The Rainis Museum invites you to the event ‘Sanāciet kāziņās!’

On 30 September at 3:00 p.m., the Rainis Museum “Jasmuiža” (Aizkalne, Preiļi Municipality) invites the public to the event “Sanāciet kāziņās!”, featuring the Naktineica folklore group from Saunas and the editors of the academic publication “Latvian Folk Songs”, Volume 12: Weddings. Part 2 from the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (UL ILFA).

Marking autumn as the season of courtship and weddings in Latvian tradition, “Sanāciet kāziņās!” offers a multifaceted exploration of wedding customs. The museum exhibition narrative will intertwine with the launch of Volume 12: Weddings. Part 2. Exhibition objects will be woven into UL ILFA researchers’ stories about wedding traditions in folk songs, with special attention to folklore recorded in Latgale. Participants will also have the opportunity to take part in reenactments of certain wedding customs—for example, experiencing the spirited exchange of ritual songs (apdziedāšanās), reflecting together on how wedding rituals have changed over time, and sharing personal wedding memories.

The musical atmosphere will be provided by the Saunas folklore group Naktineica from Preiļi Municipality, one of Latvia’s oldest ethnographic ensembles. The group’s greatest treasure is the repertoire of songs preserved and passed down through generations, still sung today at celebrations, rituals, and in everyday life.

This season at Rainis Museum “Jasmuiža” is dedicated to exploring Latgalian wedding traditions, engaging visitors through a range of themed events. Throughout the season, the exhibition “Kuozys” is on view, inspired by the works of Rainis. As a young student, Rainis (then Jānis Pliekšāns) spent holidays at Jasmuiža and took a keen interest in Latgalian weddings—their traditions and rituals. He recorded wedding and ritual singing songs from local informants and wrote an essay on wedding customs in Višķi Parish, describing rituals, traditions, and practices of Latgalian weddings in the 1880s.

Earlier this summer, UL ILFA announced the publication of “Latvian Folk Songs”, Volume 12: Weddings. Part 2—the largest volume to date, comprising 107,572 variants of folk songs. It continues the work begun in Volume 11: Weddings. Part 1 (2018), which covered songs about the bride’s dowry, the dowry procession, the wedding journey, feasts, and celebrations. Volume 12 includes songs accompanying ritual singing contests, the mičošana rite, bedding and waking rituals, mutual gift-giving, visits to the bride’s home region, and other ceremonial texts.

During the event, Volumes 11 and 12 of “Latvian Folk Songs” will be available for purchase.

Admission is free of charge.

Photo and video materials may be used for museum publicity purposes.