Polish Identity

T h e F l a g o f P o l a n d c o n s i s t s o f t w o h o r i z o n t a l s t r i p e s o f e q u a l w i d t h, t h e u p p e r o n e w h i t e a n d t h e l o w e r o n e r e d. The White Eagle is the national coat of arms of Poland. It is a white eagle with a golden beak and talons, and wearing a golden crown, in a red shield. "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" is the national anthem of Poland. It can be translated into English as ‘Poland is not yet lost’.

Solidarity is a Polish trade union federation that emerged on 31 August 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first non- Communist Party- controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade- union organizer and human-rights activist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995.

Pope Saint John Paul II was pope of the Catholic Church from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April Born in Poland, John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. John Paul II is recognised as helping to end Communist rule in Poland and eventually all of Europe. He significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

National costumes of Poland vary by region. They are not worn in daily life but at folk festivals, folk weddings, religious holidays, harvest festivals and other special occasions.

Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. It has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1569; now it is the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The Cloth Hall in Kraków, is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town. It was once a major centre of international trade as travelling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. Mary's Church is a Brick Gothic church adjacent to the Main Market Square. It is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers.

Polish sausage Sausage is a staple of Polish cuisine and comes in dozens of varieties, smoked or fresh, made with pork, beef, turkey, lamb, chicken or veal with every region having its own speciality.

Pickled cucumber The Polish-style pickled cucumber is sour and it is usually preserved in wooden barrels. Cucumber soup is a traditional Polish soup. It is made from sour, salted cucumbers and served with rice.

Wet Monday Śmigus-Dyngus is a celebration held on Easter Monday in Poland. Traditionally, on that day boys throw water over girls.

Giewont Giewont is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains of Poland, and is 1,895 metres high. On Giewont, there is a 15 m steel cross that is the site of many religious pilgrimages. In Polish folklore Giewont is associated with a legend about oversleeping knights, who will awake when Poland is in danger. The profile of the mountains is similar to a lying knight.

Oscypek Oscypek is a smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk exclusively in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland.

The End Author: Emilia Główka 2A