Bachelorette party in traditional Russian style

Holding a bachelorette party on the eve of the wedding has always been a good tradition in Rus'.
In those distant times, the scenario remained unchanged from year to year - her best friends came to the bride and their circle of women led round dances, told fortunes, sewed gifts for guests, accompanying all their actions with songs and dances. But the main idea of such an evening was the bride’s understanding and acceptance of her marital burden. She had to say goodbye to her young free life and prepare to enter the family of her future husband. Dear my readers!

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Over time, people and the environment change, but the idea and meaning of holding a bachelorette party, as the last stage of a free life before marriage, remains unchanged to this day. Only girls and no men - this is the main principle of the bachelorette party!

There are a great many options for holding it: today you can organize a bachelorette party in the style of a pajama party, a retro party, a party in the harem of the great Sultan, and even in a kindergarten. You can easily repeat all of the above parties with your girlfriends on your first free weekend, but you are unlikely to have the opportunity to recreate all the flavor of ancient Russian rituals.

A little history

From time immemorial, the term bachelorette party symbolized the traditional farewell of the bride to girlhood, the so-called maiden will, and the transition of a young girl to the next social group - married women, otherwise called young women.
The origin of this ritual goes back to those distant times of matriarchy, when kinship on the maternal side was considered more important than on the paternal side. By marrying her husband, the girl passed into another gender, and this event was accompanied by indispensable magical actions aimed at ensuring the prosperity and well-being of the girl in marriage.

Where to start?

Start by choosing your environment, that is, those whom you would like to see on such an exciting and, perhaps, the most important evening in your life. Invite your close friends, regardless of age and status, invite those with whom you feel comfortable not only in communication, but also in everyday life. After all, at a bachelorette party you will probably share your secrets and youthful adventures, so you should only trust “trusted” people. Do not forget to notify all invitees in advance about the place and time of the bachelorette party, because with the current pace of life, such an event must be planned in advance.

Now that your treasured list of girlfriends has been determined, think about where you would like to spend this evening.
For a traditional bachelorette party, it would be appropriate to choose a country house with a bathhouse or a trip to nature to a pond. Set a rich table using old Russian recipes.

6. Preparation of incentive prizes.

It is pleasant to receive gifts at every age, especially when this encouragement is earned by winning an exciting game. Pajama party participants will appreciate the symbolic gifts prepared by the organizer. This is also not an expensive issue, just stock up on cute little things. Gift options for event participants:

kinder surprises, lollipops, various sweets;
soft toys, cute keychains;
soap bubbles, confetti, funny caps, hoops with “ears”;
cosmetical tools. Varieties of prizes can be universal, thematic, or having a mention of this celebration.

So, the invitations have been sent out, the room has been prepared, the table, as well as the competitions have been thought out, all that’s left to do is meet your closest friends and enjoy the fun. Organizing a celebration only at first glance seems too intense; if you get involved in the preparation process, you can get a lot of fun, realize any creative ideas and have a lot of fun. You should also remember that the key to a great party is good company, and it’s simply impossible to have a boring time with them.

Quest scenarios up to 10 years

Quest scenarios for children under 16 years of age

Quest scenarios from 18 years old

Bride's clothes

In the old days, at a bachelorette party, the bride appeared in her best girlish dress. Depending on the area, it was a shirt with a skirt or a sundress of bright colors (red, crimson, pink, green). The outfit was complemented by multi-colored ribbons flowing down the back and fluttering at the slightest movement of the girl. Ribbons were sewn onto neck decorations and a special headband called “beauty” or “volushka”. Considering the trends of today, the ideal option for the bride would be a light flowing summer dress or sundress, and if you find in your grandmother’s old bins at least something vaguely reminiscent of the national Russian girl’s sundress or dress, then you can always change into it on the spot, where there will be “only our own”.

For the rest of the guests and girlfriends, you can make wreaths from artificial flowers and attach multi-colored ribbons to them. If your girlfriends have Russian sundresses, this will only be a plus.

