Traditionally, Krasnaya Gorka opens the wedding season. Before its arrival, weddings are not played in connection with preparations for Easter. For seven weeks, believers do not eat food of animal origin and do not drink alcoholic beverages. During this same period, priests do not perform weddings in the temple.
The newlyweds take into account that among those invited there will definitely be people for whom earthly joys during Lent are a great sin. Postponing the event is a sign of respect for the views of guests. If you schedule a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka or the period after it, you don’t have to worry about the fact that someone will have to refuse.
Krasnaya Gorka: origins
The Red Hill holiday has pagan origins.
It was at this time (from flowering in April to herbalism in May) that the final arrival of spring was celebrated. Residents of the villages gathered on the high hills, green from the bright sun. They danced in circles, rolled chicken eggs down the hill, sang songs and called for spring until the morning. It was a special, solemn holiday. They baked loaves and pies for it, and prepared festive scrambled eggs. All dishes had to be round - a symbol of the sun, the circle of life and a new beginning.
Traditionally, boys and girls met on this day. Especially those for whom the time had come to get married dressed smartly, dressed up, wove ribbons into their braids and went to meet each other. Couples formed over cheerful jokes and made plans to get married. Those who did not go outside to Krasnaya Gorka were promised a pockmarked wife or to wear girls until old age.
This time was also economically determined - wedding arrangements ended with spring-summer wedding festivities, which means that a new assistant for cultivating and harvesting appeared in the family.
Krasnaya Gorka from pagan times to the present day
Experts say that at first this day served the Slavs to honor the Sun, which was finally gaining the upper hand over the last remnants of the winter cold. To celebrate the victory of warmth and light, our ancestors climbed to sanctuaries built on the highest hills - here are the red, that is, “beautiful”, “important” hills - and there they organized ritual games with songs and dances. According to another version, the celebration took place on the mounds (another hill), where they paid tribute to the memory of their ancestors during a noisy funeral feast.
With the advent of Christianity in Rus', the holiday lost its original meaning, was assigned to Easter - today this day always falls on the first Sunday after Easter week - and began to be called St. Thomas Week. But it has not lost its status as an important spring celebration.
For the Slavs, this day had a special sacred meaning
And yet, why do weddings take place on Krasnaya Gorka? Historians have two versions.
Krasnaya Gorka: weddings
The last Sunday of Easter week was considered St. Thomas Day (St. Thomas was honored). This holiday coincided with the traditional Red Hill. After Maslenitsa week, Great Lent and Easter week, this was the first day when the church renewed the blessing for marriage and married the newlyweds. Today, “spring” couples often plan to get married on Krasnaya Gorka, so if you decide to take such an important step, you should agree in advance with the Temple - the number of people who want to do this during this period is large!
When is the best time to get married in 2022?
The most successful days for getting married in 2022 are considered to be Krasnaya Gorka and the entire week after it (from April 26 to May 3 inclusive).
In addition, numerology experts advise paying attention to beautiful dates: 06/06/2020; 07/07/2020; 08.08.2020; 09.09.2020; 10.10.2020; 12/12/2020, as well as on 06/20/2020 and 11/20/2020.
There are also Hug Days - 06/15/20; 06/22/20; 04.12.20. Don’t forget about the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity on 07/08/2020 and the days of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - 07/21/2020 and 11/04/2020. All these days are considered suitable for weddings.
But you need to keep in mind that you shouldn’t plan crowded wedding celebrations at least until June: due to the self-isolation regime, noisy parties are prohibited, and restaurants and banquet halls are closed. But, if you are planning only a family celebration, there are no obstacles: marriage registration is carried out.
Wedding rush on Krasnaya Gorka
The Krasnaya Gorka holiday has deeply penetrated its roots into modern times. A wedding on Krasnaya Gorka is considered happy, and married life is considered prosperous. It is during this busy time that one of the main wedding peaks of the year occurs for registry office workers and wedding professionals. Newlyweds are generally very superstitious; almost half of all annual weddings are registered on Krasnaya Gorka. But superstitions associated with a wedding in May, fortunately, have become a thing of the past. Therefore, brides can safely choose May days for such a bright ceremony!
