We’ve managed to survive another year! Doesn’t it feel great?
And what are your plany sylwestrowe (new year’s eve plans)?
I’m simply going to stay home with my family – Ja bedę siedzieć w domu z rodziną.
Na żadną imprezę nie idziemy. – We’re not going to any party.

And while we’re on the subject of party, let’s quickly (before we all concentrate on more important things – like if we have enough champagne stocked up to welcome the new decade) to take a look at this word.

For most Polish speakers, this word “party” is a no-brainer. We know it means “impreza”, “zabawa”, and similar – any event involving people, fun and most likely – alcohol.

Yet many foreigners I’ve encountered insist on translating this word as “przyjęcie”.

And in a way, it’s true, a party can be a przyjęcie, as well. Especially when we’re talking about a dinner party where the participants sit around in a dignified manner and engage in classy small talk while sipping wine and eating fancy little canapes (with caviar – z kawiorem). Or whatever, I don’t go to very many dinner parties these days. That’s definitely not an impreza, or zabawa. That’s a 100% przyjęcie.

It gets even goofier, when you start talking about “party” as a verb. As in “she likes to party.” That can be translated as “ona lubi imprezować”, which in my mind somehow always immediately conjures up an image of a drunken female upchucking in the middle of the street on a Saturday night.
Or you can say that “ona lubi się bawić”, which is infinitely less harsh than “ona lubi imprezować”. However, “ona lubi się bawić” can also mean that she simply likes to have a good time. Like me.

So, can you have a good time without partying? Czy można dobrze się bawić bez imprezowania?

I’m going to test it out tonight!

Happy New Year wishes to all my readers – Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku życzę wszystkim czytelnikom.

And as always, stay safe, stay alive – don’t drink and drive.

See you next year! (Ha! See you next DECADE!)