New Yearisthetimeatwhichanewcalendaryearbeginsandthecalendarsyearcountisincremented.Inmanycultures,theeventiscelebratedinsomemanner.

ValentinesDay-isobservedonFebruary14eachyear.TodayValentinesDayiscelebratedinmanycountriesaroundtheworld,mostlyintheWest,althoughitremainsaworkingdayinallofthem.

WomansDay- originally calledInternational WorkingWomens Day,ismarked onMarch8every year.Indifferent regionsthefocusof thecelebrations rangesfromgeneralcelebrationofrespect,appreciationandlove towardswomentoa celebrationfor womenseconomic, politicalandsocial achievements.

EasterisaChristianfestivalandholidaycelebratingtheresurrectionofJesusChristonthethirddayafterhiscrucifixionatCalvaryasdescribedintheNewTestament.EasterisprecededbyLent,aforty-dayperiodoffasting,prayer,andpenance.

FathersDayisacelebrationhonoringfathersandcelebrating fatherhood,paternalbonds,andtheinfluenceoffathersin society.ManycountriescelebrateitonthethirdSundayof June,butitisalsocelebratedwidelyonotherdays.Fathers DaycomplementsMothersDay,acelebrationthat honorsmothersandmotherhood.

AllSaintsDay.oftenshortenedtoAllSaints,isasolemnitycelebratedon1Novemberbyparts ofWesternChristianity,andonthefirstSundayafterPentecostinEasternChristianity,inhonour ofallthesaints,knownandunknown.Inthe WesterncalendaritisthedayafterHalloween andthedaybeforeAllSoulsDay.

TheprocessofrestorationofPolandsindependencewasgradual;thedatechosenistheoneonwhichJzefPisudskiassumedcontrolofPoland.TheIndependenceDaywasconstitutedin1937andwascelebratedonlytwicebeforeWorldWarII.InthePeoplesRepublicofPoland(PRL)thenationalholidaywasmovedtoJuly22thedaythePKWNManifestowasissued.In1989theIndependenceDaywasmovedbacktoNovember11.

isanannualcommemorationofthebirthofJesusChrist,celebratedgenerallyonDecember25asa religiousandculturalholidaybybillionsof peoplearoundtheworld.Afeastcentralto theChristianliturgicalyear,itclosestheAdventseasonandinitiatesthetwelvedaysof Christmastide.

PolandisacountryinCentralEuropewithanareaof312,679square kilometres(120,726sqmi),andmostlytemperateclimate.Generallyspeaking,PolandisanalmostunbrokenplainreachingfromtheBalticSeain thenorth,totheCarpathianMountainsinthesouth.Withinthatplain,terrainvariationsruninbandseasttowest.TheBalticcoasthastwonaturalharbors, thelargeroneintheGdask-Gdyniaregion,andasmallerone nearSzczecininthefarnorthwest.Thenortheasternregionalsoknown asMasurianLakeDistrictwithmorethan2,000lakes,isdenselywooded, sparselypopulatedandlacksagriculturalandindustrialresources.

Thecountryextends876kilometersfromnorthtosouthand689 kilometersfromeasttowest,atanareaof564,5897square kilometersincludinginlandwaters.Theaverageelevationis173meters,andonly3%ofPolishterritory,alongthesouthernborder,ishigherthan500meters.ThehighestelevationisMountRysy,which rises2,499metersintheTatraRangeoftheCarpathians,95 kilometerssouthofKrakw.About60squarekilometersalong theGulfofGdaskarebelowsealevel.Polandistraditionally dividedintofivetopographiczonesfromnorthtosouth.

NearlyallofPolandisswirlednorthwardintotheBalticSeaby theVistula,theOder,andthetributariesofthesetwomajor rivers.AbouthalfthecountryisdrainedbytheVistula,which originatesintheTatraMountainsinfarsouth-centralPoland. TheVistulaBasinincludesmostoftheeasternhalfofthecountryandisdrainedbyasystemofriversthatmainlyjointhe Vistulafromtheeast.Oneofthetributaries,theBug,defines 280kilometersofPolandseasternborderwithUkraineand Belarus.

Polandslong-termandshort-termweatherpatternsaremade transitionalandvariablebythecollisionofdiverseairmassesabovethecountryssurface.MaritimeairmovesacrossWestern Europe,ArcticairsweepsdownfromtheNorthAtlanticOcean, andsubtropicalairarrivesfromtheSouthAtlanticOcean. AlthoughtheArcticairdominatesformuchoftheyear,its conjunctionwithwarmercurrentsgenerallymoderates temperaturesandgeneratesconsiderableprecipitation,clouds, andfog.Whenthemoderatinginfluencesarelacking,wintertemperaturesinmountainvalleysmaydroptoaminimumof20 C(4F).

