Ptaškowa swajźba - Birds' Wedding on January 25th

This custom originates from pre-Christian times and is founded on mystic imaginativeness of our ancestors. They considered a sacrificial offering of food to ancestor ghosts as an effective way to win benevolence and affection from natural gods and demons. With the decline in belief of the power of the demons, the sacrificial offerings of our ancestors turned into present-giving to the children. Today children celebrate the Birds' Wedding on January 25 of each year. This custom is closely related to the observation of the animal kingdom and the plant world. At this time various kinds of birds begin to build their nests and lay eggs. After a long hard winter people are anxious for the spring to awake and color the earth green. The origin of the Sorbian Birds' Wedding is said to be in the area of the Upper Sorbs. Still today this custom is alive in many families. Children feed the birds in winter and as a reward the children are allowed to participate in the Birds' Wedding. They put empty plates and dishes in the open window and birds bring sweets and cookies. This original custom is unknown among Lower Sorbs. Instead, elementary schools and kindergartens celebrate the Bird's Wedding as children's festivity within the groups. The magpie (Sorbian "sroka") and the raven (Sorbian "wron") are bride and groom. The bridal couple is beautifully dressed. Most of the time the bride and groom wear the traditional formal wedding costume of the Sorbs. The other children dress up as various birds and are invited to enjoy the wedding meal. Throughout the day the children show what they have learned by performing dances, singing Sorbian folksongs and reading poems and short stories. The Birds' Wedding is very popular among grownups as well.

At the end of the 19th century Sorbian associations began to organize social evening gatherings. After World War II regional groups began to organize these events again. Later the Sorbian National Ensemble in Budyšin/Bautzen arranged such evening performances on stage and traveled to the villages on an alternating basis. Today children, their parents and grandparents come to enjoy a program filled with singing, dancing and music.