Give the man a break! He made a simple faux pas. How did his question about
asking for a day off become a
demand for a day off?
Yes, it would be completely normal in the USA to
ask to take off from work on a day of particular cultural, religious, or ethnic importance to you. And it would be completely normal for your boss to evaluate the request, and if there was no just cause (for example a disruption to the company, or lack of staff coverage) to deny the
request, give the day off.
Most progressive companies in the US offer employees 2 or 3 floating holidays allowing them to choose at the beginning of the year if they want to take off a holiday that is relevant to them, but not their coworkers. For example: Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah, Chinese New Year, MLK Day, St. Pat's, Yom Kippur, Eid, Cinco de Maya...
How about Poles in US demanding a day off on Polish national holidays? Ridiculous, wouldn`t it?
No, it would be completely reasonable to request the day off, or November 1st off.
Can an Irish man have his Holiday from work in the USA?
Completly normal to request off Good Friday, or St. Pat's
you're in poland not america now.. deal with it.
Why does Poland have to be such a bitter pill to swallow? Some people actually enjoy it here.
Anyone have any thoughts about his reaction?
You can see from the responses to your question that your boss is not the only angry person in this world. Enjoy your time in Poland, make the best of it, and understand that there is a lot that you will never understand.
Happy Thanksgiving