wedding tree. Beautiful and kind custom at the wedding Berries and bark for health

Old Slavic word viburnum means bright red, like the red-hot color of its berries. And, perhaps, in ancient times viburnum meant "red-hot". And the generic name of the plant "viburnum" comes from the Latin word meaning "twist, weave." One of the types of maple was also called, and viburnum got this name because of the similarity in the shape of the leaves.

Viburnum ordinary - Viburnum opulus- a small tree or branched shrub from the honeysuckle family up to 4 m high. The viburnum trunk is covered with cracking grayish-green or brownish-gray bark. The leaves are dark green, three-five-lobed with teeth, glabrous above, pubescent below. White flowers are collected in inflorescences umbrellas at the tops of the branches. Blooms in May.

Viburnum fruits - juicy bright red drupes in the form of flattened balls with a flat bone inside ripen in August-September. But they are harvested after the first frost.

Viburnum grows in almost the entire European part of Russia, in Siberia, the Far East, and the Caucasus. It is planted for beauty on the streets of cities, grown in gardens and front gardens.

For medical purposes use the bark and berries of viburnum, less often flowers. The bark and berries of viburnum contain: vitamins - A, P, E, K, C, tannins, trace elements - selenium, potassium and iron ...

Kalina reduces blood cholesterol levels, has a beneficial effect on the heart vessels, improves digestion, stimulates the production of bile, is used for diseases of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract, relieves edema of cardiac and renal origin, increases the tone of the muscles of the uterus, helps with colds, pneumonia , bronchitis, bronchial asthma.

- Infusion of viburnum berries
6-8 art. spoons of viburnum berries crush and pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave in a thermos for 4-6 hours. Strain, take on an empty stomach, in between meals ½ cup and at night.

- Infusion of viburnum with cough honey
2 tbsp. grind spoons of viburnum, pour ½ cup of honey, let it brew and take 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day.

Juice from viburnum berries should not be taken orally with coronary heart disease, as well as after strokes and heart attacks, with kidney disease and gout!

As a cosmetic product, viburnum is shown to everyone.

Viburnum juice itself is an excellent whitening, refreshing and cleansing agent.

- Lotion, whitening, for oily skin
2 tbsp. spoons of viburnum juice mixed with 2 tbsp. spoons of boiled water and 1 teaspoon of vodka. Keep refrigerated. Wipe the skin in the morning and evening. Dry and normal skin is wiped with a lotion without vodka. After a few days, the result becomes noticeable with the naked eye.

- For wrinkle smoothing
1 st. mix a spoonful of viburnum juice with 1 beaten egg white and ½ teaspoon of honey, mix everything, apply to the skin for 20 minutes. Wash off with slightly warm water.

- Viburnum mask for making the skin smooth and silky
Take 2 tbsp. spoons of fresh or frozen viburnum berries, chop, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of starch and 1 drop of rose oil. Apply for 15 minutes on the skin of the face, rinse with boiled water at room temperature.

- Viburnum nourishing mask for tired skin
2 tbsp. scald viburnum spoons, knead, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soft cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sour cream and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply to face, skin and décolleté for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm green tea. Wash off with cool water after 5 minutes.

- Rejuvenating viburnum leaf mask
Grind a handful of viburnum leaves, scald with a drop of boiling water, put between layers of gauze and apply on the face, previously lubricated with olive oil for 10-15 minutes. Wash with a decoction of chamomile or warm water. Lubricate the skin with a nourishing cream.

- For voluminous and silky hair
Boil a handful of viburnum flowers with 1 liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain, rinse your hair after washing once a week.

Magicians say that if you put 12 viburnum berries in a vessel with honey, hold them there for 12 days, and then eat one a day, then fate will give sweet, sweet love.

Since ancient times, there has been one beautiful and kind custom- ceremony tree planting or bush by the bride and groom. Where exactly this tradition came from is now difficult for us to figure out, but it should be noted that this rite is still preserved in different countries of the world.

In Germanynewlyweds without fail, a tree or a rose bush is planted. Near Leipzig there is even a whole “city of flowering trees”, here since 1700 there was a strict law according to which marriage was not concluded if six fruit trees were not planted by the groom.

in the Czech Republic there is very touching custom- Before the wedding, a tree is planted in the bride's yard. It is traditionally decorated with colorful satin ribbons and decorated eggs.

