This is a list of holidays observed in Poland Poland's history ; religious holidays; professional holidays, or holidays of particular professions; international holidays, established by international organizations; and other, customary, holidays.
Legally defined holidays [ edit ] Statutory non-working days [ edit ] The Non-working Days Act of 1951 (with subsequent amendments)[ 1]
Sundays,
public holidays enumerated in the Act, and listed in the table below. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday (or another day that would not be a working day in an employee's work schedule), the employee is entitled to an additional day off. However, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the employee's overall working time is not decreased (i.e. the holiday is "lost" from the employee's point of view).
There are two movable public holidays – Easter Sunday and Whitsunday – that always fall on Sundays. Their enumeration in the Act is important though, since, apart from being generally non-working days, public holidays carry certain additional restrictions. These include:
no traffic of vehicles exceeding the revenue weight of 12 metric tons on public roads between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on a public holiday, and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the eve of certain public holidays;[ 2]
a strict ban on the work of employed personnel in retail stores (which is normally allowed on Sundays as long as as employees receive another day off in return).[ 3] Out of the twelve public holidays, there are three secular ones: two national holidays, Constitution Day and Independence Day; and the internationally observed Labour Day, in the referred to in the Act somewhat ambiguously as "State Holiday". All three are also flag flying days, as is the Polish Flag Day, observed on 2 May, that is between the Labour and Constitution Days.
All remaining holidays are Roman Catholic feasts, Poland being a predominantly Catholic country. The Roman Catholic Church in Poland conciders seven feasts to be holy days of obligation , five of which are statutory non-working days: Mother of God (New Year), Corpus Christi, Assumption, All Saints and Christmas. The other two include Ascension, which the Catholic Church in Poland observes on the seventh Sunday, rather tham Thursday, after Easter; and Epiphany (Three Kings)[ 4] Former statutory non-working days
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
1 January
New Year
Nowy Rok
In the Catholic Church, also celebrated as the Day of Mary, Mother of God
Movable
First day of Easter (Easter Sunday)
Pierwszy dzień Wielkiej Nocy (niedziela wielkanocna)
First Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (see Computus ); Christian feast celebrating the resurrection of the Christ
Movable
Second day of Easter (Easter Monday )
Drugi dzień Wielkiej Nocy (poniedziałek wielkanocny)
Monday following the Easter Sunday; Christian feast, traditionally observed in Poland as Wet Monday or Dyngus Day
1 May
State Holiday (Labour Day )
Święto Państwowe (Święto Pracy)
International Workers' Day commemorating the Haymarket massacre in Chicago , United States , in 1886
3 May
National Day of 3 May (Constitution Day)
Święto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja (Święto Konstytucji)
Commemorating the adoption of the Constitution of 1791
Movable
First Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday)
Pierwszy Dzień Zielonych Świątek
7th Sunday after Easter; Christian feast celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit ; traditionally observed in Poland by decorating houses with branches, flowers and sweet flag , hence the Polish name, meaning "Green Holiday"
Movable
Corpus Christi
Boże Ciało
2nd Thursday after Pentecost; Christian feast celebrating the institution of Eucharist
15 August
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny
Catholic feast celebrating the assumption of Mary into heaven alive; also observed as the Polish Armed Forces Day, commemorating the Polish victory over Russian forces in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920
1 November
All Saints
Wszystkich Świętych
Christian feast honouring all the saints; in Poland traditionally observed by lighting candles on graves of relatives
11 November
National Independence Day
Narodowe Święto Niepodległości
Commemorating the end of the First World War and Józef Piłsudski 's arrival in Warsaw in 1918
