Fest

The day of Mother of Herbs fest falls on 15. August and is a bank holiday offically called the Fest of Polish Army (nice connection huh? :). The fest is a thanks giving for the first harvest of the season. People would take a small bunches of flowers and herbs to the church to bless them.

I connect this custom with Dożynki, because they kind of match.

Dożynki is a Harvest Fest to celebrate the good harvest season. Usually in each municipal village or town there is a big fest with local food prepared by the each village, concerts and in the evening there is a dancing.

Before the fest people prepare big garlands made of ripe grains, which they bring to the church for the mass and get blessed. There is often a contest for the prettiest garland, local folk choirs or bands give a concert. Meantime everyone is visiting the stalls represented by each village, try their food, fruits, vegetables, cakes, handcrafts and homemade alkohols. You may buy their products and take them home or enjoy them at the place. The atmophere is very jolly and relaxed. Often there are prepared some attractions for the kids and stars of pop give the gig.

It is a great oportunity to meet the people from your area and find out what they produce.

6. Wszystkich Świętych – All Saints Day – Halloween

In Polish tradition we also celebrate the 01. November. Currently it is a big celebration related to… cementary… Even though since a few decades the Church is trying to propagate the name All Saints Fest to bring some positive echoes into this dark fest, it seems that still majority of people call it the Fest of the Dead. The latter name seems to reflect better the origin of this celebration, which comes from the pre-christian times and was called Dziady – the Ancestors where people would siritually connect to their passed away family memebers and friends. In some traditions it would be related with briging food to the cementary and leave it for the death. Famous romantic poet of 19. century, Adam Mickiewicz, whom your kids will definitely learn about in school, wrote a play in 4 parts under this title, which indicates that this „pagan” tradition was still quite alive just 150 years ago.

Nowadays, this day or even full week around this day, is the time when Poles visit the graves of their close ones. They bring the flowers and candles even to the distant places where they family rests in peace. You may see around this date a lot of traffic in the area of cementaries and more police on the roads in whole the country.

I am bringing this fest up because around this date there are many strong traditions around the globe. Haloween is more and more popular in Poland, but still is potentially seen as not native tradition. In the countryside, probably you will not see kids dressed up on this day. But you may see them so a bit later – around Christmas.

7. Kolędowanie – Carol Singers

On the Christmas or just after it, you may be visited by the smaller groups of kids dressed up who walk from door to door and sing the carols. Often they expect some cash donation but you may also give them sweets, like homemade gingerbreads. This tradition was very stron in Poland, and not only meant for children. Audults would play some standard roles related to the Christmas scences: Mary, Joseph, Angel, Devil, King. Not always you can see the costumes well prepared, but perhaps in places where the local traditions are still very strong, it is all better arranged 🙂

8. Wedding Gate

Sometimes you may still see it in Poland. When there is a wedding in the village, the people prepare a gate – string with decorations. They dress up and arrange or improvise the scenes. The young couple who are on the way to church or to the townhall need to grant the actors with some presents, sweets or bottle of vodka – only upond this condition they can pass.

9. Wiecha

This is a tradition not strictly related to the countryside, but I want to mention it, as maybe you will build the house and it is good to know it.

I would like to mention a very pleasant tradition in construction that has been maintained for centuries, not only in Poland. “Wiecha” or “wierzchowe” or “wiankowe,” as it is called, is a popular tradition in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It involves placing a decorative wreath, adorned with ribbons, flowers, and branches, on the top of the building. It can also be a simple bouquet of flowers. Sometimes, tools such as saws, hammers, or other tools symbolizing the work of carpenters and other craftsmen are added to the wreath.

The topping-out ceremony is a symbolic recognition of the breakthrough in construction works and an occasion to celebrate and thank all those involved in the project. It is also a way to attract good luck and protection for the building.

Some sources claim that the tradition of hanging a wreath dates back to the 14th century. However, I suppose that other legends have more credibility and that it has its roots much further in prehistoric times when new homes were entrusted to the spirits of nature, who would protect it and its inhabitants with their power and support prosperity, fertility, and well-being. Depending on the type of tree or plant used for the wreath, the house was entrusted to such a spirit. After hanging the wreath, the host would hold a celebration for the master craftsmen and neighbors to collectively commemorate the event and symbolically offer refreshments to the protective spirits. In ancient Poland, the topping-out ceremony was preceded by the “popłatne” ceremony, which involved placing the final beam on top of the framework. The carpenter often carved the completion date on this rafter.

Today, our employees don’t always have time for a celebration, but it is considered good etiquette to offer them a bottle of vodka to commemorate an important stage in their work. In my case, the first “wiecha” (topping-out ceremony) happened when we finished pouring the floor above the basement. The excavation work took a long time due to unfavorable weather conditions and was very demanding for the team. A very touching moment for me was when I came to see the freshly poured floor right after my work and saw a bouquet of elderflowers and other herbs placed on it. It truly felt like a milestone in this project. Let’s not forget about this tradition, let’s invite the protective spirits into our new home and express our gratitude to them and our foremen for the progress made so far. Apparently, the absence of a “wiecha” can even result in the team leaving the construction site, that’s how important this tradition is in Poland.

Other Fests

In the globalistic and cosmopolitic society in which we live today, even in Polish countryside the customs seem to lose their meaning. There are many other local fests and customs which you may meet in different parts of the country. Some of them reach to the old traditions, but some are made up recently just to give the local society something to celebrate and occasion to bring the visitors. It is especially in the Western Poland, where after 2nd World War there was settled a mix of different ethnic groups from other parts of fomer Poland. You may meet such fests as Potato Fest in September, Orchards Fest, Honey Fest, Bread Fest etc. It is hard to list them all. You may look around your area and check what your local society celebrates and join it, if you like the idea. Hopefully you will find it jolly and pleasant time!