Polish Birthday Traditions

Here in the UK we are big on celebrating certain birthdays more than others. For example 16, 18, 21, 30, 40, 50 are considered "special" birthdays and often celebrated with a big party and loads of presents and fuss. This is traditional for us.

Is Polish tradition the same? Do Polish people consider certain ages as "coming of age" or "special" and if so, how are they celebrated?

Good Question Dolly. :)))

I Know they focus more on Namedays.
But i wonder if there are Milestones like ours. :))

In Poland all birthdays are considered special. Of course, 50 may be better for having fun than 51, but overall Poles do celebrate birthdays.

This is good. In the UK we only generally celebrate "milestones". So what is done for each birthday in Poland?

They sing "Sto lat" i think :)

Sto Lat

Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam.
Niech zyje nam!

Is this the right words?

Looks like that's right yes :)

And hopefully translates as...

Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
One hundred years!

Its right.. :))

OK

Next November (2008) I will be 30. Are there any Polish traditions which accompany this?

It's Birthday Milestone so maybe bigger party then usually PD... ;)

hundred years, hundred years, may you live with us
hundred years, hundred years, may you live with us,
one more time, one more time, may you live, live with us
may you live with us.

(it really is "may you live for us" but that just didn't sound right.)


yes, you need to drink 30 shots of the finest Polish Vodka. :D :D

and we hope to see you on PF right after the party if you'll make it... ;)

Topic attached on merging:
Polish marraige and birthday traditions....

i need info on Polish marriages and birthdays traditions

What exactly is a nameday? and how is it celebrated?

Name days are a tradition of attaching personal names to each day of the year, and celebrating the association of particular days with those for whom that day is named. It is common in large parts of Europe. The tradition originates from the Christian church calendar and the tradition to name children after saints, although in many countries there is no longer a connection to the church.


we party a lot!!! ;P ;)

I know it always started with vodka, and then... I don't remember.

yeah.... maybe you should ask your friends :) they know better what you did next ;)

Yes, this is right. I found several videos on YouTube with people singing Happy Birthday in Polish, (Sto Lat). I found the music to it on another Polish Organization website. My 11 year old daughter plays piano, she learned the melody and added a chord to it and we sang Sto Lat, for my brother's birthday. It totally suprised him.

Spiritchsr1

hmmm,yeh im sorta changin the topic but we also have something that english people DONT!

we Celebrate our name's birthdays you get presents but not as many as on your birthday, which is actually a shame...

The most important for most of people is of course 18th birthday. But i have to say that probably every year i would change this opinion. Anyway, will be 19 years old in 10 days and I'm excited about it. The last year I'm TEENager hehehe

you pip me to that one hun mines a month later :)

Yeah pretty much everyone is younger than me :| hehe

It's part of the reason I actually started this thread. My friends are bugging me (already) about having a party. I "can't not have one" apparently. The thing is, I'm not keen on a big party but would maybe go for a gathering and I had wondered if there was some particular Polish tradition about ages that I could have blended into my celebrations...not that I truly want to think about them for a while ;)

ive got my mums 50th to attend 2 days before flying out to poland .. she even said when do you go as my grandma is organising it ...

im dreading someone organising mine to be truthful ...

Yes me to, which is why I worry if I don't make a decision whether I'm doing something, they'll organise something anyway and it'll be a "surprise" which I wouldn't want. Plus, I'd rather my celebrations had my own these, as detailed above.


I have thought briefly about asking a few friends if they'd go to Poland with me for my birthday but it's just before Christmas and a lot to ask...

As for importance those are most celebrated
16, 18, 21, 40, 50, 80, 90, 91, 92, 93
Sixteen is still special in Poland, for some unknown to me reasons
Eighteen - you enter "maturity" what is symbolized by right to buy spirits on ID
Twenty one - we celebrate it as 21 is beautiful, it would be sometimes called "real maturity", you can vote now
40 - a big 40
50 - half time,
80 - big number
90 - huge number
all above 90 are huge

I had a feeling of importance when celebrating 16
I had a feeling of joining the club at 18 realized I could buy buzz much later
I saw 40 as a big dancing party with lots of people

Interesting that 30 doesn't come into this. I'm not sure when it became such a "big" birthday here either.

For my 30th Birthday my sister sent me a piece of sand paper with the words: "It' s tough and rough to hit 30". lol. I did not feel it then! Really. It did nothing for me. Then I hit 40 ...also like a breeze...(I'll stop here) :)

I remember my 16th in Poland. It was " a coming of age" year. The Beatles played...

18 was the proud year, I was an adult, I could vote, (hehehe, I did it once in Poland before I left) and I could legally drink...not that anybody cared if I went to the store being 10 and bought a bottle of vodka or wine saying it was for my father...

21, don't really remember anything special.

PD, you are just a baby, still! OK, let's say - a babe.

sto lat ;) at every birthday !!!

Except when someone is already 100 years old, or more.