All Saints' Day (Wszystkich Świętych) is less than a week away. In Poland it is one of the most important days of the year: families travel, sometimes across the country, to visit the graves of their loved ones, light candles and leave flowers. This year 1 November falls on a Sunday, and the next day is All Souls' Day (Zaduszki). For many households it is one of the bigger one-off expenses of the autumn: candles, flowers, cleaning graves, often a long drive and a meal for the whole family. On Saturday 24 October the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported on a survey of how much Poles plan to spend.

How much people plan to spend

The survey was carried out by the research institute IBRiS for Santander Consumer Bank. Interviewers spoke by phone with 1,000 adults between 17 and 29 September. This is how planned spending on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day breaks down:

• up to PLN 200 – 25% of respondents,
• PLN 201–500 – 41%,
• PLN 501–1,000 – 14%,
• PLN 1,001–1,500 – 3%,
• more than PLN 1,500 – 3%,
• nothing – 5%,
• don't know – 9%.

In total, 55% expect to spend between PLN 201 and PLN 1,000. The authors sum it up like this: "For most Poles, total spending on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day will be moderate this year."

What costs the most? 35% of respondents named candles, wreaths and cleaning graves. Among people over 50 the share is higher: 43% of those aged 50–59 and 44% of those over 60. For 22% the biggest cost is fuel and travel, and for 12% it is hosting guests, grocery shopping and cooking.

These numbers come at a time when people feel less confident about money. According to Statistics Poland (GUS), the current consumer confidence indicator fell to -14.0 points in October (from -10.8 in September), and people's assessment of their current ability to save also got worse.

What candles and flowers cost

Prices depend heavily on the city, the spot and the moment you buy. A check by the local news site Zawsze Pomorze, which visited stalls outside two cemeteries in Gdańsk on 24 October, shows this well:

• Heather: small pots at PLN 10–12, bigger ones at PLN 20–25, the largest PLN 40–60.
• Chrysanthemums: bunches at PLN 20–30, denser white ones at PLN 40 at the Oliwa cemetery – and PLN 50 at the Srebrzysko cemetery. The same kind of flowers cost PLN 10 more just because the stall stood outside a different cemetery.
• Grave candles (znicze): the simplest at PLN 5, larger ones at PLN 8–10, decorated ones at PLN 15–20, and fancy "premium" ones from PLN 40 to PLN 60.
• Candle inserts (refills): PLN 5 to 12, depending on size.

For comparison, the gardening portal Sady Ogrody reported in mid-October that a chrysanthemum in a 25 cm pot costs about PLN 28 in garden centres, and about PLN 15–28 per plant from growers, depending on region and size. The portal also notes that prices are highest just before 1 November, right outside the cemeteries.

Getting there: what fuel costs

This year Polish fuel prices are capped. The Minister of Energy sets maximum prices under the "Ceny Paliwa Niżej" ("Lower Fuel Prices") programme. For Monday 26 October the cap is PLN 6.51 per litre of 95-octane petrol and PLN 7.99 per litre of diesel. The caps are updated daily, so they may change by the weekend.

Example: a trip to your parents' graves 150 km from home means 300 km there and back. A car that burns 7 litres of petrol per 100 km will use 21 litres, which is about PLN 137 at PLN 6.51. A diesel car burning 6 litres will use 18 litres – about PLN 144 at PLN 7.99 per litre.

A sample budget

Let's say you visit three graves, want to leave flowers and two candles on each, and drive 300 km in a petrol car.

"I buy everything outside the cemetery" option:

1. 3 white chrysanthemums at PLN 40 – PLN 120,
2. 6 decorated candles at PLN 15 – PLN 90,
3. fuel – PLN 137.

Total: about PLN 347.

Budget option:

1. 3 small pots of heather at PLN 12 – PLN 36,
2. 6 inserts at PLN 5 for candles left over from last year – PLN 30,
3. fuel split in half with a sibling travelling in the same car – about PLN 69.

Total: about PLN 135. That is about PLN 212 less, and the graves look just as well cared for. The calculations are simplified and based on prices from one city – yours may differ.

What you can do

The respondents themselves explain how they save: 41% plan to use supermarket promotions, 22% will buy only inserts or visit a "zniczodzielnia" (a spot where people leave and take used grave candles), 21% will buy less than in previous years, 16% will chip in with family for wreaths and candles, and 13% will make decorations themselves. A few more tips:

• Set a limit before you leave home. Write down how many graves you are visiting and how much you want to spend on each. At the stall it is easy to add "just one more nice candle".
• Buy flowers earlier and away from the cemetery. A supermarket, garden centre or market a few days before the holiday usually works out cheaper than the stall at the gate on Saturday.
• Reuse candles. Last year's glass holder plus a new PLN 5 insert often costs less than half the price of a new candle.
• Share costs within the family. One shared wreath and one car instead of three is a real saving – and often means less time in traffic.
• Plan your route. If you visit several cemeteries, put them in order so you do not drive back the same way. Every 100 km less saves about PLN 46–48 in the example cars.
• Record your spending right away. In Money Trackrr you can put flowers, candles and fuel into one category and see after the weekend how much the holiday really cost you – next year it will be easier to plan the amount.

In short

• According to an IBRiS survey for Santander Consumer Bank, 41% of Poles will spend PLN 201–500 on All Saints' Day, and 25% up to PLN 200.
• Candles, wreaths and cleaning graves cost the most (35% of answers), followed by fuel and travel (22%).
• Prices vary a lot: the same chrysanthemum cost PLN 40 outside one cemetery in Gdańsk and PLN 50 outside another; a candle insert costs PLN 5–12.
• Buying earlier, reusing candles and travelling together can cut the cost by around PLN 200 in our sample budget.

For information only; this is not financial advice. Flower and candle prices come from selected places and may differ by region, and maximum fuel prices change daily. The calculations are simplified. As of 26 October 2026.

Sources: Polsat News – candles, wreaths and grave cleaning: only one Pole in twenty will spend nothing, Rzeczpospolita – how much Poles will spend on All Saints' Day: survey results, WNP.pl – survey: more than half of Poles will spend PLN 201–1,000 on All Saints' Day, Zawsze Pomorze – flower and candle prices at Gdańsk cemeteries, Sady Ogrody – chrysanthemum prices in 2026, Forsal – maximum fuel prices on 26 October, Finwire – GUS consumer confidence in October 2026. Photo: Stanisław Lul / Unsplash.