Don't cuckoo, cuckoo, goodbye, my dear friend

Using fragments of memories of elderly women whose youth and first years of marriage passed in the 20-30s of the 20th century, we will try to reconstruct the traditional course of a bachelorette party.
Typically, the bachelorette party began with songs from the bride’s friends, which reflected the feeling of anxious anticipation of marriage. The specificity of the songs performed at the bachelorette party was that they accompanied traditional ritual actions and even preceded them, figuratively depicting everything that happened that evening in the bride’s house.

At the bachelorette party, the bride's friends sang songs that allegorically spoke about the difficulties of family life. The fate of a married woman was likened to “a mountain ash that was shaken by violent winds,” a broken bird cherry, a forced bird, a defenseless swan. These songs idealize girlhood and poetize the image of the bride. In a Kez wedding, the image of the bride is often likened to a rowan tree, which has been shaken by violent winds:

You, rowan, or rowan, Thin, long, fiery! Where did you grow up and fade in the sun?

Annushka Svet Ivanovna, why did you get married early?

I didn’t get married on my own, It was my mother who gave me away, All the neighbors indulged me, All the neighbors, beautiful girls...

Singing a sad song, they greeted the bride:

Don't cry, little daughter-in-law, Don't twist the red girls, Don't tear off your white face, Don't break your little hands, A girl's life is short - Know: the foreign side is not the worst land. Braid your braid finely and finely, tie the knots tightly and tightly - the grass of wormwood is bitter when your girlhood is passing away.

It is necessary to pay tribute to the traditions of sadness and sadness at the beginning of the evening, and then move on to less sad moments, such as admonishing the young wife, floating wreaths on the water and various competitions.

Take a walk, Russian soul!

The obligatory ritual action of the bachelorette party was visiting the ritual bath and removing the beauty - the girl's headdress.
The bride was unbraided, a symbol of her girlhood, and then two braids were braided, arranging them in a woman’s hairstyle. Every movement and sequence of this ritual is reflected in the lamentations of the bride and in the various songs of the bridesmaids. In the second half of the 20th century, this ritual began to be perceived by young people as a “relic of the past” and gradually disappeared from the traditions of the pre-wedding stage. Take advantage of this particular ritual, it is very soulful, beautiful and memorable. After all, by and large, only such moments help to gradually accept the approaching reality, systematically getting used to thoughts about a future married life.

Feast at a bachelorette party

Considering the folk style of the holiday, the following would be perfect:

pies and pancakes with different fillings. It’s good if they were baked by the bride and her friends or relatives - this will give the holiday a special, ritual meaning;
traditional Russian dishes - solyanka, dumplings, cabbage soup, porridge, baked and fried meat, fish, whole poultry ;
desserts are always appropriate.

Additionally : The most complete instructions on how to organize and host a bachelorette party - read .

If girls follow a strict diet before the holiday, you can limit yourself to low-calorie dishes, giving preference to fruits, berries and vegetables .

And, of course, you shouldn’t get carried away with alcohol - after all, on the wedding day, the bride and her friends should please with a blooming appearance, and not with a “delicate” green face and circles under the eyes.

Light wine, fruit drinks, kvass, for lovers of traditions - mead and sbiten . The latter option is especially good in winter, after a walk in the cold.

Instructions for a young wife

Why is this needed?
Creating a family is a responsible matter; just the desire to create it is not enough; you also need to have some knowledge. But for a girl they will not be superfluous. Moreover, your best friends will give them, perhaps some of whom are already married, so such instructions and advice will be doubly useful. A small selection of the most useful of them:

