One of the most important things to know about Polish culture is the importance of family. In Poland, family is the center to the social structure. A person's obligation to family takes precedence over everything in life. For instance, in the novel Eva Underground, there is a young man named Tomek, who works within a resistance operation in Zakopane as a translator, and without him it would be impossible for the operation to continue. One morning, Tomek received a letter from his parents and immediately he said
"My father needs me. I must go home to pick a plum" (Mackall, 118)
Tomek had a job he was supposed to be doing, however, as soon as he heard word that his parents needed him, he dropped everything to go and help them. This illustrates the Polish custom of family coming before all else. Unlike the current culture in the US, pets like dogs and cats are not considered family members. In Poland, if the family runs into trouble and cannot care for the pet, they will leave it to fend for itself rather than provide care.
While the Polish social structure is centered around families the majority of the population is deeply religion. The largest religion in Poland is Roman Catholic, with which 89% of the population currently identify. Christianity has deep roots in Poland since it was adopted as the official religion in 966. The majority of Polish people now identify as Catholic. In 1978 the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II strengthened Polish ties to Catholicism. In Poland every religious holiday is celebrated as a national holiday, in which most businesses are closed. At Christmas for example, Polish people spend two and a half days celebrating. This is a large contrast to America where church and state are legally separated.