It is believed that observing certain wedding omens gives warmth and happiness in family relationships. Age-old traditions are not subject to doubt or discussion, since they are passed on from parents to children. Often, it is the closest relatives who are responsible for the customs, without which the wedding event is incomplete. Undoubtedly, many newlyweds have to look for a compromise.
Photos of the wedding ceremony
Modern traditions at a wedding
A traditional wedding ceremony in Russia begins with a meeting . Usually she goes with a loaf to the wedding. As a rule, the mother of the groom prepares a pound of salt for the wedding for the newlyweds. Since Soviet times, champagne has been added to bread, although in some regions they pour vodka the old fashioned way.
These traditions are very subjective depending on the values of the bride and groom's family
In fact, there are a huge number of variations of meeting young people, and they may include:
- icons;
- honey;
- admiration;
- breaking;
- sprinkling the young;
- biting.
After the hospitable meeting, the bride's hands are tied with a red ribbon. Her father does this, and by the number of knots he orders the number of grandchildren. To protect the young family from strife, parents hammer in a stake at the wedding.
Tradition with bread and salt
Next, the order of the wedding requires the installation of a slingshot. This is most often called a bride price , but sometimes a “slingshot” is considered when relatives of a couple block the road in order to demand money for travel. At the wedding, all cars honk at the newlyweds to congratulate them on their celebration.
Wedding rituals in our time have begun to differ from the ancient ones mainly only in the preceding days before the wedding. Previously, the day before, the bride was obliged to visit the bathhouse with her friends, who carried with them a broom with colorful rags. It was believed that the one who managed to whip herself with the bride’s bath broom would also soon get married.
Now, for this purpose, girlfriends catch the newlywed’s bouquet immediately after the wedding ceremony. Hen and stag parties in modern times are needed only to say goodbye to bachelor life.
Modern wedding
Increasingly, at the banquet part of the holiday, they began to guess the gender of the first-born . To do this, pink and blue sliders are distributed to guests so that money can be placed in them. Thus, if the amount in blue is greater than in pink, then a boy will be born.
Traditions are giving way to comfort these days. Modern organizers are sure that, for example, driving around the city for hours makes guests bored and takes up too much time.
Engagement, bachelorette and bachelor parties
The next step is handshake or engagement. Everyone gathered at one table, feasted, and the father of the future wife announced the solemn event. This was followed by the blessing of the parents and the details of the upcoming wedding were discussed.
Preparations for the intended day included the creation of a dowry by the bride. The basis of the dowry was home textiles embroidered by the girl’s hands.
The custom of going to the bathhouse on the wedding day was mandatory. The participants in this event were the bride herself, relatives and girlfriends. They sang songs, wailed, and in some regions of Russia, the bathhouse was visited by a healer who collected droplets of sweat and then added them to the groom’s drink at the wedding.
Symbolically saying goodbye to her friends, the bride gathered a bachelorette party. Sad songs were sung on behalf of the betrothed, and cheerful ones from the girlfriends. And of course, the Russian wedding ceremony is unbraiding the braid. It marked the end of her old life.
The bachelor party for the groom and friends was usually organized by the father, uncle or brother. It took place in the betrothed's house and was accompanied by its own songs and gatherings.
On the groom's side, a groom was appointed who, to a certain extent, led the action. The friend knew the customs well: when it was necessary to pronounce sentences, and most importantly, he was trusted to come to his betrothed’s house and assess her readiness for the wedding. His distinctive sign was an embroidered towel thrown over his shoulder.
Wedding traditions and customs of the Russian people
In the old days, according to Slavic traditions, it was mandatory to observe the following stages of the wedding ceremony :
- Matchmaking.
- Masonry.
- Bachelorette party before the wedding and bachelor party.
- Bride ransom.
In Rus', it was believed that white is the color of death, and when a girl gets married, she dies and is born as a woman. Therefore, at weddings to this day there is an abundance of this shade in clothing and jewelry.
The peculiarities of wedding ceremonies in Russia were in symbolism. Thus, the round bread served for the newlyweds to bite symbolized the sun, and salt - purity
An Orthodox wedding began with the bride's braids being unraveled . And while she was singing minor songs, farewell to her maiden name was being said at the wedding.
Wedding rings were placed on a scarf, which was raised above the top of the bride and groom's heads. Such a wedding ceremony in Russian traditions meant making a love covenant in heaven, since the person’s head was associated with the heavenly world.
surrounded by special awe at the moment of their marriage . According to the ideas of our ancestors, the creation of a family was the creation of a new world, where not two people are united, but the sun (groom) and the earth (bride).
