25/05/2024
Poland
participants
Organising an event in the form of a Polish wedding for foreign students was primarily intended to familiarise and promote Polish culture, Polish and regional traditions for the Podlasie region among people from other countries. This type of event enables foreign students to better understand and experience Polish customs, which fosters intercultural integration and relationship building between students of different nationalities. In addition, such an event has an educational function, enabling participants to gain knowledge of specific Polish wedding customs, such as traditional dances, music, dishes or customs.
The event took place in the village of Baciuty, near Bialystok, where the Erasmus students, together with our volunteers, arrived by regional train line and entertained in an old school converted into a wedding hall. Selected by poll, the bride and groom (erasmus students) opened the event with a traditional ceremony of reception with bread and salt to the accompaniment of regional folk music played on the accordion. The guests and the bride and groom then took part in games and integration activities typical of a Polish wedding. During the event, foreign students were also able to taste dishes traditional to the Podlasie region and key words. The students, curious about Polish traditions, were also eager to show wedding traditions from their own countries and cultures, which made it possible to make new acquaintances and build a strong relationship between the students based on mutual understanding and tolerance. The students and volunteers cleaned up the hall together after the event, showing their awareness of caring for the environment and sorting rubbish.
