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In Poland, "zima" (ZHEE-mah) means winter! Are you feeling the winter weather ("pogoda") today where you live?  Brrr! Here in the New York City area, it's cold! ("zimno")

In the winter months, the Polish kitchen turns to family favorites such as barszcz, bigos, and kluski. As an invited guest, you might be offered a glass of mulled wine ("wino grzane"). The cozy pleasure of homemade comfort food is also found in countless small-town restaurants. In winter, you'll find smalec waiting for you on the table.

Although the foothills and mountains of southern Poland are likely to be white with snow, the capital city of Warsaw and several other big cities can be more wet than white. Here are photos of Poland in winter. Poles are accustomed to inclement weather, and Polish culture has many winter activities, both indoor and outdoor, during the winter months.

In Poland, "Sylwester" (sil-VES-ter) is the name for New Year's Eve! It's a label derived from Saint Sylvester according to a centuries-old tradition that assigns a saint to each day of the year.  

As in most countries, New Year's Eve in Poland is a time to celebrate ("świętować") with various happenings and traditions. Many Poles gather at restaurants or at a friend's house for food and drink. Champagne ("szampan") is not uncommon. In fact, you can find Champagne, sparkling wines, and other festive beverages at our Castle Store in Garfield, NJ.

Each year, there is a large musical event and fireworks display in the Old Town marketplace in Krakow. You can see fun amateur video of this event, here.

However you choose to celebrate, keep in mind those magic words: Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku ("Happy New Year" in Polish).

If these words leave you a bit tongue-tied, press the blue arrow on this page to hear the correct pronunciation. Enjoy! And Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku from all of us at Piast Meats & Provisions.