Go grill or go home. What are Poles doing this May Day?

What is the difference between “Mayday” and “May Day”?

‘Mayday! Mayday!’ – if you’re a fan of disaster movies, you’re probably quite familiar with this term.

We hear it from our TV when, from the relative safety of the edge of our seat, we watch as an alarmed captain of an aircraft (or boat) confronts the danger. Said captain might be brave and manly, but he is not above asking for help. That is after all the meaning of “Mayday” – it is the English version of the French call “M’aidez” (eng. help me), popularized back in the 1920s when a need for an internationally pronounceable word arose in the face of the increasing traffic between England and France.

But for a typical Pole, the term May Day has a slightly less dire connotation.

May Day in Poland: what and when is it?

In Poland, May Day, aka “majówka”, stands for the long May weekend, and consists of two national celebrations in Poland: Labour Day (1^st of May) and Constitution Day (3^rd of May). As those are bank holidays, many Poles use this time off work to recuperate, travel, or have fun outside. But how exactly do Poles plan on spending this May day?

To get insight into this matter, a loan company Provident consulted a thousand Polish respondents. And here is what they had to say.

Going abroad, going out, or going nowhere?

This year, Poles can count their lucky stars, as the long May weekend in Poland falls on Wednesday and Friday. Therefore, if one takes just one day of leave – Thursday, May 2^nd – we can combine this period with the weekend, and effectively get plenty of time for any outside expeditions we might have on our minds.

This May Day year, according to the report, one in three Poles have yet to make any concrete ideas for the period. Of those who did make some plans:

• 13.1% – decided to travel within Poland,
• 5.6% – want to go abroad,
• 1 in 3 Poles – will stay at home,
• 1 in 5 Poles – plans on visiting family or friends,
• 1 in 8 respondents – will invite their close ones to visit.

Age vs. activities

Traveling, however, is one of the possible ways of spending the May break. 22.5% of respondents wish to do some sightseeing, while 19% plan on doing some physical activity.

Interestingly, there seems to be a strong correlation between age and activities one might prefer to do. Of respondents younger than 35 years old, around 70% wish to spend time outside, and 55% to go on a walk.

60% of those in the age cusp between 25 and 34 plan to go a-grilling, while 65 % of the youngsters believe that there is no May Day without a good book or a movie.

Barbecue, the Polish way!

There is no denying that Polish people love their barbecue. But what exactly does it entail when done the Polish way?

The 2023 report “Jak grillują Polacy?” (eng. How do Poles barbecue?) by Decofire.pl, goes into details about Polish traditions in this regard. From 702 responders, a whopping 80% usually barbecue during May Day celebrations. And what are they grilling exactly, you may ask?

Pork neck, aka “karkówka” (79%), chicken (68%), and, of course, the legendary Polish sausage, aka “kielbasa”. All of those dishes are usually accompanied by beer (84%), water (52%) and, to a lesser degree, juices, sodas, and stronger spirits – of the liquid, and not the metaphysical kind, in case you were wondering.

How much money will May Day cost us?

While all of those May activities sound good for our well-being, our wallets may find them to have an adverse effect. According to the Provident report, an average Pole will spend 1274 PLN on this long May weekend, while around 20% of respondents plan for only around 500 PLN of expenses. Meanwhile, 27.4% of Polish people do not foresee any extra spending.

Sources:

Decofite.pl – “Jak grillują Polacy?”

Merriam-Webster – “Where Does the Word 'Mayday' Come From?”

Providnet – “Barometr Providenta: Polacy szykują się na majówkę w plenerze”