Boxing Day in Poland
In Poland, 26 December is officially the Second Day of Christmas and a statutory day off work. It is also the feast of Saint Stephen, whose remembrance is reflected in documented regional customs such as blessing and scattering oats.[1][4]
A statutory holiday on 26 December
Poland’s Act on Days Off from Work lists 26 December as the Second Day of Christmas. The law sets the date; it does not designate a different nationwide substitute holiday when 26 December falls on a weekend.[1]
For employees, a holiday falling on a day other than Sunday reduces the required working time in the relevant settlement period by eight hours. The Labour Inspectorate explains that where a holiday falls on Saturday, any day off due depends on whether the holiday is within the employee’s working-time settlement period; the employer arranges the time off.[3]
Saint Stephen and the oat custom
The Polish name for the date identifies it as the second day of Christmas, while church and folk observances also connect it with Saint Stephen. In Małopolska, a regional tourism authority describes the custom of a priest blessing oats at Mass, followed by men scattering them over the priest and altar servers as a symbolic reenactment of Stephen’s stoning.[4]
The blessed oats were taken home and used in folk practices associated with health, sowing and good fortune. In the Gorce foothills, the national park records a related custom: some communities continue to bless oats, which a household head scatters over family members with wishes for a good harvest. The same source notes that the practice has become less familiar as local farming has declined.[4][5]
Carolling and regional practice
In Małopolska folk tradition, carolling and visits to homes begin on Saint Stephen’s Day and continue through Epiphany. Groups may dress as biblical or folk characters, sing carols and offer seasonal wishes; hosts may give sweets or small donations.[4]
These accounts document particular customs rather than a single nationwide routine. The Gorce source likewise describes local variation: it records the scattering of blessed oats as an observance kept in some churches near the foothills, not as a practice followed throughout Poland.[4][5]
What closes and what may open
Trade in shops on public holidays is generally prohibited, as is assigning employees or other workers to trade-related duties. The law has exceptions, including petrol stations, pharmacies, certain shops run personally by their individual owners, and some shops serving travellers at transport stations. Opening hours therefore depend on the type of business; travellers should check a specific shop before setting out.[2]
The holiday law establishes 26 December as a day off work, but it does not establish that every service or workplace closes. Check bank, office and public-transport schedules with the relevant provider before you travel or visit.[1][2]
Boxing Day in Poland: FAQs
When is Boxing Day in Poland?
It falls on 26 December, officially called the Second Day of Christmas in Poland.[1]
Is 26 December a day off work?
If 26 December falls on Saturday, is Monday automatically a substitute day off?
No nationwide substitute date is set. For employees, a Saturday holiday reduces working time by eight hours in the applicable settlement period, and the employer determines the day off based on that period.[3]
Are shops open on 26 December?
Trade is generally prohibited in shops on public holidays, with legal exceptions that include petrol stations, pharmacies and certain owner-operated shops. Check the individual business for its hours.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Poland:
- Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 27 października 2020 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy o dniach wolnych od pracy- Elektroniczny Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 10 stycznia 2018 r. o ograniczeniu handlu w niedziele i święta oraz w niektóre inne dni- Elektroniczny Dziennik Ustaw
- Czy pracownikowi zatrudnionemu w trakcie okresu rozliczeniowego należy udzielić dnia wolnego za święto przypadające w sobotę?- Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy
- How is Christmas celebrated in Małopolska?- VisitMałopolska, official tourism portal of the Małopolska Region
- Rok obrzędowy w Gorcach- Gorczański Park Narodowy