The big prize of a festival dedicated to wedding traditions and customs, the 2008 edition, has gone to the team of ethno-folklorists from Moldova State University “Crenguta de iedera” conducted by Maria Iliut. The winners performed the ritual staged on Thursday before the wedding – taking the bride's dowry. The Laureates Gala held Friday, November 14 in the Railway Culture Palace, was attended by six university ensembles. Jury chairwoman Varvara Buzila has told Info-Prim Neo the festival is held once in two years and is very popular among students. “We appreciated the competitors who knew to be original, spectacular and to perform with enthusiasm,” she said. “It's a festival for youth, to keep the good, old customs. We thought the most spectacular and most important in one's life is the wedding and that's where the festival's idea came from,” Maria Iliut, master of arts and president of the festival said. Nadejda Afanasie, a student form the State University and a member of Crenguta de iedera played the bride. “I had a special feeling I experienced for the first time so intensely,” she said. The festival unfolded under the rectors' patronage. The winners got prizes of 5,000 and 2,000 lei. The first prize went to the team from the State University from Balti. The second place was won the ensembles from the Arts and Music Academy and the Taraclia University. The teams from the Economic Studies Academy and from the Medical College got the third prize.