They sell blood in stores, walk preschoolers in cemeteries and wear horns
But there is nothing mystical about all this: everyone There is a logical explanation for the “quirks” of the Poles.
< p>■ The Poles wear “horns” on their heads. The name of the traditional headdress “slingshot” (rogatywka) comes from the characteristic “horns” formed by the corners of the crown.
■ In Polish and Russian, similar-sounding words often have opposite meanings. For example:
■ They sell liters of blood in the store. Duck blood is the basis of traditional dishes.
■ People buy red borscht from coffee machines. So called beetroot with spices. It is drunk from mugs, not eaten with spoons.
■ Do not eat seafood. Few Poles touch mussels or squid. Even red and black caviar are not held in high esteem.
■ Russian feathers are called dumplings with unsweetened filling. After boiling, they are also fried. We don't bake pies as usual.
■ Call orange a yellow traffic light.
■ They mark the toilet room for men with a triangle, and for women with a circle.
■ See off the winter by throwing it into the river without burning the straw effigy Marena.
■ Celebrate graduation without graduating from school . The holiday is called “Stodnevka” and takes place 100 days before the final exams.
■ They practically do not celebrate birthdays, but they do celebrate name days without exception.
■ They take children from kindergartens and schools to the cemetery. On November 2, the country massively celebrates the day of the dead, or Zadushki. On this holiday, everyone visits the graves of relatives, brings candles and flowers, walks with children, communicates with friends.
The material was published in the magazine “Around the World” No. 6, June 2015, partially updated in November 2022
Irina Stroeva