The month of Wrzesień takes its name from the word Wrzos (ENG: Heather). Coming into bloom at this time of the year, Wrzos is especially popular in Poland, and you'll find them for sale all over the country, if not furnishing the balconies and gardens of Polish homes.
 

The start of Wrzesień comes as a relief to young parents, as children end their holidays and return to school. Among the many unique activities that take place in Polish primary schools is the decoration of Kasztany (ENG: Chestnuts), which typically start falling from trees at the end of the month. One of the most popular autumn activities, synonymous with Wrzesień, is Grzybobranie (ENG: Forest Mushroom Picking), when forests around the country begin to yield their fungal delights, in particular Grzyby (ENG: Forest Mushrooms). It should be noted that what English speakers commonly associate with a mushroom is just one of many terms that exist in Polish for all sorts of edible fungi. Enthusiasts of the season, known in Polish as Grybiarze take to the countryside in search of the biggest and most bulbous mushrooms on offer. Ideally cut from the ground (not pulled - that's a big NO NO), Grzyby are then either pickled or dried, the latter form of which is then used in classic Polish dishes, such as Bigos and Cabbage-Mushroom-stuffed Pierogi!

A lesser known seasonal harvest in Poland at this time of the year comes from the burgeoning wine industry in the country's south east and south west, where these microclimates have warmed up just enough for perfectly-cultivated wine grapes. In Poland's far-western Lubuskie region, the city of Zielona Góra is particularly well-known for its historic wine industry, and the Winobranie festival in early Wrzesień is a hugely popular event on the wine tourism calendar in Europe. Over in the south east, the other hotspot, both literally and figuratively, is the wine region around the pictureque historic city of Tarnów in Małopolska.

Check out other months in the Polish Calendar Year!