Public holidays

Note: The table below lists only public holidays i.e. holidays which are legally considered to be non-working days.

National and state holidays

The following are national and state holidays in Poland, although they are normally working days unless declared a public holiday:

• March 1 – National “Cursed Soldiers” Remembrance Day,Narodowy Dzień Pamięci “Żołnierzy Wyklętych”, established in 2011
• May 1– State Holiday, informally called Labour Day, Święto Państwowe, public holiday, established in 1950
• May 3– May 3rd Constitution Day, Święto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja, public holiday, established originally in 1919, disestablished in 1946, then established again in 1990
• May 8 –Victory Day, Narodowy Dzień Zwycięstwa, established in 2015
• August 1 – NationalWarsaw Uprising Remembrance Day, Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Powstania Warszawskiego, established in 2009
• August 31 – Day of Solidarity and Freedom,Dzień Solidarności i Wolności, set on the anniversary of August Agreement from 1980, established in 2005
• November 11– National Independence Day, Narodowe Święto Niepodległości, public holiday, established originally in 1937, disestablished in 1945, then established again in 1989

Other holidays

Holidays declared by statute

The following are holidays declared by statute in Poland. These holidays are declared in statute and as such they form a part of law in Poland. However, these holidays are not granted the distinction of national or state holidays. These are normally working days, unless coinciding with a public holiday.

• January 27 – Public Employment Services Worker’s Day,Dzień Pracownika Publicznych Służb Zatrudnienia, established in 2010
• February 8 – Prison Service Day,Święto Służby Więziennej, established in 2010
• February 22 – Crime Victims Day,Dzień Ofiar Przestępstw, coinciding with European Victims Day, established in 2003
• May 2 –Flag Day, Dzień Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, established in 2004
• May 2 – Polish Diaspora Day,Dzień Polonii i Polaków za Granicą, established in 2002
• May 4 – Fire Fighter’s Day,Dzień Strażaka, coinciding with International Firefighters’ Day, established in 2002
• May 16 –Border Guard’s Day, Święto Straży Granicznej, established in 1991 (this may coincide with Pentecost)
• May 29 – Veteran of Overseas Military Activities’ Day,Dzień Weterana Działań poza Granicami Państwa, coinciding with International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, established in 2011 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• June 12 –Government Protection Bureau’s Day, Święto BOR, established in 2001 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• June 13 –Military Gendarmerie’s Day, Święto Żandarmerii Wojskowej, established in 2001 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• July 24 –Police Day, Święto Policji, established in 1995
• July 31 – Treasury Day,Dzień Skarbowości, celebrated since 2008, established in 2010
• August 15– Armed Forces Day, Święto Wojska Polskiego, this holiday coincides with a public holiday (Assumption of Mary), established in 1992
• August 29 –Municipal Police’s Day, Dzień Straży Gminnej, established in 1997
• September 1 –Veterans Day, Dzień Weterana, established in 1997
• September 21 –Customs Service Day, Dzień Służby Celnej, established in 1999
• October 13 –Paramedics’ Day, Dzień Ratownictwa Medycznego, established in 2006
• October 14 –Teachers’ Day, Dzień Edukacji Narodowej, established in 1972
• October 16 –Pope John Paul II Day, Dzień Papieża Jana Pawła II, established in 2005
• November 21 –Social Workers’ Day, Dzień Pracownika Socjalnego, established in 1990

Holidays declared by parliamentary resolution

The following are holidays declared by parliamentary resolution in Poland. These holidays are declared by a resolution of Sejm. These holidays do not form a part of law in Poland, and consequently are not granted the distinction of national or state holidays. These are normally working days.

