You may notice that on Wednesday, the 15th of August most shops are closed and a fair amount of people are grilling outside, having picnics in parks, or in general looking a lot more carefree than on a normal workday. That's because the 15th of August is a national holiday celebrating the "Miracle on the Wisla" ("Cud nad Wisla") that happened on that day in 1920.
The Miracle on the Wisla (Vistula River), or The Battle of Warsaw, is a story known by every Pole since childhood. After the end of the First World War, Poles were still struggling for independence from the Russians, and after a series of battles the severely outnumbered and exhausted Polish army looked like it was about to fall. In August 1920, Russian Red Army assembled on the banks of the Wisla in preparation for an attack on Warsaw. The Russian forces outnumbered the Poles, and the Polish army truly needed a miracle to win this battle. Suddenly, an image of the Virgin Mary appeared in the clouds above the river. This Miracle on the Wisla brought the Poles, led by the great Marshal Pilsudski, to victory that day despite great odds, and the day has been again celebrated as a national holiday ever since Poland's independence from Soviet rule. |