Holidays in Poland 2023

In this publication, School-Holidays.Info will tell about public and religious holidays in Poland in 2023. You’ll find out which of the holidays will be non-working days for Poles, and which will not. All dates are in chronological order for convenience.

Specifics of public holidays in Poland

In Poland, the concepts of public (national) holidays and days off should be separated. A public holiday is not necessarily a day off work, and vice versa. The list of days off in Poland is determined by a government act. According to it, only three public holidays are non-working days: May 1 (State Holiday, the law does not call this day “Labor Day”), May 3 (National Holiday of the Constitution of 1791) and November 11 (National Independence Day).

National holidays in Poland 2023

Below is a list of public (national) holidays in Poland 2023 in chronological order. Days off are highlighted in bold. If non-working days fall on Saturday and Sunday, the day off is usually postponed.

February 19 – Polish Science Day. Public holiday from 2020;
March 1 – National “Cursed Soldiers” Remembrance Day. Dedicated to the anti-Soviet underground fighters of the 40-50s of the last century. Public holiday since 2011;
March 24 – National Day for the Remembrance of Poles who saved Jews under German occupation. Public holiday since 2018;
April 14 – Poland’s Baptism Day. Public holiday since 2019;
May 1 (Monday) – State Holiday, informally called Labor Day. Established in 1950;
May 3 (Wednesday) – National Holiday of the Third May. Established in 1919 and restored in 1990, the holiday is dedicated to the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland on May 3, 1791. This is the first co-constitution of modern Europe and the second in the world after the American one. A subject of national pride of Poles;
May 8 – Victory Day. Approved by a public holiday in 2015;
June 20 – National Day of the Silesian Uprisings. Dedicated to the anniversary of the entry of the Polish Army into Upper Silesia, after the final establishment of the border by the League of Nations and the League of Ambassadors in 1922. This was the result of three popular uprisings in the region. Approved by a public holiday in 2022;
July 12 – Day of Struggle and Martyrdom of the Polish Villages. A public holiday since 2018 dedicated to “honoring the inhabitants of Polish villages for their patriotism during the Second World War”;
August 1 – National Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Day. A public holiday since 2009, established in honor of the heroes of the armed uprising against Nazi Germany, which began in Warsaw on August 1, 1944;
August 31 – Day of Solidarity and Freedom. Dedicated to trade union strikes in August 1980, which are considered the beginning of the end of communist rule in Poland. Celebrated at the state level since 2005;
October 19 – National Day of Remembrance for Unbreakable Clergy. It’s celebrated on the anniversary of the murder by the communists of Jerzy Popiełuszko, a priest and national hero of Poland. Approved by a public holiday in 2018;
November 11 (Saturday) – National Independence Day. Established in 1937, renewed in 1989. On this day in 1918, Poland regained its independence after 123 years of partition. The holiday coincides with the end of the First World War;
December 27 – Day of the victorious Wielkopolska Uprising. Public holiday from 2021, dedicated to the 1918 uprising of the Poles of the Posen province (“Wielkopolska”) against Germany. It ended with the victory of the rebels.

Religious holidays and other days off 2023

Below is a list of holidays in Poland that will be days off in 2023, but are not approved by law as a “State Holiday”. If such a day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then most often employees in Poland have an extended day off, which is set separately. The list was approved in accordance with the Law of January 18, 1951 on non-working days.

January 1 (Sunday) – New Year;
January 6 (Friday) – Feast of the Three Kings, Baptism of the Lord;
April 9 (Sunday) – Easter;
April 10 (Monday) – Easter Monday;
May 28 (Sunday) – Green Holidays, Pentecost;
June 8 (Thursday) – Body of God, Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ;
August 15 (Tuesday) – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The date coincides with the Polish Army Holiday established in 1992;
November 1 (Wednesday) – All Saints’ Day;
December 25 (Monday) – Christmas Eve;
December 26 (Tuesday) – Christmas.

In this article, we told which public and religious holidays will be celebrated in Poland in 2023. You also learned which days will be free from work for Poles. We hope the information was useful to you. Don’t forget to share it with your friends!