Lots of people want to learn about different countries and their cultures. One fascinating culture to learn about is the Polish culture. So, in this essay, we will be diving into some Polish holidays and traditions, the Polish economy, and some famous figures in history that have helped shape our world.

First off, let’s look at some of the popular Polish traditions and holidays celebrated by Polish families all over the world. A common tradition is having a second wedding party, otherwise known as Poprawiny. In the article, ‘6 Things You Must Know About Polish Weddings’, it states that, “The second part starts on Sunday around 1 pm and lasts generally until 7 or 8 pm. It is very similar to the first day but less formal.” Sometimes the lucky couple will even push the party out for a whole week. Speaking of Polish weddings, another tradition is the holiday, Wet Monday, which is celebrated on the Monday after Easter. In the morning of Wet Monday, the boys of the household wake up the girls by splashing them with water. Throughout the day, people continue to soak the girls while they’re walking through the streets. There are also water fights and activities organized throughout the day. It is said that, at the end of the day, the girl who is the wettest is the one who will marry first. Finally, let’s go over the Christmas Polish traditions that are commonly celebrated both in Poland and around the world. One of the most popular Christmas traditions celebrated in Poland is to leave a seat empty at the table during Christmas Eve supper to represent the family and friends who couldn’t join the meal. One of the oldest Christmas traditions is the tradition that revolves around the Christmas Wafer, otherwise known as the Oplatek. During Christmas dinner, the head of the household breaks the wafer in half with his/her wife, then they go around the table and everyone breaks off a piece. The wafer is even shared with the pets and farm animals owned by the family. It is sometimes said that the animals who eat the wafer can talk at midnight to people who are pure of spirit. Another way families celebrate with the Oplatek is by going outside and looking for the first start in the sky, once they see it, they all break off a piece of the wafer and share it to celebrate. Even though Poles have their own unique traditions, they also share a lot of traditions with the rest of the world. Poles follow holidays like Easter, New Years Eve, and All Saints Day, and when these holidays are celebrated in Poland, they look very similar to when they are celebrated in different parts of Europe. An example of this is stated in the article: ‘Polish Traditions and Celebrations Throughout the Year’ when it’s referencing New Year’s Eve, “New Year's Eve in Poland is like New Year's Eve in other parts of Europe. Individuals host parties, attend private events, or head to city squares for fireworks extravaganzas.” All in all, there are some really fascinating traditions out there which are celebrated not only in Poland, but in many different parts of the world.

Did you know that the Poland economy is ranked 22nd in the world based on GDP (Gross Domestic Product)? It’s true, the Poland economy is one of the best in Europe, so let’s dive a little deeper into it and take a look at the Polish economy. Some popular exports from Poland are fruits, vegetables, furniture, video games, and dairy products. In fact, in the article, ‘Best Export Products from Poland’, it says, “If you live abroad, it is very probable that you regularly eat Polish apples, cherries or carrots, as according to Eurostat Poland was number one in all of these categories in 2016.” Speaking of Poland exports, they are exported mostly to other countries in Europe, but also to countries all over the world. The countries Poland partners with to trade goods are Italy, France, UK and the Czech Republic, with Germany as their highest trading partner. Of course, Poland does have ways to improve its income besides exporting goods. For example, tourism, it is in the top 20 most popular countries to visit in the world! In the article, ‘Report: Poland’s Biggest Industry Sectors’, the section on tourism states that, “Poland was regarded as the world’s 16th most popular tourist destination in 2016 after an estimated 17.5 million tourists visited the country.” Given these points, you can see that Poland has a very successful economy and will continue to be successful for many years to come.

Finally, let’s talk about some famous Polish figures that shaped history so the world is the way it is today. One well known Polish figure who shaped science in the late 1800s to the early 1900s is the scientist, Marie Curie. She was born in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, and devoted most of her life to the study of radioactivity. She and her husband, Pierre Curie, were awarded 2 Nobel Peace Prizes, the first one in 1903 for their studies of physics and radioactivity. They were awarded the second Nobel Peace Prize in 1911 for the discoveries of two new elements: polonium and radium, and for further studies into radium and radioactivity. Marie Curie died on July 4, 1934 in France, due to radiation poisoning. Another figure is St. John Paul II, who was born on May 18, 1920. The website, “About St. John Paul II'' shares some information about his life and accomplishments, here is a citation from the website article, “John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and inaugurated a time of healing between Jews, Muslims and representatives of other religions. Several times he extended an invitation for these groups to participate in worldwide meetings to pray for peace.” St. John Paul II died on April 2, 2005 because of Parkinson’s Disease. The last historical figure to look at today is the astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, who, in his time, was one of the first people of his time to propose that the universe revolves around the sun, rather than the Earth. He was born on February 19, 1473, and would go on to become what people call the ‘Father of Modern Day Astronomy’. When he went to university to study astronomy, he lived in the house of the principal astronomer, where he first learned about the belief that the universe revolves around the Earth instead of the sun. While his theories about the universe were mostly accurate to what we know today, there were a few incorrect assumptions. For example, he believed that the sun was the center of the whole universe, not just the solar system. He died on May 24, 1543, the same year his work about the universe was published. This citation from the article ‘Nicolaus Copernicus’ talks about the legacy he left behind after he passed, “Following Isaac Newton’s work in celestial mechanics in the late 17th century, acceptance of the Copernican theory spread rapidly in non-Catholic countries, and by the late 18th century the Copernican view of the solar system it was almost universally accepted." All in all, there are many great Polish experts who have helped shape the world as we know it today.

In conclusion, learning about different countries and their cultures is really eye opening, especially when comparing the countries and cultures to your own to see what’s similar and different about other parts of the world. And that’s one of the reasons why it’s so interesting to learn facts about other countries and their traditions, economies, historical figures, etcetera. In future, if you have a subject that really interests you, take some time to learn more about it, you might find out about some really interesting things you never knew about before.