40 Photos From Polish Social Media Profiles That Raise As Many Questions As They Provide Answers

According to Culture.pl, a website about the country run by its residents, Poles are really hospitable. "[As one] Polish saying goes: 'A guest in the house [is a] God in the house'. Hospitality plays a crucial role in Polish culture," they introduced themselves. "Poles often choose to entertain guests in their households, which on many occasions involves the preparation of a proper, home-cooked meal by the hosts. A spectacular display of Polish hospitality takes place during the Christmas and Easter celebrations when people invite numerous relatives and friends over for meals that often feature a whole array of home-made dishes."

Also, Polish people won't admit defeat. "Some might consider calling Poles 'indomitable' surprising, since Poland was once partitioned for over a century. Nevertheless, Poles were perceived as such, for instance, by the great Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges," the folks at Culture.pl explained. "There are a number of good reasons to share his view. Whenever Poland fell to foreign powers, Poles would rebel over and over again. Admittedly, most of our uprisings turned out to be crushing defeats, but that didn’t break our spirit ‒ we would simply prepare for the next rebellion. In the end, here we are, free and prosperous."

As the last point might suggest, Poles are also courageous. "Poland was the first nation to stand up to Nazi Germany when Hitler invaded in 1939. Shortly after this attack, Poland was also invaded by the Soviet Union and for some time battled against the two great powers at once, showing tremendous courage. During World War II, the penalty for lending assistance to Jews was death. Nevertheless Poles are the most numerous national group among the Righteous Among the Nations, people decorated by Israel’s Yad Vashem Institute for rescuing Jews from the Holocaust."

All of the struggles made these people really sharp. "In the 1940s, the Soviet Union imposed communism on Poland. This system led to many absurdities such as food stores having nothing but vinegar in stock. These realities forced Poles to become resourceful. For example, the so-called 'line committee' was a solution for those who needed to wait in line for a very long time. It was possible to register your place in the queue with a committee formed by a group of volunteers, and therefore leave the line without losing your spot."

But no matter what, they remain in touch with nature. "Recently, an acquaintance of mine from abroad visited Poland and was startled to discover that, during the summer, you can get wild bilberries and blueberries for a few złotys on every street corner. In his home country, wild-grown produce is a great and pricey rarity. Meanwhile, Poles will often pick their own wild-grown fruit as well as many different kinds of edible forest mushrooms. Pretty cool considering that, coming straight from mother nature, these things are as healthy as it gets."

Sounds like a gang I'd like to meet!