Poland has had a significant impact on all aspects of life, including music, philosophy, literature, and science. The country is a constantly evolving historical site, with years of history associated with every corner and location in Poland. European regions heavily impacted Poland, and after the introduction of Catholicism in the country and the construction of Catholic churches, the country’s indigenous people were gradually Polonized. The Polish people are exceedingly cordial and inviting to anyone who comes to their country or home. To go deeper into their culture, let’s look at the nation’s common ideas and its historical background.
Celebration of All Souls Day
Though the feast is widely observed worldwide, with respect shown to all deceased souls, Poles observe it with zeal. The feast, also known as Zaduszki, is reported to be sorrowful every year on November 2nd, but the faith that Polish people celebrate the day is a wonderful sight to behold and feel. Poles have high regard for their faith, traditions, and rituals, worth learning about and studying further.
Their famous Polish Style Doughnuts
If you are a Catholic and want to taste all of Poland’s famous sweet delicacies, you must eat their famous Paczki, which are crunchy bits of pastry wrapped in sugar and are also known as angel wings. This is a well-known Polish ritual where people seize the opportunity to indulge in anything delicious before beginning a long period of abstinence.
A blessed Monday
The Polish celebrate wet Monday, a Christian ritual in which people throw water on one other. This is considered a blessing because water is one of the essential elements linked with Christianity. It is also believed that a girl who gets the most soaked in water while celebrating is likely to get married before anyone else.
Celebrating your wedding more than once
Do you intend to marry the love of your life more than once? In Poland, you can! Poland’s tradition is to hold a second wedding party, which teaches Poles about getting married more than once and reliving the event to rekindle the spark between the couples. This celebration is also known as Poprawiny, which translates to “restarting a wedding party.” Some people take this thought quite seriously and dwell on it for days.
The unique idea of hospitality at Christmas
People throughout the world are highly generous at Christmas, but the Poles go above and beyond. They follow a unique practice in which they leave an empty chair in their homes to accommodate any stranger who may visit them on an auspicious day. However, there are three major reasons behind this. One is a religious belief, according to which Poles leave it empty in commemoration of the deceased.
According to the Bible, Joseph and Mary went door to door unannounced, but no one sheltered them. As a result, Poles are constantly prepared for unexpected visitors. Finally, in 1863, the Poles went fishing with the Russian Army, and those caught were taken to Siberia. The Poles remain hopeful that they will return on the scheduled day.