25 December
First day of Christmas
Pierwszy dzień Bożego Narodzenia
Christian feast celebrating the birth of the Christ
26 December
Second day of Christmas (St. Stephen's Day )
Drugi dzień Bożego Narodzenia
Christian feast honouring Saint Stephen , the first martyr
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
6 January
Three Kings (Epiphany )
Trzech Króli (Objawienia Pańskiego)
Christian feast celebrating the Christ's manifestation to the Magi (also known as the Three Kings); public holiday until 1960[ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
9 May
National Victory and Freedom Day
Narodowe Święto Zwycięstwa i Wolności
[ 8]
22 July
National Day of the Rebirth of Poland
Święto Narodowe Odrodzenia Polski
Commemorating the July Manifesto of 1944 which marked the beginning of Communist rule in Poland; public holiday from 1945 to 1990[ 5] [ 9]
Other national holidays [ edit ]
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
13 April
Victims of Katyń Remembrance Day
Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Zbrodni Katyńskiej
[ 10]
2 May
Polish Flag Day
Dzień Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
[ 11]
21 June
Poznań June 1956 National Remembrance Day
Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Poznańskiego Czerwca 1956
[ 12]
31 August
Solidarity and Freedom Day
Dzień Solidarności i Wolności
[ 13]
27 September
Polish Underground State Day
Dzień Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego
[ 14]
16 October
Pope John Paul II Day
Dzień Papieża Jana Pawła II
[ 15]
Holidays for specific groups [ edit ] Statutory non-working days for religious minorities [ edit ] [ 16]
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
1st-2nd of Tishrei
New Year (Rosh Hashanah )
Nowy Rok
10th of Tishrei
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur )
Dzień Pojednania
15th-16th of Tishrei
Feast of Booths (Sukkot )
Święto Szałasów
22nd of Tishrei
Eighth Day of Assembly (Shemini Atzeret )
Zgromadzenie Ósmego Dnia
23rd of Tishrei
Joy of the Torah (Simchat Torah )
Radość Tory
15th-16th and 21st-22nd of Nisan
Passover (Pesakh)
Pesach
6th-7th of Sivan
Shavuot
Szawuot
Old Catholic Mariavite Church [ 17] Catholic Mariavite Church [ 18]
[ 19]
Includes:
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
Movable
Good Friday
Wielki Piątek
Movable
Ascension
Wniebowstąpienie Pańskie
Movable
Second day of Pentecost (Whit Monday )
Drugi dzień Pięćdziesiątnicy
Applies to the Pentecostal Church only
31 October
Reformation Day
Święto Reformacji
Applies to the Evangelical-Augsburg Church only
Professional holidays [ edit ]
Date
English name
Polish name
Notes
14 October
National Education Day (Teachers' Day )
Dzień Edukacji Narodowej (Dzień Nauczyciela)
Non-working day for teachers[ 25]
4 December
Miners' Day (St. Barbara's Day)
Dzień Górnika (Barbórka)
Non-working day for miners[ 26]
[ 27]
Most popular holidays include: Mother's Day, Children's Day, Women's Day, Grandmother's Day and St. Valentine's Day.[ 33]
2008
Date
Holiday
1 January New Year
6 January
Three Kings
7 January
1st day of Christmas (Orthodox)
8 January
2nd day of Christmas (Orthodox)
19 January
Feast of Jordan (Orthodox)
21 January
Grandmother's Day
31 January
Fat Thursday
14 February
Valentine's Day
8 March
Women's Day
13 March
Katyń Remembrance Day
16 March
Palm Sunday
21 March
Good Friday
23 March Easter Sunday
24 March Easter Monday
30 March
Divine Mercy Sunday
1 April
April Fool's Day
4 April
Military Medicine Day
7 April
Annunciation (Orthodox)
16 April
Sapper's Day
20 April
1st day of Passover (Jewish)
21 April
2nd day of Passover (Jewish)
26 April
7th day of Passover (Jewish)
27 April
8th day of Passover (Jewish)
28 April
Easter Monday (Orthodox)
1 May Labour Day
2 May
Polish Flag Day
3 May Constitution Day
4 May
Firefighter's Day
9 May
Europe Day
11 May Whitsunday
12 May
Whit Monday
22 May Corpus Christi
16 May
Border Guard Day
26 May
Mother's Day
1 June
Children's Day
6 June
Chemical Defence Day
9 June
1st day of Shavuot
10 June
2nd day of Shavuot
12 June
Government Protection Office Day
13 June
Military Police Day
21 June
Poznań Remembrance Day
24 June
St. John's Eve
29 June
Navy Day
24 July
Police Day
2 August
Revelation of the Work of Great Mercy (Mariavite)
15 August Assumption
19 August
Transfiguration (Orthodox)
23 August
Dearest Blood of Jesus (Mariavite)
28 August
Dormition (Orthodox)
31 August
Solidarity and Freedom Day
1 September
Air Defense Day
12 September
