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Things you want to know about Poles Posted by on Feb 23, 2013 in Culture, Nature

What are some things you always wanted to know about Polish people and weren’t in the least bit disinclined to ask?

Here  are some of them…:

1. “Polish facial characteristics”

No, there are no unique facial characteristics that enable you to identify a Pole . Most Poles believe that they can spot another Pole on the streets of London or Chicago just by glancing at them, but I think it’s all down to body language and clothes.

2. “Did Poland ever have any colonies?”

Hmmm… tricky one. Basically, no. Poland never had colonies in the same sense that France or Italy or Germany or Britain (ahem, largest empire in history, ahem) did. Having said that, for much of the Middle Ages Poland was substantially bigger than it is now and it’s kings ruled over huge parts of what are now the Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, and Slovakia.

3. “Are Polish people short?”

I don’t think so! There are of course both short and tall people living in Poland, however I would not say they are short – there are actually quite a lot of tall Polish people (including beautiful models).

4. “Are Polish women beautiful?”

Yes, most of them are!

5. “Are Polish women crazy?”

Well, I guess it depends from the point of view…The first time I came to USA I wanted to sunbath topless on the beach (just because it is pretty normal in Poland…) and of course I was “the crazy Polish woman”!

6. “Do they have beautiful cars, live great life?”

This question comes up a lot…especially from someone who hasn’t been to Poland in 30 years and does not keep up with current news…All I want to say is that Poles quite often “drink old wine, eat moldy cheese and drive cars without roofs”  :))

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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About the Author: Kasia

My name is Kasia Scontsas. I grew near Lublin, Poland and moved to Warsaw to study International Business. I have passion for languages: any languages! Currently I live in New Hampshire. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, biking and paddle boarding. My husband speaks a little Polish, but our daughters are fluent in it! I wanted to make sure that they can communicate with their Polish relatives in our native language. Teaching them Polish since they were born was the best thing I could have given them! I have been writing about learning Polish language and culture for Transparent Language’s Polish Blog since 2010.


Comments:

  1. Leo:

    Let me disagree with some of the points above.
    1) There are some typically Polish faces. For example, guys, even skinny ones, tend to have rounder faces than elsewhere in Europe. On average, I’d say a Pole is easier to recognize than a German or Czech. Said by a half Finn half Italian. Obviously these are generalizations.
    3) Luckily many guys are short-to-average, I don’t feel a dwarf like I would feel for example in the Netherlands.
    4) This is what disappoints my foreign friends the most. Polish girls are Slavic… but not Slavic enough. The exception being my gf, OF COURSE.
    5) Polish women are nowhere as crazy as Russian ones. The distinctive tract of Polish women is their complaining. They do complain a lot, about neighbours and Poland in Poland, about their host country and its citizens if they live abroad.

  2. John:

    Well as an American Pole, I do think I can spot an Eastern European, but not specifically a Pole.
    Polish people were shorter 40 years ago in my opinion because of diet. I know this because as a tall American Pole, my feet usually hung over the end of the beds I slept in while visiting. Also I am usually the tallest person at bazaar and because of this I can spot my wife easily that way.
    I very much agree that most Polish women, and for that matter, most Eastern European women are beautiful.
    But I have never seen Polish women on any beach topless, but maybe that’s changed.

  3. M:

    The answers to the questions in my experience married to a pole and visiting regularly for 9 years.

    1) No, But my husband (a pole) can spot one on the street – usually by what they’re wearing.

    2) Maybe not but they still act like they ruled the world and anyone who can be labled as Polish will be and then celebrated excitedly as much as possible. They are a very proud and patriotic people.

    3) Polish people are fairly normal when it comes to size, there are short ones and tall ones and average ones.

    5) In my experience they are – My husband married a brit for that reason. Most that I have met are very insecure and Jealous which makes them look crazy. When you get to know a Polish woman, they are very warm, welcoming and friendly. However, they will feed you to within a inch of your life without eating anything themselves.

    6) some do some don’t.

  4. Rita:

    “Do they have beautiful cars, live great life?” seriously? Who asks such question? I mean it sounds very shallow.

  5. john australia:

    I am the son of Polish parents and I have been travelling to Poland now for many years to visit my Polish families that still live in Poland and I have a great time while I am in Poland .
    The woman in Poland are beautiful they have that look that is so sexy I can not help myself but to stare as they walk by me Krakow , Rzeszow region ,,the long legged beauties that are running around are amazing to see ,,,I get a sore neck from turning around all the time. They are charming to be with and are very romantic type people to be in a relationship with and I love the way they speak English,,,so sexy its a real turn on

  6. Lorene Wedeking:

    The first time I took a plane out of Schiphol to Warsaw finding the right gate was a confusing process. A man left the gate and came back and said something that I recognized as 70 something, a very different place than where we all were. I followed him and we all arrived successfully in Warsaw. I told my Polish friend that I followed the man because he was Polish! She asked how I knew, and it took me awhile to realize what I was noticing was the way Polish men — at least at that time — styled their hair. It’s unique!

  7. Klaudia:

    Since when sunbathing in Poland is normal?! It has never been normal and probably it will not be for quiet a while so I don’t know when did u get this info from ;/