Poland in February: tips for making the most of your winter in Poland

Our Partner of the Month

The British School Warsaw invites all prospective parents to book a Virtual Discovery Meeting. Nothing can replace a face-to-face visit and tour of our school – but with travel restrictions around the world, a Virtual Discovery Meeting is the next best thing. Enquire NOW.

Weather in Poland in February

The average temperature in February in Poland is still below 0 (-0,3°C / 32°F). On a positive note – February is the least rainy month in Poland. The average rainfall level in Poland in February is 31 mm.

What does the word luty – February – mean in Polish? The word luty in the old Polish language meant fierce, very cold.

The day will keep getting longer! Sunset on February 1: 4.21 pm, February 28: 5.14 pm.

Winter in Poland is cold and usually snowy. To stay cozy in cold weather in Poland, you will need a hat, coat, scarf, gloves, and winter boots. The weather during the winter in Poland differs. Usually, the temperature is around freezing or a few degrees below, but it happens that the temperature drops below -20 °C (-4 °F). Recent years have seen an increase in average winter temperatures compared to previous years. Trends also indicate that we can start getting used to relatively warmer December in Poland and winter shifting for the period from January to March.

Read more about the weather and winter in Poland.

Trade ban Sundays in Poland in February 2021

In February 2021, there is no shopping Sunday in Poland, all Sundays are trade ban days. The next shopping Sunday will be on March 28, 2021. Click here to read our post about shopping Sundays in Poland in 2021.

Dates to remember in Poland in February 2021

February is one of the few months when there is no bank/public holiday in Poland.

Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek)
The last Thursday before Lent starts (it’s similar to Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday celebrations), in Poland it’s a donut / pączek day. In the morning, you can notice long lines in front of bakeries and cafes all over Poland. People all day long eat pączki (donuts filled with fruit jam) or faworki (French dough pastry served with powdered sugar) at schools, at work, at home. There are contests for the best pastry stores in the city and some families have pączek eating competition – who will eat the most donuts on Fat Thursday.

Valentine’s Day (Walentynki)
It’s a relatively new celebration in Poland (not observed in Poland during communism time before 1989), becoming more and more popular. School kids are making Valentine’s Day cards and couples remember to make a nice surprise.

Last day of the carnival, Śledzik (herring night), Ostatki (last days of carnival, Shrovetide Tuesday)
The last chance to party (typically with drinking and music) before the start of Lent (which doesn’t mean there are no parties during Lent in Poland, just not as many). The party / dinner is called in Polish Śledzik (little herring) – during old-fashioned Polish parties, it was a popular appetizer washed down with alcohol.

Ash Wednesday (Środa Popielcowa, Popielec)
The first day of Lent. People go to churches where priests put ashes (made from palm branches blessed on the previous year Palm Sunday) on people’s foreheads saying ‘Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return’ (‘Z prochu powstałeś i w proch się obrócisz’). It is a tradition among the Roman Catholics in Poland to avoid meat, alcohol, sweets, and snacks on that day.

Read more about public holidays and dates to remember in Poland in winter 2021.

Things you can’t miss in Poland in February

Treat yourself with a pączek

February is a festival of donuts in Poland which builds up to so-called Fat Thursday, in Polish Tłusty Czwartek (in 2021 it falls on February 11). Fat Thursday is the last Thursday before Lent starts, in Poland, it’s a donut day. On Fat Thursday, Poles eat 100 million donuts! 2.5 donuts per one Pole.

Traditional Polish donut is made of yeast dough and deep-fried. It has a dark or light golden color and is stuffed with marmalade or jam.

Everyone in Poland has their favorite types of donuts – some prefer donuts with icing, others sprinkled with powder or with candied orange peel. The same applies to the filling – the most popular are plum jam or rosehip filling. In recent years, you can buy donuts in Poland with more non-traditional fillings, such as chocolate or toffee.

Warm up with a traditional, unique Polish soup – żurek!

Winter is the time in Poland when there are no fresh vegetables and when you need to eat warming dishes – the answer to this is żurek soup. This rich soup is made of zakwas (fermented flour starter which was once a by-product of bread baking) and is typically served with boiled eggs and sausage.

Żurek is one of the oldest Polish soups. In its original version, it was known as white borscht (barszcz biały) and was eaten mainly by people in the countryside. Żurek soup is cooked a bit differently depending on the region of Poland. Some people add sausage, smoked ribs, smoked bacon, dried forest mushrooms, horseradish, smoked sheep cheese, potatoes, garlic.

Traditionally, żurek has been eaten during Easter but now it’s found on menus all year-round.

You can order a fancy żurek at the restaurants serving Polish food but you can also easily and quickly prepare it at home!

Winter illuminations in Poland: five beautiful holiday light displays in Poland

During the wintertime season, many parks in Poland transform after dark into a magical world of lights, allowing you to spend time outdoors, walking in winter festive scenery. We take you through five places across Poland where you can cut yourself off from everyday matters and enjoy winter in Poland.

KRAKÓW: Garden of Lights – Alice in Wonderland

Photo source: Alicja w Krainie Czarów Ogród Świateł

WROCŁAW area: Illuminations Park at the Topacz Castle (Zamek Topacz)

Photo source: Zamek Topacz

WARSAW: “The Royal Garden of Light” – illuminations festival in Wilanów Palace Garden

POZNAŃ area: Winter illuminations and decorations in Deli Park

Photo source: Deli Park

WAŁBRZYCH: Winter Garden of Lights at the Książ Castle (Zamek Książ)

Photo source: Zamek Książ

About 500+ child benefit in Poland & the requirement to re-apply from February 1

If you work in Poland and your children live with you here, you may be entitled to obtain monthly benefits from a government program Rodzina 500+ (Family 500 PLUS). The benefit of PLN 500 (tax-free) is paid monthly for every child under 18 years old, regardless of family income. The foreigners who work in Poland can join this program under some conditions.

If you have already been beneficent of the program and want to continue, you need to re-apply. Submitting an application online is possible from February 1, 2021, and from April 1, 2021 via post or in person at the office.

Read more in our post about how to apply for 500+ child benefit & changes in the program in 2021.

Stores offering grocery home delivery in Poland

As many of you are now looking for home delivery options, we have compiled a list of online stores that deliver grocery shopping in major cities in Poland. We hope our list of shops will make your daily life a little easier in these challenging times!

In the post on our website, you will find organic food stores and regular stores, by city:

Subscribe to our monthly newsletters in English to explore Poland and to learn about Poland! 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.

Go to top

Click on the photos below to read other posts: