Easter Monday in Poland

Legal status and the date

Poland’s Act on Days Off from Work lists the second day of Easter as a day off throughout the country. The date moves with Easter, so Easter Monday always falls on the Monday after Easter Sunday. The calendar for this page gives the date for each year; it lists no substitute or observed day.[1]

Work in shops and other commercial establishments is generally prohibited on public holidays. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy notes that the restriction has exceptions set out in law, so visitors should check directly with any shop they plan to use. The statute makes the day a public holiday, though some work may take place under permitted exceptions.[2]

Śmigus-Dyngus and its roots

The best-known Polish custom is Śmigus-Dyngus, also called Lany Poniedziałek, or Wet Monday. An account from the State Archive in Kalisz describes the older śmigus as symbolic tapping with willow twigs or palm branches and splashing with cold water. It says this represented spring cleansing; dyngus offered a way to avoid a more thorough dousing by giving decorated eggs.[3]

The customs were once distinct and later became associated with the same day. Accounts of pre-Christian Slavic spring practices are sometimes given as an explanation for the custom’s origins, but the available sources do not establish one definitive origin or meaning. The documented custom today is playful water-splashing, traditionally among family and community members.[3][5]

Local traditions and Easter food

Easter traditions vary by place. Poland’s Ministry of Culture describes Kujawy’s dyngus calls, or przywołówki, in Szymborze: participants recite short verses about local young women, including how much water will be poured on them on Easter Monday. The verses also mention whether a young man is interested in a woman and has arranged to protect her from the dousing.[4]

The day follows Easter Sunday’s family meal, which can include dishes associated with the wider Easter season. A Polish government account describes Easter foods such as eggs, żurek, white sausage, ham, roast pork loin, and cakes including babka and mazurek. These are Easter-table examples, not a fixed menu for Easter Monday.[5]

What visitors can expect

The clearest practical effect for visitors is the restriction on holiday trading: many shops will not trade, while exemptions in the law mean that some commercial activity may still be permitted. Check local transport timetables before travelling and check opening arrangements with banks and public offices before planning errands.[2]