What’s on in Poland in March

Ski slopes in Poland have been reopened since mid-February. With as much snowfall as this year, skiing in Poland is also possible in March (although technically spring starts in March). Most of the slopes have ski, snowboard, and helmet rentals so you don’t need to invest in ski equipment, e.g. if you want to learn skiing and see if you like the sport. On the websites of the slopes you will usually find contacts to ski schools. It’s worth calling in advance and booking a lesson with an instructor in advance.

Although March is technically the beginning of spring (the astronomical first day of spring falls on March 20), it’s usually still cold in Poland and the weather changes often – one week you feel as if spring is just around the corner, and next week there is snow and frost. You can have all kinds of weather in March in Poland. There is an old Polish proverb that says ‘W marcu jak w garncu‘, meaning ‘March is like a pot’ (we can have anything).

Average monthly temperature in March in Poland is 3,2°C / 37.8°F, average monthly rainfall level is 37,5 mm (the third lowest after February and April).

Time change (zmiana czasu), March 28, 2021
On Sunday, March 28 2021 at 02:00 am clocks are turned forward 1 hour to 03:00 am. The European Union lawmakers decided to end the twice-a-year (March and October) custom of time changes throughout the European Union, leaving member states the freedom to decide their standard time. The national governments have yet to take a stance – the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the issue of changing the time into the background.

The next time change in Poland – October 31, 2021.

March is one of the few months when there is no public/bank holiday in Poland (in 2021, Easter holidays fall on April 4-5).

Women’s Day (Dzień Kobiet)
The tradition of Women’s Day is not as popular as during communism time in Poland, but still, women usually get flowers or other gifts.

Men’s Day (Dzień Mężczyzny)
In Poland, Boy’s Day and Men’s Day are celebrated – Boy’s Day (September 30) is a much more popular holiday than Men’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day (Dzień Świętego Patryka)
Poland also celebrates St. Patrick’s Day – people wear green, there are parades, festivals, concerts.

Take a walk to the park in search of the first signs of spring

Nature starts slowly to come back to life in March. You may notice first flowers blooming: white snowdrops (przebiśnieg) and yellow, white or purple crocuses (krokus). Another symbol of early spring in Poland – willow twigs with buds (bazie). You may notice them in almost every park in Poland or buy a willow twigs bunch at any florist or shopping market.

Willow twigs (bazie)

Snowdrops (przebiśniegi)

Crocuses (krokusy)

Remember an important Polish word of the spring glossary – nowalijki

After months of winter vegetables, spring in Poland welcomes us with the first fresh local treasures. In Polish, they have a special name – nowalijki – bringing something new; early vegetables. Nowalijka (singular) means young vegetable available for sale in spring for the first time.

Currently in Poland, if you fancy a radish or tomato in the middle of winter – no problem, you can buy fresh tomatoes imported, for example, from Italy. But not so long ago, during the communist era, before 1989, only local products were available in Poland (by the way, now all over the world we are trying to return to eating mainly local vegetables and fruit). You can imagine what the joy it was to see the first fresh green vegetables (nowalijki) after eating winter root vegetables and frozen or canned veggies for months!

Now, Polish greenhouse vegetables are available from March, while Polish vegetables grown in the field are available for sale at the turn of May and June. Polish nowalijki include, among others, lettuce, radishes, young carrots, chives, watercress, parsley.

Don’t miss them! Some of the vegetables come and go quickly, so make the most of them while they last.

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