''Sto lat'' (One Hundred Years) is a traditional

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

that is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person. It is also a common way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Polish. ''Sto lat'' is used in many birthdays and on international day of language. The song's author and exact origin are unattributed. The song is sung both at informal gatherings (such as

birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...

s or

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...

s) or at formal events, such as

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

s. Frequently, the song "Niech im gwiazdka pomyślności" will be sung afterwards, excluding kids' parties, as the song makes reference to alcohol consumption. At state events it is not unusual to hear it performed by an

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

or a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...

. It is also noted for being an integral part of Polish immigrant culture even long after assimilation.

Similar songs

The song serves the equivalent function of "

Happy Birthday to You "Happy Birthday to You", also known as "Happy Birthday", is a song traditionally sung to celebrate a person's birthday. According to the 1998 ''Guinness World Records'', it is the most recognised song in the English language, followed by "For ...

" or "

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is a popular song that is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a promotion, a birthday, a wedding (or playing a major part in a wedding), a retirement, a wedding anniversary, the birth of a ...

Lyrics

This translates roughly into English as: :100 years, 100 years, :May they live! :100 years, 100 years, :May they live! :Once again, once again, :May they live! :May they live! : After the repetition of the phrase ''Niech żyje nam'', usually ''A kto?'' (''But who?'') will be collectively shouted, followed by the name of the intended recipient of the wishes. Of the few variations of the optional second verse, the most common one is as follows: Which roughly translates to: :May their star of prosperity :Never extinguish! :Never extinguish! :And whoever won't sing with us :May they sleep under the table! :May they sleep under the table!

Use as a phrase

The phrase "Sto lat!" is also often used to wish someone

longevity The word " longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography. However, the term ''longevity'' is sometimes meant to refer only to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas ''life expectancy'' is always d ...

or good fortune, or as a

toast Toast most commonly refers to: * Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat * Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken Toast may also refer to: Places * Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States Books * '' ...

, without the song. However, the use of "Sto lat!" in this manner will often lead to the song being sung by those present. The phrase is also sometimes used to acknowledge someone's sneezing – similarly to "God bless you", though for that particular occasion a simple ''na zdrowie'' ("To your health") is more frequently used. In literature,

Sto Lat ''Sto lat'' (One Hundred Years) is a traditional Poland, Polish song that is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person. It is also a common way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Polish. ''Sto lat'' is used in many bi ...

is a fictional city in Terry Pratchett's

Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat pla ...

Series.

References

Birthday Wishes for Friend
{{reflist

External links

Year of song unknown Polish folk songs

Similar songs

Lyrics

Use as a phrase

See also

References

External links