In Poland we celebrate the following public holidays (non-working days):
| January 1st | New Year’s Day |
| January 6th | Epiphany |
| April 21nd | Easter Sunday |
| April 22nd | Easter Monday / “Smigus Dyngus” – on this day young people throw water at each other and have water fights. |
| May 1st | Labour Day |
| May 3rd | Constitution Day |
| June 19th | Corpus Christi |
| August 15th | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary & Polish Armed Forces Day (celebrating the battle of Warsaw in 1920) |
| November 1st | All Saints’ Day |
| November 11th | Independence Day |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
| December 26th | St. Stephen’s Day |
Other holidays and special days:
| January 21st | Grandmother’s Day |
| January 22nd | Grandfather’s Day |
| February 14th | Saint Valentine’s Day – on this day lovers express their love by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers or small gifts to each other. |
| February 27 | Fat Thursday – a day dedicated to eating sweets and cakes, especially “pączki” – donuts filled with rose marmalade, and “faworki” – crisp pastry fingers sprinkled with powdered sugar |
| March 4th | Shrovetide / “Ostatki” – end of the carnival when big parties are thrown |
| March 5 | Ash Wednesday – beginning of Lent; on this day people go to churches and during a special holy mass have their heads sprinkled with ash as a symbol of penance |
| March 8th | Women’s Day |
| March 21st | Truant’s Day – first day of spring; many students illegally leave lessons and have fun |
| April 1st | April Fools’ Day / Prima Aprilis – on this day people play jokes and hoaxes on each other |
| May 2nd | Flag Day |
| May 26th | Mother’s Day |
| June 23rd | Father’s Day |
| June 23rd/24th | St. John’s Night / “Noc Swietojanska” – beginning of summer; celebration relates to summer solstice when nights are the shortest; there are open-air parties, concerts, barbecues; girls let wreaths with lit candles float on water |
| June 1st | Children’s Day |
| October 14th | Day of National Education / Teacher’s Day |
| November 30th | St. Andrew’s Day / “Andrzejki” – on this day people are making prophecy by pouring candle wax by key hole to water and guessing what the wax shape means and what the nearest future will bring |
| December 6th | St. Nicholas Day / “Mikolajki” – on this day Santa Claus is giving small gifts to children |
| December 24th | Christmas Eve |
| December 31st | New Year’s Eve / “Sylwester” – on the last night of the year we celebrate the coming of a new year |