''Studniówka'' () is a traditional

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but sometimes ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for s ...

for final grade

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

('' liceum'' or '' technikum'') students (i.e. aged 18–20) in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, analogous to senior

prom A promenade dance or prom is a formal dance party for graduating high school students at the end of the school year. Students participating in the prom will typically vote for a ''prom king'' and ''prom queen''. Other students may be honored ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is held approximately a hundred days before the ''

matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

'', or leaving exam; hence its name, which is a Polish noun formed from the adjective ''studniowy'', meaning "hundred-day" (compare ''sto dni'', "a hundred days"). The ball is usually organized by parents who also pay most of the costs. The choice of venue depends mostly on the funds – it may be the school gym, but also an expensive hotel, or even a palace or castle. The ball is attended by students and their dates, teachers, and occasionally parents. The attire is formal; this means suits with

necktie A necktie, long tie, or simply a tie, is a cloth article of formal neckwear or office attire worn for decorative or symbolic purposes, resting under a folded shirt collar or knotted at the throat, and usually draped down the chest. On rare o ...

s (not

tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and North American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal ...

s) for boys, and

evening gown An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from Ballerina skirt, ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), Tea length, tea (above the ankles), to Skirt length, full-length. S ...

s for girls. Additionally, girls may don red

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

underneath, which is believed to bring good luck at the exams; boys may also wear red underpants, but this is less common. ''Studniówka'' customarily starts with a dinner, usually followed by a toast with

champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

. This is normally the first occasion when students and their teachers officially drink alcohol together. The first dance is almost invariably a

polonaise The polonaise (, ; , ) is a dance originating in Poland, and one of the five Polish folk dances#National Dances, Polish national dances in Triple metre, time. The original Polish-language name of the dance is ''chodzony'' (), denoting a walki ...

, which students usually have to practice before the ball, followed by more modern dances. A popular competition during the party is a contest for the one who can dance longest holding his partner in the arms. During this contest, the tiniest girls around are particularly popular with boys. Apart from the red underwear, the ball may be associated with many other superstitious practices, such as jumping on one leg around a monument – all of which are supposed to help students pass their ''matura''.

External links

2 LO w Głogowie
a small gallery of pictures taken at a typical ''studniówka'' in a Głogów high school. Note students and teachers dancing polonaise, as well as girls showing off their red garters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Studniowka Polish traditions School dances Polish youth culture Education in Poland