10 surprising cultural habits from Polish people you need to know
The second article in the series highlights this beautiful Slavic culture
Most people are curious about the cultural habits of other nationalities (at least, I am!). That’s why we’ve decided to ask our rich and diverse community about those quirky differences. A few weeks ago, we told you about a few Japanese habits, and now we turn our focus to Poland.
I’ve picked 10 interesting cultural traits our Polish editors shared with me. I have to admit that I still can’t believe some of them, but most sound fun! I’ve just added another trip to my bucket list: going to Poland to see these habits for myself!
Enjoy this wonderful list below!
1. The odyssey of visiting family and friends
If you’re in Poland, you should be aware of a lot of ‘unspoken rules’ when visiting family and friends. If there’s an event such as a funeral, wedding, or birthday in your family, your presence is mandatory. Otherwise, you’d be considered rude. If someone went to one of your events, it’s also mandatory for you to “return the favor” by attending their events as well. It’s also considered rude to bring small gifts such as a chocolate box or a cake when visiting someone, and you need to reject foods or drinks at least three times, to show politeness. This last tradition goes back to the time of the Polish nobility when they’d throw big feasts to show their wealth and status. A lot of ‘rules’ to remember!
2. Home alone
That’s a classic! More than one Polish editor mentioned this habit. Watching ‘Home Alone’ on Christmas is a national tradition in Poland. In 2010, for example, when the Polish TV channel that owns the rights to the movie decided not to include it in their holiday schedule, fans took it to the internet to protest. Well done, Kevin McCallister!
3. Take off your shoes
This habit is rather common in some other cultures. You should always take off your shoes when entering the house. Especially if you’re a guest. This has to do with the weather in Poland. All of their seasons are pretty wet, either with snow or rain, so it makes perfect sense to take off your shoes if you don’t want to bring dirt into the house.
4. Goodbye winter, welcome Spring
This is a Polish habit that comes from Old Slavic roots. The Marzanna tradition happens at the end of the winter, and it’s usually done by kids and their parents. They make a special doll, called Marzanna, using paper, straws, old clothes, etc. On the first day of spring, the kids go to the river with their parents, who set fire to the Marzannas and, together, they throw the dolls into the water. It means that winter has ended and it’s time to welcome spring. They wrap it up by singing songs about the new season!
5. The more, the merrier
This is a very sweet habit that shows how generous Polish people can be! On Christmas Eve (Wigilia in Polish), there is usually one additional seat at the table with the table setting ready to host an unexpected guest. If you are in Poland for Christmas without your family, probably one of your Polish friends will invite you to occupy this extra seat. This way, no one would be alone on such an important date as Christmas! How cute is that?
6. The voice
I admit this habit is very peculiar to me. Did you know that movies in Poland have a lektor, who reads the dialogues? And if the lektor happens to be a man, he’ll read both the male and female lines? Can you imagine that? Well, it seems that, in general, they find dubbed movies unnatural. Also, the lektor’s voice is usually melodic and calm, allowing the audience to focus on the plot. The exceptions are children’ movies and cartoons, where dubbing is more acceptable. Check here one example of a Polish lektor acting over a scene from Notting Hill!
7. Fat Thursday
This habit was mentioned by more than one editor as their favorite one. The Tłusty czwartek means ‘Fat Thursday’, and is the last Thursday before Lent. On this day, Poles eat as many sweets as they can, especially doughnuts. They run to the bakeries at 6 am to buy as many Polish doughnuts (pączki) as they can. This is a national tradition dating back to pagan times. What a delicious habit!
8. Language formality
There’s still a lot of formality in their language. You cannot address a stranger with ‘you’. It’s usually ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’. They usually start emails or letters with Szanowny/a Panie/Pani, which would translate as ‘Distinguished/Honourable Sir/Madam’. On the other hand, when addressing someone in an informal way, Polish people use diminutives of their names. The diminutive of Aleksandra, for example, would be Ola. If you have a Polish friend named Małgorzata, then you can call her Gosia. Some of the informal and formal names can be similar though, the diminutive of Hanna, for example, is Hania.
9. I don’t thank you
In Poland, when you wish ‘Good luck’ to someone who is going to a job interview or to an important exam, they’ll probably answer ‘I don’t thank you’. But don’t worry, they’re not being rude or impolite. They do that because they think if they answer ‘Thank you’, it’ll actually bring bad luck to them. It follows the same logic of the famous ‘break a leg’ that actors use to wish “good luck” in theater!
10. Wet Monday
The last habit I’d like to share with you is more proof of how Polish people can be fun! The ‘Wet Monday’(Śmigus-Dyngus in Polish) is an Easter tradition where people pour water over each other. It could even be buckets of water (perhaps we know the inspiration for the Ice Bucket Challenge!). This tradition is also followed by Polish communities that are outside of Poland, where they usually call it ‘Dyngus Day’. If you’re ever in the country during this festivity, don’t forget your umbrella!
Pretty cool habits, right? I was particularly intrigued by the Polish lektor narrating foreign movies in Poland. What about you? Don’t forget to comment here telling me what was the most surprising tradition in your opinion.
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