In Switzerland newlyweds plant a pine tree in front of their house, which is a symbol of good luck and wealth.
During the wedding ceremony in the Maldives, it is customary to plant a palm tree, which is a symbol of a future long family life. I tie signs to the palm tree, on which the names of the couple and the date of the wedding are indicated.
It is customary to plant two fruit trees on the island of Java, as a sign of the well-being and prosperity of the family.

In Thailand wedding ceremony ends with landing love tree, and in Philippines this ceremony is performed during the wedding.

Inhabitants Bermuda a cake is baked for a wedding, the top of which decorate with a young tree. After the end of the celebration, the bride and groom plant a seedling in the courtyard of their house. According to legend, the marriage will last as long as the tree grows.

To this day, in some countries, a touching custom has been preserved. If a guy brings a tree dug out in the forest and plants it under the window of his beloved, this is perceived by the girl as a marriage proposal.

In Rus', newlyweds, planting young tree, in honor of the unforgettable event of their life, thereby, as it were, laying the foundation for family well-being. Wood became a symbol of love and a talisman of the family for many, many years. The tree grew stronger, and every year the relationship between the spouses grew stronger.

From time immemorial, trees were chosen for planting, which were considered symbolic. We present several trees that are especially popular with newlyweds:
Oak since ancient times means strength, endurance, courage, fertility, longevity, fidelity and nobility.
Lipu revered as a tree - a talisman, it guarded love and mutual understanding in the family.
Hawthorn- a symbol of marriage, hope and chastity. This is the tree of the goddess of love.
Pine highly valued as a symbol of longevity and marital happiness.
Spruce- the tree of eternal life, hope and fertility.
Rowan- guarantees happiness and peace in the family.
viburnum- symbolizes girlish love and fidelity, since ancient times this tree was considered in Rus' as a “wedding tree”.

In recent years, ancient tradition plant Love tree on the day of the wedding became again be reborn in Russia. Every young couple can plant any tree of their choice, and thus leave a living memory of the happy moment of creating a family for many years to come.

I want to wish each family so that she was like a strong tree, firmly rooted in the ground, and not what bad weather, winds and frosts, she was not afraid.

Pagan marriage ceremonies

Religious rituals and ceremonies consecrating the union of a man and a woman have existed for a long time. From ancient documents and wall paintings, it is known what great importance was attached to marriage and the marriage ceremony in ancient times. In Crete, scientists have found superbly preserved frescoes. The ancient inhabitants of the island, in addition to flowers, animals and fish, very often depicted wedding ceremonies. Unknown masters seemed to emphasize the beauty and importance of the solemn event.

In Russian chronicles, information about the ancient wedding rites of the Slavs has been preserved. Archaic forms of marriage, of course, differed from modern rites. The wedding rituals of our ancestors were associated with fertility and natural elements: water, earth, fire, winds, etc.

In pre-Christian Rus', there were several forms of marriage: contractual, bride kidnapping, ransom. In some regions, the bride herself came to the groom's house, and if the family of the chosen one accepted her, then this event was celebrated with a holiday. There was also a rite of "fixing" the marriage with water. He passed on the bank of a spring. The priest watered or sprinkled the young couple with water.

One of the options for the wedding ritual was the bypass of the young around the tree. For this purpose, a large beautiful oak was chosen, less often a willow. Oak in ancient times was considered the tree of Perun - the god of thunder, so in Rus' a lot of rituals were associated with this tree. Of interest are the wedding ceremonies of some regions of Ancient Rus', where the bride and groom planted a wedding tree.

Information about such a tradition as "sowing future offspring" has been preserved. The newlyweds dug up a small plot of land together and sowed it with seeds of millet or rye.

It should be noted that until the 10th-11th centuries, weddings were played in the spring. This was based on the beliefs of the time. It was believed that the first spring rain marks the wedding of Heaven and Earth, so people, following the principle "what is in heaven, so on earth", timed weddings to coincide with this event.

The ancient Slavs did not treat marriage as a sacrament, which the Christian church subsequently sought. The marriage ceremony was perceived by people as the awakening of universal natural forces.

As the sky pours rain on the earth and it comes to life, sprouts begin to sprout, rapid growth and flowering occurs, so from the union of a young man and a girl children will come - the future strength and support of the community.

In Greece and Hungary, there is a custom according to which children should run or ride on the bed of the newlyweds. The bed for the wedding night was usually made by a relative on the bride's side, such as her godmother. Grain or olives (in Greece) were poured under the feather bed. When everything was done properly, children between the ages of 2 and 8 were allowed into the room. They were allowed to jump, jump and roll on the bed for some time. According to popular beliefs, thanks to this, the newlyweds should have had healthy and numerous offspring.

