Wedding of the Weddings
Encyclopedia
Wedding of the Weddings is an annual meeting
of couples
who had non-alcoholic wedding receptions. The meetings have taken place in various cities of Poland
since 1995.
The couples come together with their children to have an all-night-long non-alcoholic dancing party, to exchange experience on organizing non-alcoholic parties
for children, youth and adults and just to spend several days together enjoying the local culture.
, with invited talks by researcher
s on family related issues (relationship in the marriage, growing up children, non-alcoholic weddings and other family feasts) and with contributions of participants. There are meetings and discussions with representatives of the local government
who are responsible for family support and for alcohol-related problems. A rich social program is offered: sports, sightseeing tours, field trips and picnics. Performances of folk singer
s and folk dance
rs as well as of pop stars accompany the meetings.
The major event of each Wedding of the Weddings follows a traditional wedding rite. In the evening, there is a Holy Mass at the local cathedral, where a bishop blesses each couple after confirmation of the marital oath
. After that there is a wedding parade through the streets of the town to the restaurant, where a reception takes place. The reception starts with a polonaise
, an old Polish aristocratic dance, lasting until 4:00 am with dancing and games for participants led by professional entertainers .
of a small parish
in Kamesznica
, became famous for spreading the tradition of non-alcoholic wedding receptions. In his parish, more than 90% of all wedding receptions were celebrated without alcohol. In 1995, he was invited by Radio Maryja
(a well-known Catholic radio station) to tell the listeners about his experience with alcohol-free weddings. Listeners from all Poland were calling the radio station to say that alcohol-free weddings were organized by many individuals. Father Zązel proposed then to organize a meeting of those who had non-alcoholic weddings. The meetings were called "Wedding of the Weddings".
The first two such meetings were organized in Father Zązel’s parish Kamesznica, then in Zamość
, Częstochowa
, Kraków
, Białystok, Koszęcin
, Ludźmierz
, Warszawa, Olsztyn
, Wrocław[3], Bydgoszcz, Tarnów
, Łomża , Miejsce Piastowe
and Radom
.
In 1999, Father Zązel went with alcohol-free couples to Rome
, where they were blessed by Pope
John Paul II.
from Radom
,
of Radom University of Technology,
of the Poznań University of Technology,
) are accompanying practically all the meetings. Folk groups from other regions appear occasionally as well like from Kujawy, Kurpie
, Radom area or Silesia
. But also (former or current) pop stars come frequently to give concerts, for example Magda Anioł and her band, Antonina Krzysztoń
, Viola Brzezińska with the 'New Day' group as well as Jarosław Wajek, a former vocalist of the "Oddział Zamknięty" rock band,
and Jan Budziaszek of the Skaldowie
band.
is served. To combat the feeling of being strangers to this culture and in Polish society, many of those couples seeking alcohol-free weddings also sought out other like-minded people with whom to socialize and celebrate.
The non-alcoholic weddings differ from the ones where alcohol is served. The wedding ceremony is usually extended by the reading of a special blessing
(and acknowledgement) from the local bishop
. Through this, the wedding reception does not only become exceptional because of the absence of alcohol and everything associated with alcohol, but it is also marked by other traditions and attractions. As toasts
in Poland are almost by definition associated with alcohol, they are either removed entirely or replaced by table speeches, goat's milk toasts, songs in honor of the married couple and their parents and so on. As Polish wedding receptions are usually all night long events, usually the alcohol goes some way into keeping the guests awake and amused late at night. A non-alcoholic wedding differs significantly from this as dishes are served regularly, must be of comparable quality all the time, the orchestra
has to play all the time and the party is enriched by various group dances (such as the polonaise
, line dances, "travel dances", skill dances (zorba
, mountain folk dances), games and competitions for the participants. Usually professional entertainers, who undertook special courses for non-alcoholic party entertainment ( wodzirej) are employed during the reception to organize and run the entertainment program.
The vast majority of non-alcoholic weddings are organized by free-choice abstinents (not to be confused with recovering alcoholics). It is a matter of lifestyle, not of medical treatment.
parties, church-associated celebrations (baptism, first communion, wedding, funeral) are organized without alcohol.
Moreover, the couples and their children are also frequently engaged in some abstinence societies.
Meeting
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....
of couples
Catholic marriage
Catholic marriage, also called matrimony, is a "covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring...
who had non-alcoholic wedding receptions. The meetings have taken place in various cities of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
since 1995.
