Customs & Traditions

The 29 November tradition of pouring wax through a keyhole and other fortune-telling games young Poles play on Andrzejki.

Wigilia on 24 December, the 12 dishes, breaking the opłatek, and what a newcomer should expect over the Polish Christmas.

Święconka baskets, the Easter breakfast, śmigus-dyngus water traditions, and what the long weekend involves.

What to expect at a Polish funeral, the wake (stypy), dress code, and the customs around cemeteries and All Saints' Day.

The shortest night of the year in Poland — floating wreaths on the river, bonfires, and free concerts on the Vistula.

Why Poles celebrate name days as much as birthdays, how the calendar works, and what to do when a colleague's name day comes around.

Greetings, punctuality, gift-giving, dining manners, and the small social rules that help you fit in politely in Poland.

The everyday dishes you will see in Polish canteens, bakeries, and homes — pierogi, kotlet schabowy, żurek, and what they actually are.

The structure of a Polish wedding, the bread-and-salt greeting, the midnight unveiling, and what guests should know.

The everyday beliefs most Poles still observe — no handshake in a doorway, lucky ladybug, and why you don't put keys on the table.