Land Forces Day
23 September
Harvest Festival
27 September
Polish Underground State Day
30 September
1st day of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
1 October
National Defence University Day
9 October
Yom Kippur (Jewish)
14 October
1st day of Sukkot (Jewish)
15 October
2nd day of Sukkot (Jewish)
16 October
Pope John Paul II Day
18 October
Communications and Informatics Forces Day
21 October
Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
22 October
Simchat Torah (Jewish)
25 October
General Staff Day
31 October
Reformation Day (Lutheran)
1 November All Saints
11 November Independence Day
29 November
Officer Cadet Day
30 November
St. Andrew's Night
4 December
Miners' Day
6 December
St. Nicholas' Day
24 December
Christmas Eve
25 December 1st day of Christmas
26 December 2nd day of Christmas
31 December
New Year's Eve
2009
Date
Holiday
1 January New Year
6 January
Three Kings
7 January
1st day of Christmas (Orthodox)
8 January
2nd day of Christmas (Orthodox)
19 January
Feast of Jordan (Orthodox)
21 January
Grandmother's Day
14 February
Valentine's Day
19 February
Fat Thursday
8 March
Women's Day
13 March
Katyń Remembrance Day
21 March
Truant Day
1 April
April Fool's Day
4 April
Military Medicine Day
5 April
Palm Sunday
7 April
Annunciation (Orthodox)
9 April
1st day of Passover (Jewish)
10 April
Good Friday
12 April Easter Sunday
13 April Easter Monday
15 April
7th day of Passover (Jewish)
16 April
8th day of Passover (Jewish)
19 April
Divine Mercy Sunday
20 April
Easter Monday (Orthodox)
1 May Labour Day
2 May
Polish Flag Day
3 May Constitution Day
4 May
Firefighter's Day
9 May
Europe Day
16 May
Border Guard Day
21 May
Ascension
26 May
Mother's Day
29 May
1st day of Shavuot
30 May
2nd day of Shavuot
31 May Whitsunday
1 June
Children's Day
6 June
Chemical Defence Day
11 June Corpus Christi
12 June
Government Protection Office Day
13 June
Military Police Day
21 June
Poznań Remembrance Day
24 June
St. John's Eve
28 June
Navy Day
24 July
Police Day
2 August
Revelation of the Work of Great Mercy (Mariavite)
15 August Assumption
19 August
Transfiguration (Orthodox)
23 August
Dearest Blood of Jesus (Mariavite)
28 August
Dormition (Orthodox)
31 August
Solidarity and Freedom Day
1 September
Air Defense Day
12 September
Land Forces Day
19 September
1st day of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
20 September
2nd day of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
23 September
Harvest Festival
27 September
Polish Underground State Day
28 September
Yom Kippur (Jewish)
1 October
National Defence University Day
3 October
1st day of Sukkot (Jewish)
4 October
2nd day of Sukkot (Jewish)
10 October
Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
11 October
Simchat Torah (Jewish)
14 October
Teachers' Day
15 October
Radio-Technical Forces Day
16 October
Pope John Paul II Day
18 October
Communications and Informatics Forces Day
25 October
General Staff Day
31 October
Reformation Day (Lutheran)
1 November All Saints
11 November Independence Day
29 November
Officer Cadet Day
30 November
St. Andrew's Night
4 December
Miners' Day
6 December
St. Nicholas' Day
24 December
Christmas Eve
25 December 1st day of Christmas
26 December 2nd day of Christmas
31 December
New Year's Eve
^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 18 stycznia 1951 r. o dniach wolnych od pracy , Dz.U. 1951 nr 4 poz. 28 – tekst ujednolicony^ (in Polish) Rozporządzenie Ministra Transportu z dnia 31 lipca 2007 r. w sprawie okresowych ograniczeń oraz zakazu ruchu niektórych rodzajów pojazdów na drogach , Dz.U. 2007 nr 147 poz. 1040^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r. Kodeks pracy , Dz.U. 1974 nr 24 poz. 141^ (in Polish) "Lista świąt nakazanych" . Fundajca Opoka. 2003. Retrieved 2008-09-28 .^ a b (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 18 stycznia 1951 r. o dniach wolnych od pracy , Dz.U. 1951 nr 4 poz. 28 – tekst ogłoszony^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 16 listopada 1960 r. o zmianie ustawy o dniach wolnych od pracy , Dz.U. 1960 nr 51 poz. 297^ (in Polish) Obywatelski projekt ustawy o przywróceniu Święta Trzech Króli ^ (in Polish) Dekret z dnia 8 maja 1945 r. o ustanowieniu Narodowego Święta Zwycięstwa i Wolności , Dz.U. 1945 nr 21 poz. 116^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 6 kwietnia 1960 r. o zniesieniu 22 lipca jako Narodowego Święta Odrodzenia Polski , Dz.U. 1990 nr 28 poz. 159^ (in