The Saxon State Chancellery remains a popular venue for the traditional bird wedding. Head of government Michael Kretschmer (CDU) welcomed girls and boys from the bilingual daycare center "Zum Wassermann" in Räckelwitz. Twenty of them showed how the festival of the Bird Wedding (Sorbian: Ptači kwas) is celebrated in Upper Lusatia. They had rehearsed a program that combined dance, music and poetry.
The bird wedding has a long tradition in Lusatia, the settlement area of the Sorbs. It marks the approaching end of winter. According to an old custom, children place empty plates by the window on the eve of January 25. In the morning, there are cookies in the shape of birds and nests on them to thank the animals for feeding them during the cold season. The bird wedding is celebrated in daycare centers and schools, with the children dressing up as wedding bitters - the master of ceremonies of a Sorbian wedding - in a black suit with a cane and top hat, as bride and groom, godmothers, bridesmaids and guests.
