The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has rejected a petition to remove Pentecost from the list of statutory holidays, citing the event’s cultural and religious significance to Polish citizens.
The Legal Status of Pentecost
Pentecost, or Whit Sunday, is currently classified as a statutory non-working day under the 1951 Act on non-working days. However, because the holiday always falls on a Sunday—already a designated non-working day—doubts have emerged regarding its formal inclusion in the catalog of 14 official holidays.
In November 2024, a petition was submitted to the Sejm requesting the repeal of Article 1, Section 1, Letter g of the Act, arguing that the holiday is redundant since most individuals are already off work on Sundays.
Ministry Stance on Legislative Reform
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has formally opposed removing Pentecost from the holiday list. Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk highlighted that the Act treats Sundays and holidays as independent categories, rather than complementary ones.
During a March 2026 committee meeting, ministry representative Zenon Rycerz warned that removing the holiday could trigger complex legislative ripples, including potential conflicts with trade regulations on Sunday shopping. The ministry emphasized that the holiday holds essential traditional, national, and religious value.
Anachronistic Provisions
There is a consensus regarding Article 3 of the Act, which assigns administrative implementation tasks to the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers. This provision is widely considered a dead, anachronistic rule.
While officials agree the article should be removed, the government maintains that launching a dedicated legislative process for a purely editorial fix is currently unnecessary. Such changes will likely be addressed only during future, broader legislative updates.