Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is preparing legislative changes that would rebrand two major state holidays: the May 2 Flag Day and the August 15 celebration. The proposed names are meant to strengthen the role of national symbols and the Polish military, but the holiday schedule will remain unchanged.
Under the plan, May 2 would be known as the Holiday of the Flag and the White Eagle. The current Flag Day falls on a working day, located between May 1, Labour Day, and May 3, Constitution Day. The new name is intended to draw attention to the White Eagle as a national symbol.
The August 15 proposal, as reported by Rzeczpospolita, concerns Polish Army Day. The ministry wants to formally add the Day of the Battle of Warsaw as an accompanying element of the existing military holiday. The legal changes would require legislative work.
A military parade with Poland’s newest equipment
The August 15 programme includes the Warsaw military parade, a tradition launched by President Lech Kaczyński in 2007 and continued by every subsequent head of state.
The upcoming parade will showcase Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, Rosomak armoured personnel carriers, Abrams, K2 and Leopard tanks, as well as Patriot and HIMARS systems. In the air, spectators will see Black Hawk, AW-19 and Apache helicopters, along with F-16 jets and the newly acquired F-35 fighter, named Husarz.
Why August 15 remains a day off
Although August 15 is strongly associated with the military, its legal status as a non-working day comes from the religious feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The planned Day of the Battle of Warsaw would be a complement to that observance, not a separate public holiday.
The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage plans to begin legislative procedures for both holiday changes. The proposals would leave the current calendar of non-working days untouched.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Materiały prasowe / flickr.com/KPRM
