Sittning
Encyclopedia
A sittning is in Sweden a seated meal held within a set time frame. In restaurants it may refer to a seating, i.e. the time given for a crowd to have their meal. The term is also used to denote the part of a party that is a seated meal. Though it can refer to any kind of meal, it is often used to refer to a student
sittning.
's or nation's
property, usually a pub room, or banquet hall if the student union is fortunate enough to have one. In academic environments some of the tradition is carried on even after one is no longer a student.
to student overall
can be the evening's dress code. Sittnings often have themes, and the guests are encouraged to dress to match the theme.
or cider
and snaps
along with Punsch
). If snaps or punsch is not included, there will often be tickets for sale.
. Many places in Sweden have an etiquette concerning how to toast. In Uppsala, for example, the tradition is usually to raise your glass and to nod first to your table partner (for ladies, the gentleman to your left, and for gentlemen, the lady to your right), then with the person next to you who is not your table partner, and lastly with the person sitting across from you. After the three nods, you drink and then nod to the same people in the reverse order. Finally, you set your glass back down on the table (ladies first). During some sittnings this begins very formally but then becomes more and more sloppy (relaxed).
, choir performances, speeches, and pretty much anything that may be entertaining to the guests may also take place during the sittning.
and often also by a sånganförare ("song master"). The toastmaster keeps note of and introduces everyone who wants to perform something, communicates with the serving staff, and generally makes sure that the sittning runs smoothly. The sånganförare chooses which songs to sing and starts them off.
or a ball
usually starts with a sittning and then continues on with a party after the sittning is over. Usually there is dancing, either to live music or a DJ
, and a pub. Formal etiquette suggests that a gentleman at a ball with a sittning should dance the two first dances with his table partner (the lady on the right), the following two dances with the lady who was on his left, and finally two dances with the lady sitting across from him.
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
sittning.
Student sittning
A student sittning in Sweden is usually a dinner had at the student unionStudent activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
's or nation's
Nations at Swedish universities
The student nations or nationer at the two ancient universities in Uppsala and Lund, of which there are now thirteen at each university, are the oldest student societies in Sweden...
property, usually a pub room, or banquet hall if the student union is fortunate enough to have one. In academic environments some of the tradition is carried on even after one is no longer a student.
Dress code
The dress code is different depending on the occasion, everything from white tieWhite tie
White tie is the most formal evening dress code in Western fashion. It is worn to ceremonial occasions such as state dinners in some countries, as well as to very formal balls and evening weddings...
to student overall
Student overall
-History and use:Particular boilersuits or "student overalls" are widely used for specific events at universities and polytechnics in Sweden and Finland. Typically, the overalls are procured by the student associations of faculties or programmes...
can be the evening's dress code. Sittnings often have themes, and the guests are encouraged to dress to match the theme.
The meal and drinks
The meal is prepared and served by students who often spend some time working at their union or nation. The number of dishes vary, but three courses is common, and alcohol is usually included in the price (beerBeer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
or cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and snaps
Snaps
Snaps is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where it is very common to drink snaps at holidays such as...
along with Punsch
Punsch
Punsch is a traditional liqueur in Sweden and to a lesser extent some other Nordic countries produced from arrack, neutral spirits, sugar, water, and various flavorings...
). If snaps or punsch is not included, there will often be tickets for sale.
Singing
A vital part of a sittning is singing. The guests are usually given a booklet with songs that will be sung during the sittning. Everyone sings when a song is brought up, and songs are often related to the current progress of the sitting. Sittnings often begin with a certain song and end with another, songs are sung when drinking snaps, and there is often a song to honor the students serving and cooking. These songs differ depending on student union or nation. In some locations, such as Uppsala, it is common for a sittning to end with the song "O gamla klang och jubeltid". During the last verse of the song, the guests stand on their chairs and after the song is finished you are no longer supposed to sit down.Toasts
After a song is sung, glasses are usually raised for a skål, or in English, a toastToast (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"...
. Many places in Sweden have an etiquette concerning how to toast. In Uppsala, for example, the tradition is usually to raise your glass and to nod first to your table partner (for ladies, the gentleman to your left, and for gentlemen, the lady to your right), then with the person next to you who is not your table partner, and lastly with the person sitting across from you. After the three nods, you drink and then nod to the same people in the reverse order. Finally, you set your glass back down on the table (ladies first). During some sittnings this begins very formally but then becomes more and more sloppy (relaxed).
Seating
Often sittnings will involve sitting at long tables (långbord). In some cases, the guests will be designated seats, if possible every other lady and gentleman, and shifted on opposite sides of the table so that the ladies will sit opposite a gentleman, and vice versa.Other entertainment
Other performances such as short spex (theatre)Spex (theatre)
Spex is a kind of amateur comedy theatre act performed by university students in Sweden and parts of Finland. University cities, such as Gothenburg, Lund, Uppsala, Umeå, and Linköping have long going traditions of spex....
, choir performances, speeches, and pretty much anything that may be entertaining to the guests may also take place during the sittning.
Toastmaster
The sittning is usually guided by a toastmaster toastmasterToastmaster
Toastmaster is a general term, prevalent in the United States in the middle 20th century, referring to a person in charge of the proceedings of a public speaking event. The toastmaster is typically charged with organization of the event, arranging the order of speakers, introducing one or more of...
and often also by a sånganförare ("song master"). The toastmaster keeps note of and introduces everyone who wants to perform something, communicates with the serving staff, and generally makes sure that the sittning runs smoothly. The sånganförare chooses which songs to sing and starts them off.
Differing traditions
Some students are very relaxed about all the traditions that come with a sittning and do as they please so as to have a very nice evening. Others recognize that the traditions in fact enhance the festivity of the sittning and adhere to them rigorously. Strangely, when Swedish students from different sittning traditions meet they will often find each others traditions quite remarkable, even absurd.Gask and ball
A gaskGask
Gask, gasque, a kind of Swedish student party which starts with a more or less formal dinner. The word is believed to originate from the card game vira, popular in the 19th century....
or a ball
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
usually starts with a sittning and then continues on with a party after the sittning is over. Usually there is dancing, either to live music or a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, and a pub. Formal etiquette suggests that a gentleman at a ball with a sittning should dance the two first dances with his table partner (the lady on the right), the following two dances with the lady who was on his left, and finally two dances with the lady sitting across from him.