Wedding calendar
Fomino Sunday accounts for the lion's share of weddings. The priests assure that it is not necessary to get married in the registry office and perform a church sacrament on the same day. You can choose a different time for these events. If you didn’t manage to get married on the holiday, don’t despair, after it there will still be many favorable dates in 2022. You can see them in the table.
The lovers themselves or their parents must agree on the wedding. It is advisable to talk not with the church servant, but with the holy father. He will personally set the time at which you need to arrive at the temple. This is usually after 11 o'clock in the afternoon. Weddings are not held in the evening (and especially at night).
A good sign for spouses would be to hear the bells after leaving the church. You can pay for this. Believers claim that the ringing notifies heaven about the formation of a new family. The angels rejoice at this and pray for a happy union, health and longevity of the newlyweds, as well as their future offspring.
Wedding scenario on Krasnaya Gorka
Having a wedding at a time like Krasnaya Gorka, it is logical to celebrate it in the Russian style. You and your groom can dress up in traditional Russian folk costumes and arrange the celebration in the original Russian style, which, by the way, continues to be popular among young people this season. Use red. Variegated red and white ribbons will brighten the not yet very green nature. You can decorate your entire wedding in festive red and white colors. Use ribbons and flowers to decorate the cortege. You can use ribbons not only plain, but also with traditional red and white patterns. And the photo zone can be made using elements such as juicy apples, balalaikas, and Khokhloma painting.
An interesting solution would be to implement the concept of a wedding in the spirit of “Gzhel”. Just look how beautiful the photos look. And the celebration itself, decorated in this exquisite style, will be remembered for a lifetime!
Decorate the bride's ransom with wreaths of primroses and white and red balloons. The bride ransom itself on Krasnaya Gorka can be done in the traditional style of clichés - rhymed jokes and jokes will come in handy. Let the bridesmaids wear multi-colored aprons before the redemption - this will add a folk flavor to the outfits and will not force them to completely change their clothes.
If you adhere to the given Russian style to the end, the banquet also needs to be decorated accordingly. And by wrapping small round pies in tulle and tying them with a red bow, you will receive an original compliment to the guests at the wedding table. For the same purposes, you can use sugar cockerels on a stick. If after the wedding ceremony you go for a walk in a picturesque park, then a photo session with delicate bouquets, baskets of pies and newlyweds in wreaths will become truly traditional, spring and dedicated to the holiday of the beginning of a new family - Krasnaya Gorka!
wedding feast
It is better to choose a menu for the wedding table from dishes of Russian cuisine - caviar , pigs stuffed with buckwheat, minced meat cutlets , wheat porridge with honey, kulebyaka, portioned pies, sauerkraut, pickled apples with lingonberries or cranberries, pickles, solyanka, etc. .
Wedding on Krasnaya Gorka
For alcoholic drinks, give preference to vodka, mead and sbitnya, and for non-alcoholic drinks – kvass and fruit drinks. As for vegetables, it is better to choose cabbage, carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Try to refrain from exotic foods, dishes and drinks, they will disrupt the ambience and general mood of such a wedding.
The glorification of the young
If you want to add a little more color to the wedding, then ask the guests (or the toastmaster) to learn a couple of majestic wedding songs in advance. According to tradition, the newlyweds (sometimes mother-in-law or mother-in-law) gratefully present each singer with a colored egg and a round glass of vodka.
It is not at all necessary to use folklore. If one of your friends is engaged in versification, then he will easily write great songs himself, mentioning all the virtues of the bride and groom. But just in case, here is the text of one such old Russian song:
You, wine berry, are a brave, good fellow! You, young man, have a white face, akin to white snow. Your eyebrows are black, like a black sable, like a Siberian sable. Your eyes are clear, Like a clear falcon, Like a migratory one. Your cheeks are scarlet, Poale the scarlet poppy, Scarlet poppy, curly. You, a good fellow, You, a good one, You have yellow curls, Yellower than yellow silk. You, a good fellow, You, a good one, have a good bride. She, the maiden, She, the beauty, has a white face, Akin to white snow. She has scarlet cheeks, Poale the scarlet poppy, Scarlet poppy, curly. She, the maiden, She, the beauty, has yellow braids, yellower than yellow silk. Her eyebrows are black, like those of a black sable, like those of a Siberian sable. Her eyes are clear, like a white swan. She, the maiden, She, the beauty, has the gait of a peacock, the speech and speech of a dove.
