Summer  in Poland: public holidays, shopping Sundays, observances & celebrations 

Shopping Sundays in Poland in the summer of 2025

June 29 and August 31 are shopping Sundays in Poland in the summer of 2025. You can learn more about the Sunday trade ban in Poland in our post: Shopping Sundays in Poland.

Public holidays and celebrations in Poland in the summer of 2025

Children’s Day 
Kids receive gifts. Schools and kindergartens host special events for kids – picnics, concerts, games, sports competitions, etc. Many events for children are organized all over Poland by the city authorities, institutions, theaters, and restaurants.

Whit Sunday / Pentecost / Zielone Świątki
A public/bank holiday in Poland (always on Sunday, anyway). The Day of Descent of the Holy Spirit – Zielone Świątki (Green Holidays). In Poland, some people decorate their homes with branches with green leaves.

Corpus Christi / Boże Ciało
A public/bank holiday in Poland. Stores, malls, and shopping centers are closed. Only some smaller local convenience stores can be open, and stores at gas stations. The Catholic church organizes a huge outdoor procession in each parish (in many places in Poland, traffic is stopped during the processions). The procession stops at four altars temporarily built on the streets. Girls dressed in white scatter flower petals. The altars are decorated with birch tree twigs that can be taken home later and kept the whole year to protect a family.

The first day of summer
The beginning of astronomical summer is also the longest day of the year. The sun will rise at 4.14 am and the sunset will start at 9 pm. Click here to read more about the weather in Poland in the summer.

Father’s Day
It’s not as loudly celebrated as Mother’s Day, however, each mother makes sure that children at least hug their father;)

St. John’s Night / Wreaths (Noc Świętojańska / Wianki)
The holiday has a pagan background (a pagan name is Sobótka, meaning fire). Nowadays, it is primarily the opportunity to celebrate midsummer with various festivities, including concerts, singing songs, or bonfire jumping. Women wear wildflower wreaths that are later thrown into rivers or ponds.

End of the school year in Polish schools
The last day of the school year is celebrated with speeches, concerts, shows. Teachers get flowers. Parents of younger kids usually take a day or a few hours off to participate in the ceremonies. In 2025, the school year will resume on September 1. Click here to read our post about summer and winter school breaks in Poland.

Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Day (Dzień Pamięci Powstania Warszawskiego)
The anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 against the Nazis. At precisely 5 pm, all the Warsaw city sirens sound, and lots of cars and pedestrians stop to commemorate and contemplate the people who died in 1944.

Polish Army Day 
Bank/public holiday in Poland. Polish Army Day marks the 1920 breakthrough battle called Cud nad Wisłą (the Miracle on the Vistula River) between the Poles under Marshal Piłsudski and the Bolsheviks. The main celebrations are at Pilsudski Square (Plac Piłsudskiego), including parades and the president’s speech. August 15 also marks the Assumption of Mary celebrations in Poland, which focus on the Sanctuary of Jasna Góra in Częstochowa – on August 15, a pilgrimage (pielgrzymka) destination for many people walking hundreds of kilometers for days from all over Poland. Stores, malls, and shopping centers are closed, and only some smaller local convenience stores can be open (e.g., Żabka). You can do essential shopping at gas stations (24h).

Subscribe to our monthly newsletters in English to explore Poland and learn about it! Once a month, you will receive a Newsletter: ‘Explore Poland with Kids‘. You will find there family-friendly destinations in Poland – beautiful places in Poland worth visiting with children – from city break destinations to hiking in the mountains (lots of practical tips!); things you can’t miss in Poland in a given month; dates to remember, holidays, observances in Poland in a given month so you can mark your calendars accordingly.

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