Learn to cook deliciously, in any style and manner, so that, say, a cabbage leaf looks just like a grape.
Spend a third of your budget on relatives and tailors - if you are dressed fashionably, your husband will be happy, as will the groom.
If you sometimes don’t agree with your spouse’s opinion, be as resilient as a twig, don’t say no or yes.
If your husband is tired or upset, calm him down and caress him so that he becomes calm again and let him rest a little.
Never be strict, just, as if by chance, skillfully removing the shavings, plan little by little.
Don’t persist in the sense of shavings, always be nice to him, be your wife and girlfriend, and not a rusty saw.
Give three-quarters of the day to your family, but in the midst of days, hours, minutes, do not forget your friends.
Be strong, always love your friendly family. Long life and health to you. Be happy, friends!!!
Here's some advice for you, wife: in order to live together for a hundred years, Learn to cook deliciously so that he doesn't feel sad, Bring you a salary - don't scold him for spending, Don't be like a rusty saw, but be kind and sweet to him, Make him more often wash dishes and floors, that will become a hard worker! And always praise him. Trying to always be his support, You will become his most beloved wife, And may envy, dashing, quarrels and discord always bypass your home!
Tighten the clamp tighter, And love your husband to the grave. So that you don’t have to wait for your payday And so that you are faithful. So that she gets up before daylight and doesn’t lament in her sleep: Say, my dear mother-in-law has drunk all the blood from me. If you take up the laundry, give your husband a bottle: He will drink the bottle and go wash the clothes himself. If your husband comes tired, don’t interfere with his rest: Just give him the slippers with a sweet smile. Don’t give up yourself: go to the hairdresser, dress fashionably, but don’t forget your family!

Scenario for a pajama party for children

The script is the most important part of the event. It depends on him whether the pajama party will become a memorable and vibrant event. You can fill the holiday with various games, competitions, master classes.

General plan of the evening

A pajama party for girls can take place according to this scenario:

meeting guests: the hostess of the event meets each guest, asks for the party password, and then hands over a headband and/or warm socks;
light snack: before starting the entertainment, guests and the hostess of the party should eat a little;
holding competitions with the awarding of symbolic prizes;
conducting a master class;
dancing;
final part.

Competitions and games for a pajama party

Girls will be interested in the following competitions and games:

"Beauty saloon". The girls gathered in a warm company will be glad to have the opportunity to feel like real stylists. The task is as follows: all the girls are divided into pairs. One of them receives 10 curlers. The task is to screw them on your neighbor faster than the others, while her eyes must be covered with a sleep blindfold.
"Sleeping Beauty". One guest is chosen to play the role of sleeping beauty. The other girls should take turns trying to wake her up, while physical manipulation (pushing, tickling) is prohibited. You are allowed to sing, make different sounds, and tell funny stories. The one who can make the sleeping beauty laugh will win. This participant chooses the next one to be the sleeper.
"What's in my sock?" Collect socks from all party participants. Place a small object (candy, bead, button) in one of them - the main thing is that it is not sharp and does not pose a danger. Guests take turns choosing a sock, putting it on and trying to determine by touch, without using their hands, what is hidden in it.
"Pajama Queen" This competition is held in the form of voting. Everyone gets a paper card and a pen. Each girl must write on paper the name of the one who, in her opinion, came in the most original outfit. The hostess also takes part in the voting. The one who gets the most votes wins. The queen of the pajama party needs to put a cardboard crown on her head, which the winner must wear until the end of the party.
"Secrets of Girlfriends." The cozy atmosphere of a pajama party encourages a little privacy. "Girlfriends' Secrets" is not only a game, but also a way to get to know them better. Each participant is given a card that lists the following questions: favorite dish, favorite color, movie and actor (the list is variable). Each girl marks options about herself on the card, and then about each of her friends (without showing it to others). After this, the answers are checked. For each matched option, girls receive one point. The participant with the most points wins.

Other entertainment for a pajama party includes a pillow fight (they shouldn’t be too big or heavy), blowing soap bubbles (who can blow the biggest/longest/furthest-flying bubble), and a photo shoot in pajama outfits.

Master Class

You can organize an interesting master class for creative girls. Guests will be interested in making such a popular interior accessory as a dream catcher. Each party participant will need an individual set of materials. In this case, this is a rim for the base (iron or wood), ribbon or thread, colored yarn, feathers, coins, beads, glue.

It is better if the master class is conducted by the hostess of the party herself, without the involvement of adults. You can watch a video on how to make a dream catcher in advance and play it for everyone. For example, this master class: