Polish customs and taboos

The Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska, English: The Republic Of Poland), referred to as "Poland", is a democratic republic consisting of 16 provinces located in Central Europe. It is connected to Ukraine and Belarus to the east, to the northeast by the enclave of Kaliningrad of Lithuania and Russia, to the west, to the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, and to the Baltic Sea to the north. Warsaw is the capital and Polish is the official language.

Poland was once a European power in history. After its national strength declined, Poland was subjugated for several centuries in Russia, Prussia and Austria three times. After World War I, Poland was restored. However, it was soon divided by the Soviet Union and Germany in World War II. During the Cold War, it was under the influence of the Soviet Union. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it joined the European Union and NATO.

Poles especially cherish their long and illustrious religious and cultural traditions. Generally speaking, Poland is still a very religious country in Europe today. There are many churches and churches in the territory. The religious atmosphere is strong. Going to church every week is still an important part of life for most residents.

95% of Poland's population is Catholic, of which 75% still faithfully observe Catholic traditions. Although Prussia (Protestant Lutheran) and Russia (Orthodox), who had conquered Poland, both tried to suppress Catholicism, they strengthened Polish faith in Catholicism. The predecessor of Pope John Paul II (reigned 1978 - 2005) was also Polish. The remaining 5% of the population are mostly Orthodox or Protestant.

The

is in Poland, and the most commonly used meeting etiquette are handshake ceremony and hug ceremony. When relatives and friends meet each other, they often hug each other. Kissing hands is more common in some elegant social events. Generally speaking, the objects of kissing hands should be women, and the best place to salute should be indoors. When saluting, men should hold up the woman's hand and give a symbolic kiss on the fingertips or back of her hand. If the kiss makes a loud sound or kisses on the wrist, it is not standard.

When dealing with outsiders, Poles attach great importance to titles. Their habit is to use more serious addresses as possible. For men, Poles must call them "Pan"(sir). For women, they are called Miss Pani or Madam). When greeting others in social situations, Poles will definitely call them "you". If they refer to each other as "you", it most likely means that the two sides have a very close relationship and have known each other for a long time.

When talking to others, Poles do not like to point with their hands to emphasize their tone of speech, and they do not want to see someone pointing their hands directly at their face. In their view, these are all disrespectful behaviors. If the other party makes gestures such as stretching or yawn, which they see as a sign of impatience, they are no longer willing to continue talking to the other party.

According to Polish customs, conservative suits should be worn on various formal occasions, and women should wear skirts. For major events, dress requirements for guests are often indicated on the invitation. When attending elegant artistic performances such as concerts, the clothes should be neat and appropriate. Generally speaking, formal clothes should be worn, and casual clothes and casual shoes should not be worn.

When communicating with Poles, pay special attention: First, the influence of Catholicism in Poland is everywhere. Second, the Poles have a strong national self-esteem. When talking with them, they are most happy to mention Poland's great men and their contribution to world civilization. Third, Poles mind the courtesy of dealing with people and things. When drinking with Poles, it is best not to force them to drink many times, and let everyone do whatever they want.

Poles generally love flowers. Among all the flowers, they like pansy the most and designate it as the national flower. When sending flowers to Poles, you usually send an odd number.

Poles like to treat guests to dinner in interpersonal interactions. The eating habits of Poles are broadly similar to those of other Eastern European countries. Specifically, Poles usually eat pasta. They like to eat grilled, boiled and stewed dishes with lighter flavors. In terms of beverages, they also like to drink coffee and black tea. When drinking black tea, most Poles like to add a piece of lemon and do not like the tea to be too strong. In terms of dietary taboos, Poles mainly do not eat pickles and steamed dishes. Poles have a lot of finesse when entertaining guests.

One is taboo diners are singular. They decided it was a bad omen.

Second, when eating whole chickens, ducks and geese, Poles usually pay attention to dividing them by the youngest hostess present, and then divide them into each guest's food plate one by one.

Third, no matter whether the food is to their taste, guests should strive to eat more and express their gratitude to the host for his hospitality.

Fourth, speaking with food in his mouth is very rude to Poles.

Traditional Polish cuisine is very praised by the exquisite French. Polish cooking is obviously regional. In the north, many dishes are mainly fish. In the center, there are famous soups. In the south, there are sour cabbage soup and blackened cheese made from goat's milk. Most Polish dishes are made in a purely natural way without chemical additives. Some masters can create a magical dish unique in the world, a cake made with lobster butter and coriander cabbage; elk meat is made with hawthorn leaves as a garnish. Poles drink soup first when eating. The types of soups include beet soup, cold egg soup, barley soup, and some barley soup with eggs and sausage. There are many types of main dishes. The common ones are: fried pork chop pancakes and soft cheese, as well as various foreign dumplings, including meat, potatoes, cheese or blueberries.

The location of the

is in Poland, where people are not cremated after death but buried. Poles attach great importance to the renovation of cemeteries. Each cemetery has a tombstone inlaid with photos of the deceased and engraved with dates of life and death. On November 1 every year, on the Day of the Dead, people come in an endless stream from morning to night, bringing chrysanthemums and wax bowls to the cemetery to perform the festival. They cleaned the tombstones in the cemetery, put wax bowls, planted various chrysanthemums, and silently stood in front of the tomb to express their condolences and condolences for the deceased.

Like many religious peoples in Europe, the Polish nation also has many clan or religion-related customs and taboos. In Poland, most Poles avoid Friday. Catholics in Poland do not eat pork on Fridays. It is said that Friday is the Good Friday when Jesus was crucified, so the Friday before Easter is stipulated as "Good Friday" every year.

Most Poles also avoid "13". Poles should avoid odd seats for dining, especially 13 people at the same table. It is taboo to have 13 people at the same table because it is easy to remind people of Judas who betrayed Jesus. In Poland, there is no room number 13 in housing and no room number 13 in hotels. Poles avoid holding any ceremonial activities on the 13th and Friday. If the 13th is Friday, it is even more inappropriate to travel. Anyone who goes out early in the morning, leaves home and then returns will have a bad day; if he meets a woman in mourning, a monk or nun in black robes on the road in the morning, it is considered unlucky.

It is considered unlucky for Poles to encounter black cats in the middle of the night or spilled cooking oil at noon. In Poland, one match cannot be used to light more than two cigarettes. Like Europeans, Poles don't like to see funerals when they go out, and men take off their hats when they meet funerals. It is also considered unlucky for Poles to go home from outside and put their top hat on the bed if they enter the house. Beds in Polish homes are generally not allowed to sit on, especially beds for unmarried women.