Jul 06
- Almost all Poles dislike Poland being thought of as a “Holocaust Tourism Country”. There’s much more to Poland than just former Nazi concentration camps and World War II monuments. Likewise, avoid bringing up Nazi war crimes and the Soviet oppression of Poland; millions of Polish people were killed during these bleak periods - especially the war - and they are painful topics to the often-patriotic and proud Poles.
- Do not say that Polish and Russian languages are similar, like Danish and Norwegian. It’s not true, even though they are both Slavic Languages. After all, English and Swedish (both Germanic) are not similar. Also, do not say that Poles would be better off writing Cyrillic (an actual quote).
- Remember Poland is Central European country situated in centre of Europe. It is not good and true to say Eastern Europe, because it comes from communist past, and is associated with Eastern Block.
- You may find, especially in big cities such as Warsaw,Wrocław or Krakow, that people will either be very friendly (around 75%) or can be a little ‘grumpy’. You should not take the latter personally.
Touchy Topics
- World War II (mostly with the elderly people)
- Polish-Russian relations
- Religions, the Catholic Church
- Current political issues. Poland is now governed by a coalition of right of center and populist parties. Some people you will speak to you will despise the current administration which may lead to a heated debate.
Visiting Catholic Churches
The rules are the same as everywhere in the world:
- Do not sight-see during services
- Dress appropriately (no uncovered shoulders or thighs)
- Men should remove headgear before entering the church
- Do not shout/answer phone calls etc. inside the church
The dress appropriately rule is often relaxed but the others are rather non-negotiable.
Uncommon Customs
- Take off your glove/mitten, stand up, and take your other hand out of your pocket before you shake hands with somebody (this also applies in many other countries).
- Some men kiss (rather than shake) women’s hands to greet them or fare them well.
- Some people will ask you to take your shoes off when you come to their home. Others will never let you do this even if you come in mid-winter bringing in all the snow on your boots. Use common sense and follow your host’s practices.