• March 23 – Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day,Dzień Przyjaźni Polsko-Węgierskiej, established in 2007 (this may coincide with Easter or Easter Monday)
• March 24 – National Life Day,Narodowy Dzień Życia, established in 2004 (this may coincide with Easter or Easter Monday)
• April 13 –Katyn Memorial Day, Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Zbrodni Katyńskiej, set on the anniversary of the discovery of mass graves in Katyn, established in 2007 (this may coincide with Easter or Easter Monday)
• April 18 – Coma Patients’ Day,Dzień Pacjenta w Śpiączce, established in 2012 (this may coincide with Easter or Easter Monday)
• April 28 – Day for Safety and Health at Work,Dzień Bezpieczeństwa i Ochrony Zdrowia w Pracy, coincides with Workers’ Memorial Day, established in 2003
• May 27 –Local Government’s Day, Dzień Samorządu Terytorialnego, set on the anniversary of the first local government elections in Poland, established in 2000 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• May 30 – Foster Care Day,Dzień Rodzicielstwa Zastępczego, established in 2006 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• June 1 – Day Without Alcohol,Dzień bez Alkoholu, established in 2006 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• June 4 – Day of Freedom and Citizens’ Rights,Dzień Wolności i Praw Obywatelskich, set on the anniversary of 4th of June 1989 Polish elections, established in 2013 (this may coincide with Pentecost or Corpus Christi)
• June 14 – National Day of Remembrance of Nazi Concentration Camps Victims,Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Nazistowskich Obozów Koncentracyjnych, set on the anniversary of the arrival of the first mass transport of political prisoners to Auschwitz concentration camp, established in 2006 (this may coincide with Corpus Christi)
• June 28 – National Day of Remembrance ofPoznań 1956 protests, Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Poznańskiego Czerwca 1956, set on the anniversary of the outbreak of Poznań 1956 protests, established in 2006
• July 11 – National Day of Remembrance of Victims ofthe Genocide Committed by Ukrainian Nationalists on Citizens of the Second Polish Republic, Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Ludobójstwa dokonanego przez ukraińskich nacjonalistów na obywatelach II Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, set on the anniversary of the “bloody sunday” in Volhynia, the culmination of the massacres of Poles in Volhynia, established in 2016
• August 2 – Genocide Remembrance Day of the Roma and Sinti,Dzień Pamięci o Zagładzie Romów i Sinti, set on the anniversary of the Roma and Sinti exterminaton at Auschwitz concentration camp, established in 2011
• September 17 –Sybirak’s Day, Dzień Sybiraka, set on the anniversary of Soviet invasion of Poland, established in 1998
• September 27 –Polish Underground State’s Day, Dzień Podziemnego Państwa Polskiego, set on the anniversary of the formation of Service for Poland’s Victory, established in 2013
• October 4 –Animals’ Day, Dzień Zwierząt, coincides with World Animal Day, established in 2006
• December 13 –Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day, Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Stanu Wojennego, set on the anniversary of declaration of Martial law in Poland, established in 2002

Other observances

• Grandmother’s Dayon January 21,
• Grandfather’s Dayon January 22,
• Traders’ Day on February 2,
• Valentine’s Dayon February 14,
• Cat’s Dayon February 17,
• Tłusty Czwartekon the last Thursday before Lent,
• Ostatkion the last day of Carnival,
• Ash Wednesdayon the first day of Lent,
• Women’s Dayon March 8,
• Day of Polish Statistics on March 9,
• Men’s Dayon March 10,
• Earth Dayon March equinox day,
• Truant’s Dayon March 21,
• ABWDay on April 6, Polish counter-intelligence agency’s (ABW) holiday, celebrated since 2004,
• Maundy Thursdayon the Thursday immediately preceding Easter Sunday,
• Good Fridayon the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday,
• Holy Saturdayon the Saturday immediately preceding Easter Sunday – Święconka is performed on this day,
• Śmigus Dynguson Easter Monday (the day following Easter Sunday) is when traditionally the young (and young of heart) have water fights, in continuation of a pagan spring fertility ritual observed in many other cultures,
• International Mother Earth Dayon April 22,
• Majówkais a spring festival celebrated throughout Europe,
• EU Accession Dayon May 1,
• Labour Dayon May 1,
• Europe Dayon May 9,
• Mother’s Dayon May 26,
• World No Tobacco Dayon May 31,
• Children’s Dayon June 1,
• Father’s Dayon June 23,
• Kupala Night(Noc Kupały) on the night from June 21 to 22,
• Saint John’s Eve“Noc Świętojańska” on the night from June 23 to 24,
• Dog’s Day on July 1,
• Power Engineer’s Day on August 14,
• September 1the day Germany invaded Poland in 1939, triggering World War II,
• September 17the day Russia invaded Poland in 1939,
• Car-Free Dayon September 22,
• Boy’s Day(Dzień Chłopaka) on September 30 – on this day girls give presents to boys,
• Polish PostDay (Postman’s Day) on October 18,
• Mongrel’sDay on October 25,
• Civil Service Day on November 11, customary Polish holiday, celebrated since 2000,
• Andrzejkion the night from November 29 to 30 – on this day people (mainly children and teens) are making prophecy by pouring candle wax by key hole to water and guessing what the wax shape means,
• Miners’ Day on December 4 –Barbórka,
• Mikołajkion December 6 – on this day Santa Claus is giving sweets to children,
• Christmas Eve(Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia) on December 24,
• Sylwesteron December 31.