In addition, at weddings it was customary to “give the floor” to the bride’s friends . They sang that their dear friend would no longer walk with them, would not play, and that now she had other worries - loving her husband, raising children, taking care of the house, pleasing her in-laws .
So if your girlfriends are ready to “say goodbye” to your bachelor life in such an original way, then give them this opportunity. By the way, the groom's friends can do the same.
Signs and traditions for a wedding
The rituals were designed to provide young people with a happy family life
What actions were supposed to provide the young people with the cherished “happily ever after”?
First of all, the wedding on Krasnaya Gorka should have been celebrated on a grand scale: after a noisy and crowded feast, signs promised a generous harvest, which in itself served as a guarantee of prosperity for the young family. Moreover, among the dishes that the hosts treated the guests to, there must have been a loaf of bread, fluffy scrambled eggs and a round chicken pie; in other words, any dish that resembles the shape of the Sun is clearly influenced by the memory of its pagan ancestors.
By the way, loaves generally played an important role at weddings, and at Krasnaya Gorka in particular. For example, a round rug, from which the bride and groom took turns biting off to determine whose piece would be larger and who would be the master of the house, was considered almost the key to a successful union. Only in one place it was immediately divided into slices and distributed to guests, and in another they were wrapped in a clean scarf and taken away out of harm’s way, so that no one would try to help themselves and “take a bite” from the newlyweds’ family happiness.
The tradition of greeting newlyweds with a loaf of bread has survived to this day.
Another sign related to food: if on this day one of the young people managed to treat themselves to an egg with a double yolk, it was considered a good omen, promising the groom substantial prosperity, and the bride the birth of twins.
To ensure that happiness did not bypass the newly born family, the newlywed attached a red ribbon to her wedding dress or wove it into her hair, and at the end of the holiday she wrapped it around one of her unmarried friends so that she, too, would soon be crowned. A similar ritual existed for the groom, only after the wedding feast he was supposed to play burners with the guests: whoever caught first would be married the next year. But the central part of the celebration was, of course, a general round dance around the young people, promising them wealth, prosperity and protection from the evil eye.
There were other, more fun traditions of celebrating a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka:
- the bride and groom together launched painted eggs from the slopes and watched them roll, separately or side by side;
- they threw a coin into the well, making a wish (however, on Fomino Sunday everyone was allowed to do this, regardless of family status);
- the young wife fed bread and stroked the pregnant cow, so that she could soon be with her offspring.
Some traditions are difficult to implement today
In some regions of Russia - in particular, in the northern Volga region - Krasnaya Gorka was called Klikushennogo Sunday for the custom of young people wandering from courtyard to courtyard, calling out and congratulating couples who got married a year ago. In response, they brought the guests a boiled egg and a glass each, and if newly-made spouses were among those who came, they certainly blessed them for a strong marriage.
Celebration scenario in Russian folk style
The popularity of getting married on Krasnaya Gorka is only growing year by year; the lion's share of celebrations are celebrated in Russian folk style. The wedding day follows the traditional scenario.
Bride and groom's outfit
A wedding in the Old Russian style involves maintaining color in attire. The main colors of a Russian wedding are a combination of white and red, respectively, the bride and groom must have them.
The bride's outfit is a combination of a white shirt, decorated with embroidery and red braid, and a fluffy skirt with symbols of the sun, wealth and fertility. You can also use a sundress: in the old days it was made only wedge-shaped to hide the figure, now the choice of shape depends on the wishes of the bride. The head is crowned with a snow-white silk scarf, over which a kokoshnik is worn.
The groom's outfit consists of a white or red shirt with embroidered patterns and bright trim.
If the Slavic theme is close, but the dream of a white wedding dress is stronger, you can complement the modern attire with bright details. Decorate the dress with a red belt and embroidery, and the groom wear a Russian blouse.
