This post is going to introduce you what sitz parties are all about. Sit back and hold tight, the journey is about to be begin!
A sitz party [sv. sitz (NB. in Sweden the word “sittning” is often used instead), fi. sitsit] is one of the most common types of student events organized in Finland. A sitz party contains a dinner (usually two to three courses) combined with singing, drinking and getting to know other people. The participants sit in long tables, usually with binary order: female-male-female-male. The table of the sitz leaders is separated from the rest of the tables, being situated usually somewhere in the middle / in the front of the venue, so it’s easy to follow up what’s going to happen next in the sitz. Below you will find my list of advice, if you are going to attend a sitz party as a newcomer:
- RESPECT THE RULES! The basic rules contain following things: no standing up/toilet breaks outside the designated breaks, no mobile phone use (that’s why this post doesn’t contain any photos) and no talking when the leaders talk. Violations of the rules are always punishable; the leaders decide what you must do in that case.
- BE ON TIME! If the party starts at 19.00, you should be sitting on your assigned place already at that moment.
- It can be a good idea to eat a bit a couple of hours before the sitz, since it’s not always guaranteed that the portions will really fill your stomach.
- NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTION IS COMPLETELY FINE. The most important thing is that you attend and have a good time. If someone can’t respect your choice, that person is not worth your time and attention.
- IF YOU DRINK ALCOHOL, DRINK WATER TOO. That provides you with better chances for not getting completed wrecked afterwards.
- ATTEND BRAVELY SITZ PARTIES NOT ADJUSTED TO EXCHANGE STUDENTS (if you are an exchange student). Sitz parties are one of the best ways of getting to know local students. If you have difficulties in finding info, ask eg. your international tutor / student association.
- ABOVE ALL, HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE.
I’m heading to my first sitz party in Vaasa (in Havtornen) in about half an hour and I feel excited, almost as much as I did back in 2010 when I attended my first ever sitz party in Turku. Back then the theme was Switzerland and it was organized by Forum Romanum (French students’ association in UTU*), Germanica (German students’ association in UTU) and Pappagallo (Italian students’ association in UTU). We participants were placed to four different tables; each one of them was a different canton. And since there are four official languages in Switzerland, we had Grischun as Romansh-speaking canton, Ticino as Italian-speaking canton, Valais as French-speaking canton and then one German-speaking canton (I don’t remember anymore which one we had). The leaders were the central government of Switzerland. Each canton had specific rules, and in order to change anything, we needed to vote about everything. Eg. one of the cantons had only one male member and suddenly the central government decided that only men can vote. However, the female members of the canton complained about the decision, and wanted a new election. The decision was overturned and after that, it went so that only women could vote. That was an example of how the theme of a sitz party can look like.
The venue where it was held, doesn’t exist anymore. I hope that Havtornen stands tall for a long time to come.
* UTU = University of Turku