The couples come together with their children to have an all-night-long non-alcoholic dancing party, to exchange experience on organizing non-alcoholic parties
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
for children, youth and adults and just to spend several days together enjoying the local culture.
The event
Wedding of the Weddings is a multi-layered event. There are conferences usually held at a local universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, with invited talks by researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
s on family related issues (relationship in the marriage, growing up children, non-alcoholic weddings and other family feasts) and with contributions of participants. There are meetings and discussions with representatives of the local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
who are responsible for family support and for alcohol-related problems. A rich social program is offered: sports, sightseeing tours, field trips and picnics. Performances of folk singer
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
s and folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
rs as well as of pop stars accompany the meetings.
The major event of each Wedding of the Weddings follows a traditional wedding rite. In the evening, there is a Holy Mass at the local cathedral, where a bishop blesses each couple after confirmation of the marital oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
. After that there is a wedding parade through the streets of the town to the restaurant, where a reception takes place. The reception starts with a polonaise
Polonaise
The polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
, an old Polish aristocratic dance, lasting until 4:00 am with dancing and games for participants led by professional entertainers .
History
The Reverend Władysław Zązel, provostProvost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of a small parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in Kamesznica
Kamesznica
Kamesznica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Milówka, within Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Milówka, south-west of Żywiec, and south of the regional capital Katowice....
, became famous for spreading the tradition of non-alcoholic wedding receptions. In his parish, more than 90% of all wedding receptions were celebrated without alcohol. In 1995, he was invited by Radio Maryja
Radio Maryja
Radio Maryja is a Polish religious, conservative, anti-post-Communist and pro-life Roman Catholic radio station and media group, describing itself as patriotic. It was founded in Toruń, Poland, on December 9, 1991 and has been run since its inception by the Redemptorist rector doctor Tadeusz...
(a well-known Catholic radio station) to tell the listeners about his experience with alcohol-free weddings. Listeners from all Poland were calling the radio station to say that alcohol-free weddings were organized by many individuals. Father Zązel proposed then to organize a meeting of those who had non-alcoholic weddings. The meetings were called "Wedding of the Weddings".
The first two such meetings were organized in Father Zązel’s parish Kamesznica, then in Zamość
Zamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
, Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Białystok, Koszęcin
Koszecin
Koszęcin is a village in Lubliniec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Koszęcin. It lies approximately south-east of Lubliniec and north of the regional capital Katowice...
, Ludźmierz
Ludzmierz
Ludźmierz is a village in Poland in the Lesser Poland voivodeship, in the county of Nowy Targ. Ludźmierz is the oldest village in Podhale and is located about 85 kilometres south of Cracow. It lies approximately west of Nowy Targ and south of the regional capital Kraków.The building of the...
, Warszawa, Olsztyn
Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
, Wrocław[3], Bydgoszcz, Tarnów
Tarnów
Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
, Łomża , Miejsce Piastowe
Miejsce Piastowe
Miejsce Piastowe is a village in Krosno County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Miejsce Piastowe. It lies approximately south-east of Krosno and south of the regional capital Rzeszów.-References:...
and Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
.
In 1999, Father Zązel went with alcohol-free couples to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where they were blessed by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II.
Speakers and preachers
Among the speakers, who usually come from the local communities, there also some prominent and well-known ones in Poland, such as:- Cardinal Archbishop Franciszek Macharski of KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, - Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski from VaticanHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, - Archbishop Wojciech Ziemba of Białystok,
- Archbishop Edmund Michał Piszcz of Warmia,
- Archbishop Józef Michalik of PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, President of Polish Bishop Conference, - Bishop Jan Tyrawa of Bydgoszcz,
- Bishop Stanisław Stefanek of Łomża,
- Bishop Antoni Pacyfik Dydycz of DrohiczynDrohiczynDrohiczyn is a small historic town in Siemiatycze County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. The town with population 2,110 is situated on a bank of the Bug River.- History :...
, - Bishop Henryk Tomasik of RadomRadomRadom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
, - Bishop Edward Materski
from Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
,
- Bishop Józef Zawitkowski from Łowicz,
- Bishop Marian Duś from Warszawa,
- Bishop Jan Szkodoń from KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, - Bishop Andrzej Siemieniewski from Wrocław,
- Bishop Wiesław Lechowicz from TarnówTarnówTarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
, - Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski from Łomża,
- Bishop Kazimierz Górny of RzeszówRzeszówRzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
, - Bishop Adam Szal from PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, - Pater professor Karol Meissner, specialist on sexologySexologySexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behavior, and function. The term does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sex, such as political analysis or social criticism....