Polish) Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 14 listopada 2007 r. w sprawie ustanowienia Dnia Pamięci Ofiar Zbrodni Katyńskiej , M.P. 2007 nr 87 poz. 944^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 31 stycznia 1980 r. o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1980 nr 7 poz. 18^ (in Polish) Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 21 czerwca 2006 r. w sprawie ustanowienia dnia 28 czerwca Narodowym Dniem Pamięci Poznańskiego Czerwca 1956 r. , M.P. 2006 nr 43 poz. 455^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 27 lipca 2005 r. o ustanowieniu dnia 31 sierpnia Dniem Solidarności i Wolności , Dz.U. 2005 nr 155 poz. 1295^ (in Polish) Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 11 września 1998 r. w sprawie ustanowienia Dnia Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego , M.P. 1998 nr 30 poz. 414^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 27 lipca 2005 r. o ustanowieniu 16 października Dniem Papieża Jana Pawła II , Dz.U. 2005 nr 155 poz. 1296^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 20 lutego 1997 r. o stosunku Państwa do gmin wyznaniowych żydowskich w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1997 nr 41 poz. 251^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 20 lutego 1997 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Starokatolickiego Mariawitów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1997 nr 41 poz. 253^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 20 lutego 1997 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Katolickiego Mariawitów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1997 nr 41 poz. 252^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 4 lipca 1991 r. o stosunku Państwa do Polskiego Autokefalicznego Kościoła Prawosławnego ,
Dz.U. 1991 nr 66 poz. 287^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 30 czerwca 1995 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Chrześcijan Baptystów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1995 nr 97 poz. 480^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 13 maja 1994 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Ewangelicko-Augsburskiego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1994 nr 73 poz. 323^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 30 czerwca 1995 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Ewangelicko-Metodystycznego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1995 nr 97 poz. 479^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 20 lutego 1997 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Zielonoświątkowego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1997 nr 41 poz. 254^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 13 maja 1994 r. o stosunku Państwa do Kościoła Ewangelicko-Reformowanego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. 1994 nr 73 poz. 324^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 26 stycznia 1982 r. – Karta Nauczyciela , Dz.U. 1982 nr 3 poz. 19^ (in Polish) Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 30 grudnia 1981 r. w sprawie szczególnych przywilejów dla pracowników górnictwa – Karta górnika , Dz.U. 1982 nr 2 poz. 13^ (in Polish) Zarządzenie Nr 1/MON Ministra Obrony Narodowej z dnia 6 stycznia 2005 r. zmieniające zarządzenie w sprawie ustanowienia świąt wojskowych oraz sposobu ich obchodzenia w Siłach Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , Dz.U. MON 02.2005^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 24 sierpnia 1991 r. o Państwowej Straży Pożarnej , Dz.U. 1991 nr 88 poz. 400^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 12 października 1990 r. o Straży Granicznej , Dz.U. 1990 nr 78 poz. 462^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 16 marca 2001 r. o Biurze Ochrony Rządu , Dz.U. 2001 nr 27 poz. 298^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 6 kwietnia 1990 r. o Policji , Dz.U. 1990 nr 30 poz. 179^ (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 30 lipca 1992 r. o ustanowieniu Święta Wojska Polskiego , Dz.U. 1992 nr 60 poz. 303^ (in Polish) Anna, Grudniewicz (February 2002). "O Walentynkach i innych świętach" (Document). Centrum Badania Opinni Społecznej . ^ (in Polish) Dożynki - tradycja i obyczaje , Roczyny.pl
An Easter food basket (święconka)
Śmigus dyngus on Easter Monday
Adoption of the Constitution of 3 May 1791
A Corpus Christi procession in Łowicz
A cemetery on All Saints
