Pietryčių Lietuvos lenkų vestuvės XX a. pabaigoje-XXI a. pradžioje: tarpkultūrinio tyrimo aspektai
Polish Wedding Traditions in South-eastern Lithuania at the End of the 20th Century-the Beginning of the 21st Century

Summary/Abstract: The specificity of south-eastern Lithuania has been caused mainly by peculiar ethnic composition of its inhabitants. As a result, ethno cultural processes taking place within the multinational environment inevitably influence all life spheres of the inhabitants of that region. Nevertheless, from the point of view of ethnology, no research has been carried outon Poles living there. Firstly, on the basis of ethnographic field material, the article analyses several moments of the complex of a wedding ceremony. Invitation to a wedding, the eve of a wedding, the arrival of a bridegroom in a bride's house, farewell and blessing, the meeting of newlyweds from church atthe end of the 20th century-the beginning of the 21st century are discussed in the article. The article aims to determine the peculiarities of these parts of a weddingcomplex, to wedding traditions of Lithuanian Poles are a continuation of Polish wedding traditions or a synthesis of Lithuanian and Polish wedding ceremonies and customs. In the Southeast of Lithuania there exists a peculiar model of a Polish wedding. The research has revealed that the tradition to arrange invitations to a wedding, which was adopted from Poland, is widely spread in weddings. An exceptional feature o fthe region is the custom off are well with the parents of future spouses. For this particular custom the pictures of the St. Mother of God or other saints are used. There are also other wedding moments adopted from Poland such as the custom of farewell of a bride with the neighbours gathered outdoors. Sometimes a bride may even ask for their blessing. On the other hand, the ceremony of meeting the newlyweds from church is similar in both Polish and Lithuanian wedding traditions. There are very peculiar customs related to a myrtle wreath of a bride. Having analysed the field research material and referred to the research data of ethnologists, it becomes clear that at the end of the 20th century-the beginning of the 21st century, a certain part of Polish wedding traditions in south-eastern Lithuania is analogous to wedding traditions prevailing in other regions of Lithuania while the other part of wedding traditions has been adopted from modern Polish wedding model.

• Details
• Contents