Slavic wedding customs
Another Slavic wedding ritual in Russia is the ritual around the stove . When a young man brought his wife to his house, the first thing she did was bow and pray to the hearth, since it was considered the heart of the home.
Fellow villagers danced around the newlyweds' hut throughout the wedding night. This is how people gave blessings to the new family. Ancient superstitions and signs of good luck were clearly expressed in rich clothes. Red or gold belts at a wedding were a talisman. Later, after the holiday, if the husband was away, the wife would girdle herself with his wedding belt so as not to get sick.
Like the belt, the ring was shaped like a circle and signified the absence of beginning and end. Both were considered a symbol of fidelity, a symbol of evil, instincts or chaos
Any Slavic amulets, including wedding ones, symbolized protection from evil.
Nowadays, some rather ancient customs are still used by newlyweds. For example, a towel for a wedding. This tradition was passed down from generation to generation. The towel was necessarily inherited as a dowry or was sewn by the bride herself and was used in ancient rituals of the ancient Slavs, as it supposedly had healing powers.
In some provinces, the groom rolled out a woven path to the bride's hut. When they approached her in a cart, she only walked on it. This happened because their houses had images of two universes, and everything else - the uncreated world.
Wedding in Old Slavonic style
Sometimes fires were built near the threshold. The groom and his groomsmen jumped over the fire before going to the bride, cleansing themselves of everything so that the wedding could take place in innocence. Some customs and traditions of Russian weddings are still used in modern themed celebrations.
Wedding ceremony
After the ransom, traditionally the couple, followed by the guests, go to the registry office, where the marriage is officially registered. The newlyweds perform their first dance there, for which they often order live music.
After accepting congratulations from the guests, a small photo session is usually held, first for everyone, and then only for the newlyweds, during which the guests prepare for the bride and groom to leave the registry office.
Guests sprinkle the newlyweds with rice (for the early birth of children), candies (for a sweet life), coins (for wealth) and rose petals (for a beautiful, romantic life together).
Orthodox couples who belong to the church also undergo a wedding ceremony in the church.
A wedding without traditions - interesting and unusual wedding ideas
The most popular ceremony is the sand ceremony for a wedding: the bride and groom pour black and white sand from vessels into one container, thereby promising each other that from now on they will be one and can never be separated. The pattern that is obtained by mixing sand of different colors always turns out individual, just like people’s destinies.
Sand ceremony at a wedding
The next touching ceremony begins with the newlyweds writing two letters to each other . In them, young people guess the first 10 years of married life. The following provisions can be specified :
- what joint goals do they adhere to;
- what feelings they experience the night before the wedding;
- how they wait for this day;
- who will drink the most at the holiday;
- who will dance the most fiery dance;
- who will say the longest toast;
- who will give the largest bouquet;
- what they swear to each other.
In addition, messages can be supplemented with :
- include additional letters to future children;
- add pictures;
- express feelings in poetry.
The longer the letter, the more interesting it will be to read on your 10th wedding anniversary. Next, you need to purchase your favorite drink that will not spoil within such a period of time. It is placed in the box along with the letters. The joint of the lid is sealed with wax candles and, accordingly, with a seal.
Wine ceremony
If it happens that the newlyweds in a few years will not be able to cope with any life situation, this box can be opened ahead of schedule. By taking out your favorite drink and remembering your feelings, you can improve your relationship. This idea is called the box hammering ceremony and is even recommended by psychologists.
Hay or wood shavings, as well as ribbons, will make the box more elegant. You can close it with a lock or nails
It is better to have a beautiful wine ceremony at a wedding during registration. This will make the marriage more complete. A time capsule can become a family heirloom, reminiscent of this day, and a good piece of furniture.
Tatar wedding customs
A special feature of Siberian Tatar weddings is the dowry or ransom, which is paid by the groom for the bride to her relatives. If the bride price cannot be paid, then the groom, by agreement, steals the bride, and they themselves perform the wedding.
A lot of different rituals are associated with other significant events in a person’s life. The customs and traditions of the peoples of Russia are very diverse and multifaceted. They contain all the diversity of the culture of a large multinational people.
Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the website StranaKontrastov.ru!
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Dessert
How to make wedding rituals more relevant
When compiling a guest list, newlyweds often know which of them will come with a couple and which will come alone. Passing the wedding baton is a favorite story. To successfully conduct the competition, you can count single girlfriends and friends, and then play their numbers at auction.
In addition to the bride's attribute, such as a garter, guests are also given a piece of a tie, which acts as an anti-garter. The one who catches her, according to tradition, will not have time to get married within a year. This ritual will be especially in demand among single men with a good sense of humor.
