Cześć! Your word for today is… Popielec!

Polish: Popielec

English: Ash Wednesday

Pronunciation: Popielets <pɔˈpʲjɛlɛʦ̑>. Hear how you pronounce it here.

Usage: Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day observed in Poland. It marks the start of a period of 40-day fasting, penance and solemn religious observance called Lent, which leads up to Easter.

Why is there ash involved? It was the practice in Rome for sinners to begin their period of public penance on the first day of Lent by being sprinkled with ashes and dressed in sackcloth. Nowadays, the Catholic priest sprinkles ashes the heads of the whole congregation.

Keep watching this space for more words and phrases to #polishyourPolish!