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Stužková, A Night to Remember: Exploring Slovakia's High School Tradition

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Students in their final year of high school get to experience something quite special in Slovakia – Stužková, or a “Green Ribbon Party”. This event is like the red carpet of high school, the big finale to the often-challenging high school journey, loaded with excitement, glamour, and fun. It is a cherished tradition celebrated in Slovakia, and it holds significant importance for Slovak students. It usually takes place in the autumn, and it is a memorable rite of passage.

The Formal Ceremony

Stužková usually kicks off with a formal ceremony set in a beautiful, festive setting. The ceremony usually starts with singing the unofficial student anthem, Gaudeamus Igitur (the song is in Latin). It is followed by speeches, an official parade-like presentation of students, recognition of academic achievements, a look back at the journey that the class took over the years, and the big moment—getting a green ribbon. Students continue to wear these ribbons pinned to their clothes throughout the year to signify their status as seniors. It's a time to shine, with families, teachers and school staff joining in the celebration. It's a moment of pride and accomplishment, not only for young people themselves but also for all the teachers who spent years nurturing the minds of their students.

To conclude this part of the evening, students read short poems that someone in the class made about each of their classmates. They are made to summarize, often in a very funny way, personalities and the journeys of the students.

The Theatre

Once the formal ceremony is over, it is time for a bit of light-hearted fun. Students often organize a programme that includes entertaining and engaging scenes to perform in front of their parents, teachers, and guests. These scenes can be humorous, dramatic, creative in nature, or straight up silly. They are a way for students to showcase their talents and thank their parents and teachers for all they have done for them with a couple of laughs, although students themselves would probably tell you it is only the best way to embarrass themselves.

Kradnutie triednej knihy – Stealing the Class Register

One part of the evening programme tends to be watching a video of “Kradnutie triednej knihy”, which could be translated as “Stealing the class register”. It is a playful and jovial tradition that frequently takes place at Slovak high schools. The central aim of this tradition is to inject an element of fun into the farewell to high school. It involves a degree of harmless mischief and serves as a fun bonding experience for the students.

Students from the graduating class devise and execute a symbolic "theft" of the class register from their class teacher. This can be accomplished through various creative means.

This register typically contains a wealth of information about all the students in the class, including attendance records, grades, and other data. Once the students seized the class register, they put a wax seal on it so it can’t be used (meaning: no exams) until Stužková.

Party on

Once the programme concludes, usually with the entire class singing a modern anthem of the ceremony—a song named Stužková, it is time to dance. First, a formal dance with teachers and parents. After the formal stuff, it's time to let loose. The celebration shifts into an all-out party. There's music, dancing, and the vibe is electric. Live bands or DJs bring the beats, turning it into a night difficult to forget.

Rozbíjanie džbánu – Breaking the Jug

The last tradition to take place during Stužková is “Rozbíjanie džbánu”, or “Breaking the jug”. At some point during the evening, students create a circle, and their teacher starts moving the jug filled with some beverage. Every student takes a sip from it, handing it to the next classmate until everybody takes their turn and the jug is empty. Afterwards, one of the students gets to smash the jug on the ground, and all students collect a piece or two of it as a little memento.

In recent years, Stužková has taken on a whole new level. Not only is the entire event usually professionally recorded, but thanks to social media capturing and sharing the fun, reliving the best (and, let's face it, also the worst) Stužková moments is easier than ever before.

In a nutshell, Stužková is not just another school event. It's the perfect blend of formal recognition and high-energy celebration, reflecting the enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment of students as they say goodbye to their high school days. However, students continue to wear the green ribbon with their name until May, when they have the school-leaving exams called “maturita”.

Did you also have a school leaving ceremony? What did it look like? You can share your memories here.

And if you want to enrich your Slovak vocabulary with expressions related to formal ceremonies, click here.