Editing Poland (section)

=== Holidays and traditions ===
{{see also|Christmas in Poland}}
[[File:Celebración de Todos los Santos, cementerio de la Santa Cruz, Gniezno, Polonia, 2017-11-01, DD 10-12 HDR.jpg|thumb|left|[[All Saints' Day]] on 1 November is one of the most important public holidays in Poland.]]

There are 13 government-approved annual public holidays – New Year on 1 January, [[Epiphany (holiday)|Three Kings' Day]] on 6 January, [[Easter Sunday]] and [[Easter Monday]], [[International Workers' Day|Labour Day]] on 1 May, [[3 May Constitution Day|Constitution Day]] on 3 May, [[Pentecost]], [[Feast of Corpus Christi|Corpus Christi]], [[Assumption of Mary|Feast of the Assumption]] on 15 August, [[All Saints' Day]] on 1 November, [[Independence Day (Poland)|Independence Day]] on 11 November and Christmastide on 25 and 26 December.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 19 grudnia 2014 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy o dniach wolnych od pracy |url=http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20150000090 |website=isap.sejm.gov.pl}}</ref>

Particular traditions and superstitious customs observed in Poland are not found elsewhere in Europe. Though Christmas Eve (''[[Wigilia]]'') is not a public holiday, it remains the most memorable day of the entire year. [[Christmas trees|Trees]] are decorated on 24 December, hay is placed under the tablecloth to resemble Jesus' [[manger]], [[Christmas wafer]]s (''opłatek'') are shared between gathered guests and a [[Twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper|twelve-dish meatless supper]] is served that same evening when the [[Star of Bethlehem|first star]] appears.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Opłatek i pierwsza gwiazdka czyli wigilijne tradycje |url=http://wegorzewo.wm.pl/407437,Oplatek-i-pierwsza-gwiazdka-czyli-wigilijne-tradycje.html |website=wegorzewo.wm.pl}}</ref> An empty plate and seat are symbolically left at the table for an unexpected guest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Do Poles Leave One Chair Empty on Christmas Eve? |url=https://culture.pl/en/article/why-do-poles-leave-one-chair-empty-on-christmas-eve |website=Culture.pl}}</ref> On occasion, [[Christmas carols|carolers]] journey around smaller towns with a folk [[Turoń]] creature until the [[Lent]] period.<ref>{{Cite web |title=turoń – słownik języka polskiego i poradnia językowa – Dobry słownik |url=https://dobryslownik.pl/slowo/turo%C5%84/57454/ |website=DobrySłownik.pl}}</ref>

A widely-popular [[pączki|doughnut]] and sweet pastry feast occurs on [[Fat Thursday]], usually 52 days prior to Easter.<ref name="Borodo 2020">{{Cite book |last=Borodo |first=Michał |url={{GBurl|id=eUrSDwAAQBAJ|q=t%C5%82usty+czwartek|p=112}} |title=English Translations of Korczak's Children's Fiction: A Linguistic Perspective |date=22 February 2020 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-38117-2 |via=Google Books}}</ref> [[Easter egg|Eggs]] for [[Easter Sunday|Holy Sunday]] are painted and placed in decorated [[święconka|baskets]] that are previously blessed by clergymen in churches on [[Easter Saturday]]. Easter Monday is celebrated with pagan ''[[śmigus-dyngus|dyngus]]'' festivities, where the youth is engaged in water fights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Śmigus-Dyngus: Poland's National Water Fight Day |url=https://culture.pl/en/article/smigus-dyngus-polands-national-water-fight-day |website=Culture.pl}}</ref><ref name="Borodo 2020" /> Cemeteries and graves of the deceased are annually visited by family members on All Saints' Day; tombstones are cleaned as a sign of respect and candles are lit to honour the dead on an unprecedented scale.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 October 2018 |title=Summer in Warsaw &#124; Things You Can Do Only in Summer |url=https://www.xperiencepoland.com/all-saints-day-poland/}}</ref>