Flowers (kwiaty) are very popular and used for many occasions in Poland.

Flowers are usually bought in uneven numbers. Typical bouquets do not have more than 3-5 flowers, sometimes just one – but they are just wonderfully decorated with eucalyptus (eukaliptus), evergreen (roślina zawsze zielona) or another kind of decorative “grass”.

Numerous greenhouses (szklarnie) were built, especially in big cities. Flowers are grown there for the whole year to meet demands of Poles. Flower industry was one of the first that was almost completely privatized during communistic times.

Flowers’ prices depend on the season. They are cheaper from the end of May until the middle of November with the peak of the flower season in the summer and until the middle of autumn. For the rest of the year flowers are expensive – but still, in big demand.
Flowers are very important during weddings. If you are invited for a Polish wedding – flowers are necessity. The most popular flowers for wedding bouquet for a young bride are white and red roses (just like Polish national colors) and kalia lily (white), sometimes white and red tulips.

Bouquets of flowers (bukiety kwiatów) are given for birthdays (urodziny), namedays (imieniny) and believe it or not they are gifts for both men and women.

Of course you bring flowers when you visit someone at the hospital (szpital), when you wait for someone at the airport (my brother has roses for me at the airport each time I visit Poland).

Kids bring flowers for teachers (nauczyciele) at the end of the school year. Flowers are also brought to funerals (pogrzeby).

And of course you give flowers on special ocasions like Mother’s Day (Dzień Matki), Women’s Day (Dzień Kobiet).

Lots of flowers…but who doesn’t like them?

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)