Flag days in Poland
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Polish original. Where the two versions differ, the Polish text is the original.
Poland has no statutory list of flag days of the kind some other countries have. The Act of 31 January 1980 on the emblem, colours and anthem of the Republic of Poland and on state seals speaks in general terms of “ceremonies and state anniversaries and holidays”. Which days have the status of a state or national holiday follows from separate acts. Below are the national and state holidays, Flag Day and the days off work in 2026 and 2027, with the weekday and the type of holiday.
Holidays and days off each year
Sundays are not listed, although they are days off work. The exceptions are Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, which the Act on days off work names separately. Easter, Pentecost and Corpus Christi fall on a different date every year.
What the Act says
Article 7 of the Act on the emblem, colours and anthem distinguishes these situations:
| Who | When | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| The Sejm, the Senate, the President, the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister | On or in front of the buildings of their official seats or meeting places | Article 7(1)(1)–(4) |
| Local government councils | During their sessions | Article 7(1)(5) |
| Government administration bodies, other state bodies and units, local government bodies and units | For ceremonies and state anniversaries and holidays | Article 7(1)(6) |
| Residential buildings, business premises and other places | Recommended for state holidays and anniversaries and other occasions of national or local importance | Article 7(3) |
The recommendation for homes and businesses was added to the Act by an amendment of 19 November 2009, in force since 2010. It is an encouragement, not an obligation: the Act sets no penalty for not flying the flag.
National and state holidays
Two days have the word “national” in their name and are also days off work:
- 3 May – the National Holiday of the Third of May, restored by an act of 6 April 1990, on the anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May 1791.
- 11 November – National Independence Day, established by an act of 15 February 1989, on the anniversary of Poland regaining independence in 1918.
1 May is a state holiday and a day off work under an act of 1950. 15 August is Polish Armed Forces Day, established in article 13 of the Homeland Defence Act; the same day is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day off work.
The other days marked “state holiday” in the table were established by separate acts, each of which states that the day “is a state holiday”. They are not days off work. They include, for example, 1 March, the National Day of Remembrance of the “Cursed Soldiers”, 1 August, the National Day of Remembrance of the Warsaw Uprising, and 31 August, the Day of Solidarity and Freedom. The most recent is 12 April, War Invalids’ Day, established by an act of 23 January 2026.
There are also days of remembrance established by statute without the status of a state holiday, for example 10 September, the National Day of Polish Children of War, and days established by resolutions of the Sejm. They are not in the table.
Flag Day
2 May is the Day of the Flag of the Republic of Poland, established in article 6a of the Act by an amendment of 20 February 2004. The Day of Poles Abroad, established by an act of 20 March 2002, falls on the same day. Flag Day is not a day off work, but it lies between two days off, 1 and 3 May, so many people fly the flag for the whole period. The meaning of the holidays is explained in the guide to flags on holidays.
Days off work
The list of days off work is in article 1 of the Act of 18 January 1951: 1 and 6 January, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 1 and 3 May, Pentecost Sunday, Corpus Christi, 15 August, 1 and 11 November, 24, 25 and 26 December, and every Sunday. Christmas Eve has been a day off since 2025.
Religious holidays such as Corpus Christi or All Saints’ Day are not state holidays within the meaning of the Act on the emblem, colours and anthem, although the flag also flies on many buildings on those days.
Flying hours
The Act does not set the hours during which the flag may fly. In the booklet “Duma i szacunek”, the National Security Bureau points out that the place where the flag is displayed should give it good visibility at any time of day and night. More is in the guides to flag rules and flag lighting.
When a holiday coincides with mourning
If the President declares national mourning, the state flag is lowered to half-mast for its duration, even on a holiday. The subject is covered in the guides to half-mast and flags in mourning.
Frequently asked questions
Does Poland have an official list of flag days?
No. The Act on the emblem, colours and anthem contains no list of dates. Under article 7(1)(6), state and local government bodies raise the flag for ceremonies and for state anniversaries and holidays, and which days are state holidays follows from separate acts.
Are residents obliged to fly the flag on 3 May and 11 November?
The Act places no such obligation on residents. Article 7(3) recommends raising or displaying the flag on or in front of residential buildings on state holidays and anniversaries and on other occasions of national or local importance.
Is 2 May a day off work?
No. The Day of the Flag of the Republic of Poland, established in article 6a of the Act, is not in the list of days off work in the Act of 18 January 1951. The days off are 1 May and 3 May.
Since when has Christmas Eve been a day off work?
24 December has been a day off work since 2025. Christmas Eve was added to the list in the Act on days off work by an act of 6 December 2024, which came into force on 1 February 2025.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Polish:
- Ustawa z dnia 31 stycznia 1980 r. o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz o pieczęciach państwowych (art. 6a i 7) – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 18 stycznia 1951 r. o dniach wolnych od pracy (tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2025 poz. 296) – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 26 kwietnia 1950 r. o ustanowieniu dnia 1 maja świętem państwowym – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 6 kwietnia 1990 r. o przywróceniu Święta Narodowego Trzeciego Maja – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 15 lutego 1989 r. o ustanowieniu Narodowego Święta Niepodległości – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 11 marca 2022 r. o obronie Ojczyzny (art. 13, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2025 poz. 825) – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 3 lutego 2011 r. o ustanowieniu Narodowego Dnia Pamięci „Żołnierzy Wyklętych” – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 9 października 2009 r. o ustanowieniu Narodowego Dnia Pamięci Powstania Warszawskiego – Dziennik Ustaw
- Ustawa z dnia 23 stycznia 2026 r. o ustanowieniu Dnia Inwalidy Wojennego – Dziennik Ustaw
Related guides
- Flag rulesThe rules on the Polish flag: who raises it, residents' rights, the flag with the emblem, respect for the colours, BBN guidance and criminal penalties.
- Flags on holidaysThe flag on Polish holidays: the May weekend with Flag Day, 3 May, 15 August, 11 November, days of remembrance, regional holidays and customs around the flag.
- Half-mastWhen the flag is lowered to half-mast in Poland, how it is lowered, what happens to other flags, the black mourning ribbon and mourning in the armed forces.
- Flags in mourningWhat national mourning is in Poland, who declares it, what the President's regulations contain, examples from 2010 to 2025 and what happens to the flag.