7 Polish facts I found out after I met my husband.
- Joëlle Przytula-Bertherin
- Jun 23, 2022
- 4 min read
Before I met my dear Polish husband, I actually knew quite little about Poland. In 2016 I went with him to his homeland for the first time and I was very impressed. Since then, I can't count on one hand how many times I've been there; and each time I discover new things. I would like to share a few facts that many people don't know about this beautiful country.
Polish food is healthy and delicious.
Because Poland had no import possibilities for a long time, they're still used to eating seasonally to this day. This often makes the food better quality and tastier. In addition, they often swear by sourdough bread, something I also often notice when I'm with my mother-in-law! Although carbohydrates in general are often heavier on the stomach, sourdough bread is easier to digest. Speaking of sour: Poles love sour! Whether it's pickles, Zurek , Pierogi or Bigos, it's a flavor you'll often encounter in Polish cuisine. Fortunately, this certainly doesn't make them sourpusses; Polish people often have their refrigerator generously stocked in case there are unexpected visitors.
Also, you don't have to worry about not being able to eat well if sour doesn't fall within your taste palette. Polish cuisine has a variety of dishes, with plenty for everyone! The portions are large. In fact, did you know that many Poles have a second breakfast?
Another handy fact: although Polish cuisine is known for a lot of meat and fish, nowadays a whole vegetarian and vegan movement has emerged. So no excuse not to visit this beautiful country. As they say in Poland: smacznego!
Poland is child friendly
Polish people love children and it shows. On every corner you can find a playground and many restaurants have a play corner. Forget the fries and chicken nuggets; most restaurants have healthy items on the children's menu. If there is nothing suitable, you can often ask for a smaller portion from the regular menu. That's usually no problem. Filthy baby chairs? That's an exception in Poland. We have seen a few times that they took the tray of the highchair to clean it, before they put it back!
Then you have the large shopping malls (Gallerias). Almost every restroom has a dedicated room with multiple changing tables, a comfortable chair and microwave for feeding, with even a play area for older siblings so mom can quietly nurse the baby. Many Gallerias have multiple play areas for children, often on every corner, and some even have an indoor play area where you can let your kids play while you do your shopping. It's no wonder that our children very often ask when we will be shopping in Poland again. They remember it very well.
Syrenka
Poland has its own mermaid. This adventurous siren, named Syrenka, decided to swim land inwards one day. She eventually stopped in Warsaw, made friends with the villagers and experienced all kinds of adventures. Her statue stands there to this day and especially in the Old Town you can see many tributes to her.
Witold Pilecki
Poland has a war hero that could teach James Bond new tricks, named Witold Pilecki. He voluntarily allowed himself to be locked up in the Auschwitz concentration camp, so he could report back exactly what was happening there. He also wanted to know whether it was possible to organize an uprising or liberate people. During the three years he was locked up, he was a leader of the resistance and was an informant for the Allies. In 1943, he narrowly escaped from the camp. This was fortunate, because the Nazis had almost exposed him. His story ends sadly, however: for resistance aigainst the communist regime, he was sentenced to death in 1948 by the communists, who had invaded Poland at the time.
Wojtek
Did you know that a real-life bear was part of the Polish army in World War II? In 1942, Lieutenant Tarnowiecki bought a little bear from two Persian boys in Syria. He was given the name Wojtek, which means ''happy warrior.'' The soldiers became attached to him. They raised him, fed him and slept with him. He was given a soldier's rank, soldier's number, and his own pay (in his case double food ration). Wojtek was not just a big teddy bear. He also helped carry ammunition during battles. For this reason, he became a symbol of strength and comfort during an awful time. Many soldiers wore Wojtek as a logo on their uniforms. Wojtek died in 1963 but is still cherished by many Poles and many places in Poland have paid tribute to this brave bear.
The Polish language has seven cases
The Polish language is descended from Slavic and is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. It has seven cases and uses many letters side by side that are very difficult for most people to pronounce. Examples are: dz, rz and cz. Special characters can completely change the pronunciation of a letter. One word can also have different meanings, depending on the context. This can be very confusing for foreigners!
I myself had also completely underestimated the difficulty of the Polish language. I'm now satisfied that I can reasonably understand what a conversation is about and can order food myself. Should I be ashamed of that? Apparently not. It seems that the Poles themselves also sometimes have trouble with their language and differ on how they write certain words.
Another confusing fact: Polish last names can change depending on gender.
Amber
Amber is a big part of Polish history. It is, because of its color, also called ''the gold of the north'' and is fossilized resin from coniferous trees. The amber comes from a 40 million (!) year old pine forest that once grew in an area that is now Scandinavia. To this day, the remnants of this ancient forest still wash up on Baltic beaches. Poland is hard to imagine without it. The oldest amber workshops go back 6,000 years and can be found near Gdańsk, the most famous trading city of this beautiful stone. When visiting Poland, and especially Gdańsk, it's definitely worthwhile to visit the many amber stores. Amber is not only available in the traditional color orange, but also in white, yellow and even green. You'll be amazed!
Are there things you know about Poland that are not listed here? Or do you just want to say something about your experience with Poland or about this article? Then don't forget to leave a comment below!
Do widzenia!
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