WEBLINKS
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FACTS
| ABOUT POLAND
Politics: Poland was the first of the eastern European countries to overturn Communist rule in 1989
Population: 39 million
Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 77 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 zloty = 100 groszy
Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals
Average annual income: US $4,200
Prime minister: Leszek Miller became prime minister in a coalition government in October 2001
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 |  | Report by site-user, Christiaan van Lierop
Read the letters page of any Polish newspaper at this time of year and it won't be long before you come across a letter from a disgruntled reader bemoaning the ever-increasing popularity of Valentine's Day here in Poland.
ÌýSuccumbing to western culture
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| Ìý |  | Valentine's Day cards on sale in shops
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As "yours disgustedly, Warsaw" would have it, Valentine's Day is yet more proof of the extent to which young Poles have succumbed to western culture, running a close second to Halloween on our letter writer's holiday hate list.
This would all be very well, if it wasn't for the fact that Valentine's Day, or Saint Valentine's Day to give it its full name, has in fact been celebrated in Poland for centuries.
As for that matter have many other saints' days you could care to mention.
ÌýSaint Valentine's tale
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| Ìý |  | Warsaw, home of "your disgustedly"
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Many a saint has a fascinating life story and most are patrons for one thing or another, like St Christopher for travellers, St Barbara for miners and St David for the Welsh.
Of course, Saint Valentine is no exception in this respect.
But just how the patron saint of epileptics, as he is still venerated in a handful of villages scattered across Poland, came to be associated with love and romance remains something of a mystery.
Several versions of the story abound. Some say that St Valentine, a priest held prisoner in Rome in the third century, restored the sight of his prison guard's daughter, which allowed her to marry the man she loved.
Others stress that St Valentine wrote love letters to his sister, thus bringing about the tradition that we know in England. But nobody is really sure where the true origins of this custom lie.
Strangely enough, the connection with epilepsy appears to be more firmly established, with St Valentine usually portrayed as a bishop in the act of curing a young boy of epilepsy.
Whilst epilepsy is indeed a condition worth taking seriously, it is perhaps understandable that the western version of Valentine's Day has caught on much more readily among the young in Poland.
Although it is true that they do things a little bit differently here, as my explanation of name days will show.
Ìý| Ìý |  | Gift chocolates in a heart-shaped box
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Saint Valentine's Day is just one example of a saint's day - or name day as they are also known - which have been celebrated in Poland for centuries.
In fact, it is this connection with saints' days that I think provides the argument against bemoaning Valentine's day in Poland.
Name days - called imieniny - are something of a big deal in Poland. But what is it that makes imieniny so special?
Spend your first birthday in Poland and you could be forgiven for thinking that the Poles are a pretty heartless bunch really. No presents to speak of and no cards - merely a perfunctory "many happy returns" from your colleagues at work, and that's your lot.
Then, several months later, you come to work to find a huge bouquet of flowers on your desk, several large boxes of chocolates, and a long line of secretaries waiting to kiss you on the cheek to wish you all the best on your special day.
Stuck for words, you turn for an explanation to your boss, who is standing at the back of the room, holding a camera in his hand and smiling. "Why, today's your name day, isn't it?" he explains. "But of course," you say, suitably none the wiser.
In days gone by, when deciding on what name to give their new-born child, Polish parents would simply take the name of whichever saint happened to be celebrated on the day that their child was born.
This tradition seems to have all but vanished over the years - presumably to the relief of all those born on 31 December (Saint Sylvester's day!).
However, the Poles still attach considerably more importance to the feast day of the saint whose name they bear - their name day - than they do to the actual date of their birth.
Strange though it may seem, this system does have its advantages. If you want to buy somebody a present but don't know when, all you need do is consult a calendar to find out the date on which they celebrate imieniny.
It's certainly a godsend - if you'll excuse the pun - if you're bad at remembering people's birthdays.
ÌýA chance to reciprocate
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| Ìý |  | A beautifully presented gift box
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Remembering the western version of sending cards on Valentine's Day, gives us the key to why, paradoxically, this behaviour might even contribute to an old Polish tradition.
You see, the Poles actually go to the length of signing their valentine's cards.
This may seem a trifle odd until you realise that there is some method to this madness.
For you could argue that in so doing, the sender is not just giving away his or her name, but is also informing the addressee of his or her name day. This provides the perfect opportunity for the recipient to reciprocate the sentiments expressed in the billet-doux.
This should satisfy "yours disgustedly, Warsaw" that at least the tradition of name days - or imieniny - looks set to continue in Poland for years to come.
ÌýPolish connections in Coventry
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Read about the Polish community in Coventry by following the link on the left to our Coventry Polish history page.
Coventry Poles are also celebrated every Sunday on ´óÏó´«Ã½ WM in the Poles Apart programme. You can hear Poles Apart on Sundays at 7-8pm on 94.8, 104 and 103.7 FM.
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