English

Proper noun

Birds’ Wedding

1. A custom among the Sorbs (Wends) of Lusatia in Germany, whereby on the evening of 24 January children put empty plates outside, and on the morning of 25 January they find pastries, meringues and candy in the form of birds, which are said to have been left for them by birds celebrating their wedding.
   • 1972, Gerald Stone, The smallest Slavonic nation: the Sorbs of Lusatia. Athlene Press. pp. 130–31:

     On 25 January in Upper Lusatia the custom of Ptači kwas (Birds’ Wedding) is observed. [...] Following the First World War the Birds’ Wedding began to assume a new form, and eventually developed into a popular festival which was given a new impulse after 1945.

   • 2004, Allan O. Kownslar, The European Texans. Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 1585443522, p. 120:

     The Birds’ Wedding was a custom especially for Wendish children that went as follows: “On January 25th the children would place empty plates and saucers outside, usually on fence posts and other high places to prevent raids by dogs and cats. The next morning the children would wake up to find the dishes filled with candy and nuts supposedly left for them by the birds. [The birds] were said to be celebrating their wedding and wanted to share their gifts with neighboring humans.”

   • 2010, Andrea Schulte-Peevers et al., Germany, Lonely Planet Travel Guide, ISBN 174220340X p. 167:

     The Sorbs were protected under the GDR and since reunification interest in the culture has been revived through the media and colourful Sorbian festivals such as the Vogelhochzeit (Birds’ Wedding) on 25 January and a symbolic ‘witch-burning’ on 30 April.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:Birds' Wedding.

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