Painters, musicians, poets and writers are highly regarded in Poland. Museums, art galleries and concert halls are very prevalent and extensive bookstores are easily found everywhere. Poland has a very long and rich history in the tradition of folk art and pageantry. This is most practiced in the mountain regions in the South and in Kurpie and Lowicz in Mazovia.

There are things that mean a lot to the Polish people and symbolize the culture at its finest:

Flowers
Flowers form an important part of everyday Polish life. Poles give flowers to express their feelings - gratitude, sympathy or appreciation and as a symbol of friendship or reconciliation.

Poland has extensive glasshouses which are able to supply high quality flowers all year round. Because of this, buying flowers is almost always more a question of price rather than availability.

When paying a visit to someone's home, one is expected to take flowers for the lady of the house. Polish homes usually have a stock of spare vases ready to cater for such welcome surprises.

Arrivals, goodbyes, school ceremonies, weddings, examination success, namedays, theatrical performances, official functions and celebrations are not considered proper events without flowers.

Red roses carry the same potent symbol of love and affection as in other countries and blooms are always given in odd numbers.

Florists are everywhere, in shops, kiosks and on the pavement. Ones known for their bouquet-making will attract people from afar. On certain day such as Valentines Day and University Graduation days, supplies of flowers are quickly depleted with disappointed purchasers having to resort to lesser tokens.

Religious Customs and Religion
Poland is a strongly religious country with over 90% of the population practicing Roman Catholics. Since its introduction in 966 A.D., the Catholic Church has been a powerful influence on Poland. Previously sharing this influence with other creeds, particularly the Eastern Orthodox Church; for much of its history Poland was on the borderline between Rome and Byzantium.

With the Union in Brest in 1596, Poland accepted the supremacy of the Pope becoming the Uniate or Greek Catholic Church. Despite these doctrinal changes, the Uniate Church retained its traditional practices and language.

After the Second World War, the alteration of Poland's borders meant that the Orthodox Church is now represented only in a narrow strip on the eastern frontier. Its followers comprise less than 1% of the Polish population yet it forms the second largest creed after Catholicism.

The Uniate Church has an even smaller number of believers, mostly Ukrainians and Lemks who are scattered throughout the country as a result of communist re-settlement after the Second World War.

A small number of Mosques serve a tiny Muslim population and an almost equally small number of synagogues hold services for Jews.

The Catholic Church was decisive in keeping the minds and hearts of Poles free during the post-war years of communism. Its following was unbreakable. The churches are still full and on special days almost impossible to get in. Those that can't, pray outside; in the rain if necessary.

Wooden Architecture
Wooden sacral architecture is a feature of the Polish culture. Wooden churches are scattered across the country, although the greatest concentrations of such structures are found in Opole, Silesia and Podkarpacie provinces.

Wooden Orthodox churches in the Polish section of the Carpathian Mountains are a picturesque element of the eastern culture. Of special interest are the iconostases, or the screens on which icons are placed, separating the alter area from the nave. Interesting icon collections can be found in the museums of Lancut, Przemysl and Sanok.

Swidnica, near Walbrzych, is famous for its wooden Lutheran church, built in the 17th century. A similar church can also be found in Jawor.

Folk Mystery Plays
Among the most beautiful mystery plays in Poland are Palm Sunday processions, the most famous of which are held in Lyse in the Kurpie region and Tokarnia in the Podkarpacie region. The palms people bring to church are up to a dozen metres tall, and all are extremely colorful. Colorful processions are also held in June on Corpus Christi. The most well-known take place in Zlakow Koscielny, near Lowicz, and in Spicymierz, near Lodz.

The most popular Orthodox ceremony is the Feast of the Jordan in January, including a procession and blessing of the water. It is held in Drohiczyn on the Bug River.

Culinary specialties
The Carpathian Mountains is a sheepherding region. For five months, from early May to late September, shepherds herding flocks of sheep are a common sight. Out in the mountain pastures, traditional utensils and work methods are used. The shepherds’ huts have been the same for centuries. Smoked sheep’s-milk cheese, called oscypek, is made near the end of the shepherding season and a festival by the same name is held in Zakopane in May.

Poland has a varied and tasty cuisine. Traditional soups include borsch, zurek – a sour soup with sausage, and wild-mushroom soup. Other dishes worth trying include bigos – stewed cabbage with meat, and pierogi – dumpling stuffed with all manner of fillings. Those who like sweets will be delighted with Polish gingerbread, cheesecake and poppy-seed cake, while for those seeking regional dishes the menus of the 17th-century inns in Sucha Beskidzka and Jelesnia in the Zywiec region will be intriguing. Their specialty is kwasnica – a sauerkraut soup cooked with stock made from pig snouts. Among alcoholic beverages, mead comes highly recommended. Wyborowa vodka goes best with meat dishes, and Krumpnik, a honey liqueur, is great with deserts. Zywiec, Okocim and Lech beer are good for cooling down on a hot day.