You shouldn’t refuse a young person’s first dance even if you have no skills, because you can get help from a professional . A choreographer or director will add professional ones to amateur movements. A special atmosphere for the room is given by the team or bright props.
First wedding dance of the newlyweds
Another option is to perform the song as a duet. The first live wedding video is not prohibited from being performed with a soundtrack. Guests are unlikely to expect this, so it is joyful to be surprised in any case.
What are the wedding customs for the parents of the bride and groom?
As already mentioned, parents can stage a slingshot at a wedding, but there are a number of other unifying ceremonies. The first thing the bride's parents should do is give their blessing for the marriage . To do this, the father leads the bride to the groom standing at the altar, and dances with her at the banquet.
Parents at the wedding
Classic wedding traditions for the groom's parents include him dancing with his mother and godmother. It's a good idea to style these dances in one or more of the following ways:
- slideshow of children's photographs;
- sparklers;
- candles;
- confetti.
The ceremony of marrying families is usually called the ceremony of the family hearth , although all guests can participate in it
For this purpose, candles are distributed to all married people so that everyone can convey a piece of their family hearth and warmth to the newlyweds. Newlyweds blow out the lights and make wishes in honor of the family's first birthday.
The parents are the last to present the candles; they are, as it were, presenting the family hearth for the wedding. For a long time, only the mother of the bride participated in the ceremony. She passed a coal from her stove to her daughter so that she could cook dinner for the first time in her new home. In modern times, the groom’s mother also joins in on this.
Lighting up the family hearth
Parents' participation at their son's wedding mainly occurs in the banquet part of the event. In addition to the usual toasts with stories from life, they can sing , thereby fitting into the framework of a European wedding.
Why do they shout “Bitter” at a wedding? In this way, parents and guests express sadness over the passing of a bachelor. According to Russian traditions, invitees must meet the bride at the home of the bride or groom, and not at the restaurant. Each family decides how to see the newlyweds out of their parents’ house in their own way. You can listen to wedding signs, or you can simply wish the newlyweds a good journey in their new family life from the bottom of their hearts.
Parents escort the bride and groom
When wondering who should pay for a wedding according to tradition, it is necessary to turn to the Slavic rule about dowries. Since the parents agreed on the wedding themselves, they paid for the celebration. Depending on the value of the bride's property, the groom's parents were charged a fee. Today, in this matter, everything is individual.
Bride ransom
Previously, the phrase “bride price” was not a metaphor at all! Indeed, the bride was bought from her parents' house.
Now money has faded into the background. The bride price, which is usually organized by the bridesmaids, takes place in the house of the girl's parents and includes competitions. By going through these competitions, the groom proves that he knows and loves the bride well, and the groom's friends should come to his aid.
This is how the wedding fun begins. Having gone up to the bride's house, the groom takes her to register the marriage. Usually, during the bride price and after it, the bride's parents arrange a small buffet.
Traditions on the second and third days of the wedding
The second day of the wedding is usually spent outdoors, in a cafe or sauna in the afternoon. The duration of rest is usually 6 hours, but this is not the limit. The scenario for this day is thought out in advance. A little stylization and thematic actions decorate the continuation of the celebration best of all.
Traditionally, the husband and wife prepare pancakes at the wedding on the second day in order to sell them. It is believed that whoever eats the most will be lucky all year. You can replace them with a multi-level ready-made cake.
A wedding cake
If the newlyweds are driving around the city on this day, the tradition of blocking the road at the wedding obliges them to give tasty gifts. If you give a treat to those who were able to block the road at the wedding, then the couple will be able to pay off bad luck in this way. On the third day, the newlyweds open gifts , look at photographs and send cards to guests. Some go to the local bridge and hang padlocks at their wedding as a symbol of everlasting love.
Matchmaking
Each wedding was preceded by the custom of matchmaking. Both relatives and specially hired matchmakers could come to the house of the future bride for matchmaking, who often selected the couple themselves. Most often, the groom did not have the opportunity to see his betrothed until the wedding day. They came to the house closer to sunset in order to avoid the evil eye. They started the conversation with distant topics, using merchant or trade vocabulary. After the matchmakers left, the household tied pokers and grips together “at random.”
Afterwards, the parents came to check the house of the future spouse. They carefully inspected the household and decoration of the house. At times, they even refused to hand over their daughter if they were not satisfied with the conditions of her future detention.
The bride, with a successful outcome of the matchmaking, became withdrawn, wore the simplest clothes, and spoke little. There was a period of “dying,” a transition to a new life.
