Jun 35th Festival of Folk Bands and Singers , Kazimierz. Krak w. Aug 20th International Festival of Street Theatre , Jelenia G ra. Oct 21 Henryk Weiniawska International Violin Competition. The Cultural Information Centre publishes Karnet , a bilingual cultural monthly with details of cultural events. Contact the tourist board for further information.
Poles are friendly, industrious people and foreigners are usually made very welcome.
There are vast contrasts between urban and rural life and the Polish peasantry is very religious and conservative, maintaining a traditional lifestyle. Roman Catholicism plays an important role in daily life and criticism or jokes about religion are not appreciated, despite the general good humour of the people. Music and art are also important aspects of Polish culture. Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Normal courtesies are observed when visiting private homes and it is customary to bring flowers.