, - Pater professor Aleksander Posacki, specialist of demonologyDemonologyDemonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. It is the branch of theology relating to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent...
, occultism and sectSectA sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
s, - Pater professor Janusz Królikowski, specialist of dogmatic theologyDogmatic theologyDogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...
, - Pater Leon Knabit, specialist of theologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
- Dr. Mieczysław Guzewicz, doctor of theologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, specialist on marriage issues - Dr. Andrzej Dakowicz of University of Białystok,
- Dr. Krzysztof A. Wojcieszek, of the Bogdan Janicki University, psychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, - Dr. Eng. Antoni Zieba, of the Cracow University of Technology engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, - Dr. Andrzej Gołębiowski,
of Radom University of Technology,
- Dr. Eng. Jacek Pulikowski
of the Poznań University of Technology,
- Mr. Andrzej Wronka, specialist on Catholic apologetics, and many other.[1]
Artists
Folk singers and dancers as well as orchestras from Polish mountains (GoralsGorals
The Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...
) are accompanying practically all the meetings. Folk groups from other regions appear occasionally as well like from Kujawy, Kurpie
Kurpie
Kurpie is one of a number of ethnic regions in Poland, noted for its unique traditional customs, such as its own types of traditional costume, traditional dance, and distinctive type of architecture and livelihoods...
, Radom area or Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. But also (former or current) pop stars come frequently to give concerts, for example Magda Anioł and her band, Antonina Krzysztoń
Antonina Krzyszton
Antonina Krzysztoń is a Polish singer-songwriter.On May 3, 2006 Polish President Lech Kaczyński awarded her the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.-Discography:* 1990 Inne światy...
, Viola Brzezińska with the 'New Day' group as well as Jarosław Wajek, a former vocalist of the "Oddział Zamknięty" rock band,
and Jan Budziaszek of the Skaldowie
Skaldowie
Skaldowie, a Cracow, Poland, rock group, was particularly popular from the 1960s to the 1980s. With their musical training and proximity to the folklore-rich area of Podhale, many of their tracks were a fusion of rock, folk, and classical music....
band.
Alcohol Free Weddings
A central reason for the Wedding of the Weddings event is the general resistance in Poland (and also in other countries) against weddings where no alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
is served. To combat the feeling of being strangers to this culture and in Polish society, many of those couples seeking alcohol-free weddings also sought out other like-minded people with whom to socialize and celebrate.
The non-alcoholic weddings differ from the ones where alcohol is served. The wedding ceremony is usually extended by the reading of a special blessing
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
(and acknowledgement) from the local bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. Through this, the wedding reception does not only become exceptional because of the absence of alcohol and everything associated with alcohol, but it is also marked by other traditions and attractions. As toasts
Toast (honor)
A toast is a ritual in which a drink is taken as an expression of honor or goodwill. The term may be applied to the person or thing so honored, the drink taken, or the verbal expression accompanying the drink. Thus, a person could be "the toast of the evening," for whom someone "proposes a toast"...
in Poland are almost by definition associated with alcohol, they are either removed entirely or replaced by table speeches, goat's milk toasts, songs in honor of the married couple and their parents and so on. As Polish wedding receptions are usually all night long events, usually the alcohol goes some way into keeping the guests awake and amused late at night. A non-alcoholic wedding differs significantly from this as dishes are served regularly, must be of comparable quality all the time, the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
has to play all the time and the party is enriched by various group dances (such as the polonaise
Polonaise
The polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
, line dances, "travel dances", skill dances (zorba
Zorba
Zorba may refer to:*Zorba the Greek, a 1946 novel by the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis**Zorba the Greek , a 1964 movie based on the novel**Zorba , a musical based on the novel and film...
, mountain folk dances), games and competitions for the participants. Usually professional entertainers, who undertook special courses for non-alcoholic party entertainment ( wodzirej) are employed during the reception to organize and run the entertainment program.
The vast majority of non-alcoholic weddings are organized by free-choice abstinents (not to be confused with recovering alcoholics). It is a matter of lifestyle, not of medical treatment.
Non-alcoholic lifestyle
Another aspect shared by the participants of the Wedding of the Weddings is the non-alcoholic lifestyle. All family parties, like the ones connected to birthdays or name days of the parents or children, meetings with friends or friends of children, New YearNew Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
parties, church-associated celebrations (baptism, first communion, wedding, funeral) are organized without alcohol.
Moreover, the couples and their children are also frequently engaged in some abstinence societies.