Rings
According to tradition, the groom is obliged to purchase two rings for the bride: one for engagement (can be modest, the main thing is a symbol and guarantee of serious intentions), the second is a wedding ring. The ring should be without a precious stone (so that there is no “stumbling block”), but smooth (so that the marriage is smooth and easy).
Ransom and matchmaking
The bridesmaids prepare tests for the groom: in order to see his beloved, he needs to answer tricky questions, solve riddles, and complete tasks. At the same time, friends actively help him, praising the groom’s strengths to the bridesmaids and relatives. In this way, you can combine ransom and matchmaking and make these events joyful.
Getting ready for the temple
After the ransom, preparations begin for the temple for the wedding, where the ceremony of swearing an oath of allegiance to each other before God will take place. Many newlyweds hire a photographer to capture the last minutes before their life together. The closest friends take part in the gathering, so you get a great series of joint photos as a souvenir.
Obfuscation of traces
After signing in the registry office, instead of the traditional ride around the city in a car cart, you can order a horse ride in carts (carriages) - this will add a festive atmosphere. By the way, the rides were organized for a reason: it was believed that the more confusing the road of the young people was, the harder it would be for evil spirits to find them. Therefore, you need to get to the registry office by one route, and to the place of celebrations - by another.
Bread and salt
According to tradition, after registration, the newlyweds are greeted by their mother-in-law and mother-in-law with a loaf of bread in their hands. The loaf in this case is a symbol of the sun and its gifts: goodness, warmth and prosperity. A husband and wife bite off a loaf of bread without hands; whoever gets the bigger piece will be the master of the house. After this, the loaf can be divided among all those present and share your happy moment with them.
Red sun
According to tradition, if you are having a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka, then the color red should accompany you everywhere (on clothing items and in the decor of the room). Make sure in advance that there are napkins with Slavic patterns embroidered with red thread on the tables. This will bring happiness, prosperity to the family and protect against the evil eye.
Feast
The wedding feast menu should consist of traditional Russian dishes. For alcoholic drinks, choose vodka in beautiful themed containers, berry liqueurs, mead, non-alcoholic drinks: fruit juice and kvass.
The table can be decorated with hot dishes of goose and pig, and for salads and appetizers you can use cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and various pickles. Try to refrain from exotic fruits and dishes, using only native Russian ones - this will preserve the color of the wedding and the general mood.
Wedding of the newlyweds
To fulfill this tradition, you will need the help of friends: you need to ask them in advance to come up with and sing a song (read poetry) about all the virtues of the young. During the singing, the performers are offered a colored egg and a round glass of vodka as a thank you. This event will set the general mood and will be remembered by all those present.
Round dances and fun
There is a tradition on Krasnaya Gorka: you need to choose the most beautiful girl - the representative of spring (Lada) and dance around, glorifying her beauty. At a wedding, Lada can be the bride herself. After this, each guest should be thanked with symbols of fertility: a jar of milk, a bun with raisins or a circle of cheese.
Another entertainment at a wedding is fun, namely: the game of “stream”, which symbolizes the arrival of spring, movement, and the beginning of a new life. The guests wish the same for the young people when they all take part in the game together: well-being, a happy life and a new life (for children).
A wedding in the Russian style will qualitatively distinguish your ceremony from those “stamped” in the Western style and will leave a sea of memories for many years. However, it is worth taking care of the celebration in advance - those who regret having a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka are only increasing every year.
What is Antipascha
Antipascha of the Apostle Thomas, with which St. Thomas Week begins, is a holiday of renewal, the continuation of Easter. The Church at this time remembers the Apostle Thomas, who, according to the Gospel, was late for the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus Christ before his disciples.
Thomas refused to take the other apostles at their word and asked for evidence. Christ appeared before his disciples and allowed Thomas to touch his wounds, reproaching him for his unbelief. Therefore, it is customary to call Thomas an unbeliever or, according to Russian tradition, an infidel, that is, one who does not take anything on faith.
Believing in the miracle of the Resurrection, Thomas became one of the most zealous followers of Christ and carried the light of Christianity to distant lands. He was martyred in India around 70 AD.
