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Coat of Arms of Poland
The National Coat of Arms features the White Eagle (Orzeł Biały), the (unofficial) national bird of Poland. The coat of arms depicts a stylized white eagle with a golden beak and talons wearing a gold crown on a red shield. This symbol was adopted in 1295, but was used (in different forms) by Piast kings on coinage and as their coat of arms as early as the 990s. To the far left is a reconstruction of the coat of arms used in 1295, to its right is the current coat of arms, adopted in 1990 and based on the 1927 design by Zygmunt Kaminski. The White Eagle emblem originated when Poland's legendary founder Lech saw a white eagle's nest. The legend of Lech and his brothers is shared among many Slavic nations with variations, but the Polish version is as follows:
Three brothers went hunting together but each of them followed a different prey and eventually they all traveled in different directions. Rus' went to the east, Čech headed to the west to settle on the Říp Mountains rising up from the Bohemian hilly countryside, while Lech traveled north. There, while hunting, he followed his arrow and suddenly found himself face-to-face with a fierce, white eagle guarding its nest from intruders. Seeing the eagle against the red of the setting sun, Lech took this as a good omen and decided to settle there. He named his settlement Gniezno (in Polish: gniazdo means “nest”) in commemoration and adopted the White Eagle as his coat of arms.
This tale is first attested in 1295 in Gniezno, the first capital of Poland. The brothers, Rus' & Čech (pronounced "check") founded Russian, Belarus, Ukraine; and Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia (all part of the modern Czech Republic), respectively. Lechia is another, more ancient name, for Poland. Similar tales exist in the Czech Republic and in two slightly different versions in Croatia. The legend may have some basis in reality, as it agrees with the Slavs coming out of the east and settling in various directions and shows that even as early at the 13th century these groups were aware they where related both ethnically and linguistically. It also attempts to explain the etymology of these groups names.
Flag of Poland
The Polish flag consists of 2 horizontal stripes of equal width with white on top and red below. If hung vertically, the white should be on the left from an onlooker's perspective, for outdoor use in neighborhoods the left side can be determined by looking up the street in the direction of increasing house numbers. When used to drape a soldier's coffin the white strip should be placed over the heart. Some flags contain the Polish coat of arms in the center of the white stripe, this flag is usually reserved for official use abroad and at sea. A swallow-tailed version is used in the Navy. The colors are defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (allowing for what degree of variance of the colors are acceptable) and were adopted in 1831. The flag design was officially adopted in 1919. The Coat of Arms Act (full name: the Coat of Arms, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland, and State Seals Act) also defines what the flag looks like and how and when it should be displayed.
Above and below: Polish Flag, below with the National Coat of Arms.
Although the flag containing the coat of arms is meant to be restricted, in practice the laws governing its usage are not enforced as long as the flag is being shown reverence and respect. Any disrespectful act towards the flag can result in punishment that can be anywhere from a fine to one year in prison (depending on the disrespectful act). Prior to 2004, Polish citizens were only allowed to fly flags on national holidays, but today they may display them whenever they like. Government buildings are always required to fly the flag without the coat of arms (e.g the Presidential Palace, and both chambers of Parliament, provincial government buildings, etc). There are many more rules governing the use and display of the flag. In 2004, Poland celebrated Flag Day for the first time. It was established to educate the Polish people about the history and cultural significance of their national symbols. May 2nd was chosen because Polish peoples outside of Poland traditionally observe May 2nd as a day to honor their Polish heritage. Historically, when Poland was under a Communist regime all the flags were flown on the 1st and taken down by the 2nd, so that none would be flying on May 3rd (Constitution Day), thus choosing this day also served to remember any acts of defiance against the Communist regime (see Communist Poland under Poland Today). Flag Day, unlike the preceding and following days is not considered a national holiday, though most workers will take it off so they may have a 3-5 day stretch of vacation (depending on when the days fall).
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