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New Year's Day

New Year’s Day 2024, 2025 and 2026

The New Year in Poland is celebrated with widespread festivities on New Year’s Eve and a public holiday the following day, 1 January.

YearDateDayHoliday
20241 JanMonNew Year's Day
20251 JanWedNew Year's Day
20261 JanThuNew Year's Day
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

In Poland, there are many interesting New Year’s traditions. You’ll still get the fireworks, staying up till midnight for a toast, and family feasts and parties – like elsewhere around the world.. But there are also a lot of old traditions unique to Poland.

On New Year’s Eve, called “Sylwester” in Poland, people will go on hayrides in the woodlands, roast sausages and other foods over a bonfire, and eat much of the same cuisine that they enjoyed earlier around Christmastime. Between New Year’s Eve and Lent, Poland enters a traditional season of partying and attending balls.

For good luck in the year ahead, it’s and old tradition for Poles to wait until midnight on New Year’s Eve and eat a pickled herring. They may also consume poppy seeds and bread rolls shaped like rabbits, cows, and various other animals. And eating donuts or any food formed into a ring shape is also considered a guarantee of a lucky year ahead.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHoliday
20231 JanSunNew Year's Day
20221 JanSatNew Year's Day
20211 JanFriNew Year's Day
20201 JanWedNew Year's Day
20191 JanTueNew Year's Day
20181 JanMonNew Year's Day
20171 JanSunNew Year's Day