Polish cuisine(Polish:kuchnia polska)isastyleofcookingandfoodpreparationoriginatingfromPoland.Ithasevolvedoverthecenturiesduetohistoricalcircumstances.PolishnationalcuisinesharessomesimilaritieswithotherCentralEuropeanandEasternEuropeantraditionsaswellasFrenchandItaliansimilarities.Itisrichinmeat,especiallypork,chickenandbeef(dependingontheregion)andwintervegetables(cabbageinthedishbigos),andspices.

TraditionalChristmasEvesupper calledWigiliaismeatless,usually consistsofbarszcz(borscht) withuszka(smalldumplings)a classicPolishChristmasEvestarter,followedbyfriedcarp,carpfilletorcod withapple&leeksfreshsalad,carp inaspicetc.traditionallycarp(friedor Jewishstyle)providesamaincomponentoftheChristmasEvemeal acrossPoland.

FatThursdayisaCatholicfeastcelebratedonthelastThursdaybeforetheLent,whichisalsothelastdayofcarnival. Traditionallyitisanoccasiontoenjoyfair amountsofsweetsandcakeswhich afterwardsaretechnicallyforbiddenuntil Easter."TustyCzwartek"belongsto moveablefeasts,asitisconnectedwith thedateofEasterandbeginningoftheLent.ThenextThursdayfallsalreadyafter AshWednesdaythatistheperiodofthe LentwhentheCatholicsshouldrefrain fromovereating.

AtypicalEasterBreakfastoftenconsistsofcold-cutsservedwithhorseradishsauceandbeetsalads,breads,bigos,urek,kiebasa,smokedsalmonorherring,marinatedvegetablesalads,Eastersalad-(choppedboiledeggs,greenpeas,cwika,carrot,apple,potato,parsleyandmayonnaise)coffee,teaandcakes,i.e.chocolatecake,makowiec,mazurek,sernik,etc

TheBalticSeasideisabrackish mediterraneansealocatedinNorthernEurope.TheBalticSeais oneoftheyoungestseasoftheAtlanticOcean.Itisapproximately 12thousandyearsold.TheBalticSeaissurroundedbylandfromallsides.ThesurfaceoftheBalticSea is392979km.Theseasvolume is21721km.Theaveragedepth is52,3m,whilethemaximum depthis459m.

TheTatraMountainsareamountainrangewhichformsanaturalborder betweenSlovakiaandPoland,andarethehighestmountainrangein theCarpathianMountains.IntheTatrastherearemanywell-knownpeaks.The mostrecognizableinclude KasprowyWierch, Giewont,Kocielec winiceandWolowiec

Masuriaisfamousforits lakesandforests, offeringawiderangeof outdooractivitiesfrom sailingtokayakingand swimming.Theregionincludesthelargestlake inPolandcalled niardwy.

SilesiaisaregionintheSouthofPolandwhichisfamousforitsmines.Onemayfindalotofmines,inwhichcarbonisminedaswellassalt.TherearealsomanyfactoriesinSilesia.Therefore,thisregionisabitpolluted.However,therearealotoffantasticplaces,whichyoucanvisit. Surface- 12 333,51 km Population- 4 654 115

Capital WarsawLanguage PolishCurrency PLNPopulation 38 200 037 mlnSurface 312 679 km

WarsawisanAlpha-globalcity,amajor internationaltouristdestinationandan importanteconomichubinCentral Europe.Itisalsoknownasthe "phoenixcity"becauseithassurvived manywarsthroughoutitshistory.Most notably,thecityhadtobepainstakingly rebuiltaftertheextensivedamageit sufferedfromWorldWarII,duringwhich90%ofitsbuildingsweredestroyed.On9 November1940thecitywasawarded Polandshighestmilitarydecorationforheroism,theVirtutiMilitari,fortheSiegeof Warsaw(1939).

ThecityhasgrownfromaStoneAgesettlementtoPolandssecondmostimportantcity.ItbeganasahamletonWawelHillandwasalreadybeingreportedasabusytradingcentreofSlavonicEuropein965.WiththeestablishmentofnewuniversitiesandculturalvenuesattheemergenceoftheSecondPolishRepublicin1918andthroughoutthe20thcentury,Krakwreaffirmeditsroleasamajornationalacademicandartisticcentre.Thecityhasapopulationofapproximately760,000whereasabout8millionpeoplelivewithina100kmradiusofitsmainsquare.

dfirstappearsinthe writtenrecordina1332 documentgivingthe villageofodziatothebishopsofWocawek.In 1423KingWadysaw Jagieograntedcity rightstothevillage ofd.Fromthenuntilthe18thcenturythetown remainedasmall settlementonatraderoutebetweenMasoviaa ndSilesia.Inthe16th centurythetownhad fewerthan800 inhabitants,mostly workingonthenearby grainfarms.

Presentationmadeby:-JakubKlimek-FabianSkupie