The worldview of our ancestors can be perfectly traced in legends, epics, fairy tales. Some modern holidays are rooted in hoary antiquity, for example, Maslenitsa, Krasnaya Gorka, Ivan Kupala's holiday. The ancient gods only changed their names, the Orthodox faith also left an imprint on them, but the deep understanding of their essence remained the same. Terrible Perun became Ilya the prophet, the patron saint of cattle Veles - Saint Basil, Yarilo was transformed into George the Victorious. The transformation of the goddess Mokosha, who in ancient times was considered the wife of the god Perun, is also interesting, later she becomes Paraskeva-Friday. Until the middle of the 19th century, she was considered the patroness of women's crafts and women in general.

In the X-XI centuries, when Orthodoxy began to be practiced in Rus', Prince Vladimir ordered the destruction of the pagan pantheon. The church also tried to fight the old, "demonic" customs. But it must be admitted that until the 18th century in Rus', dual faith existed almost everywhere. Many church ceremonies and holidays were timed to coincide with pagan ones.

The wedding ceremony also had a dual character. On the one hand, the wedding has become a mandatory norm in society, and on the other hand, all the ancient customs and symbols of the wedding have remained the same. At first, it was difficult for the Slavs to accept mysticism and a certain abstractness of Christian marriage. Therefore, the wedding ceremony was performed simply as an addition to the rest of the ritual. Wedding offerings were also made to the gods. It is from these traditions that the sprinkling of the bride and groom with grain, the washing of the bride with wine, the sprinkling and sprinkling of the wedding train and other customs that many try to observe today have come.

From pagan beliefs came wedding signs and magical tricks at modern weddings, for example, putting coins in the shoes of the young, the buzz of the wedding procession, pins "from the evil eye" in the bride's dress. Carrying the bride across the threshold is also a tribute to ancient customs. Sometimes the wedding train travels in a roundabout way so that "the road is not spoiled." In the countryside, even now they try to invite a sorceress-sorceress to a wedding.

And sometimes a broom is tied to the groom's car - "to show the way to other grooms." The tradition of passing young people between lit candles also came from antiquity, when after the wedding, bonfires were kindled on the road of the newlyweds.

The techniques of folk magic remained unchanged, although the Church, and later the Soviet government, fought with them for many centuries. Not a single important event in the life of the family was complete without the prescribed rituals. The wedding, as a rule, takes place in several stages, and each of them is accompanied by its traditional actions. Many tricks are known to make successful matchmaking or collusion. And how many signs and rituals are associated with the first wedding night. And in the old days, and now this event is of particular importance. Almost all peoples of the world have protective magic on their wedding day.

Among the Karelians of the Northern Ladoga region, before the wedding, the groom performs a ritual dance in front of the bride. The dance must be performed in the bride's house. Guests and relatives form a circle, the bride stands in the middle, and the groom begins his dance around her. The elements of the dance should be movements that demonstrate the true intentions of the groom, his sexual attraction to the bride. Sometimes acrobatic tricks are also used: a bridge, jumping over the head. The bride basically spins in place, her movements depicting the habits of birds.

The birth of a child in Rus' was also accompanied by special rites. The Slavs believed that the birth of a child was met by special entities - women in labor. They were endowed with the same qualities as the Greek moira. Women in labor endow the baby with fate, so the parents tried to appease them.

In addition to the sacrifice, women in labor were supposed to treat relatives and neighbors. An echo of this ancient custom can be considered modern christening of babies. So, in ancient times, parents dedicated their child to some god, that is, they gave the child under his protection. And now, choosing a name for the baby, some parents check with the calendar. The principle is the same: the child is given the name of a saint who will be his patron and protector for life.

The Russians had certain ideas about love and marriage. And more often than not, love and marriage were not identical concepts. Here again it is worth making reference to the traditional communal orientation of concepts. Marriage was concluded for economic and economic reasons, and sometimes the decision to marry was made by the entire community, clan. But love, nevertheless, was not denied by the Slavs. In the pantheon of gods, the goddess of love and fertility, Lada, occupied a special place. Information has been preserved that a large statue of the goddess stood for a long time on the banks of the Dnieper, near Kyiv. Pilgrims brought flowers and wreaths to the foot of the statue. People from afar came to bow to the goddess and ask for her help.

In the XII century, the main elements of the Great Russian wedding custom were already established. For example, it was customary to celebrate collusion and engagement with a solemn feast. Traditionally, a special loaf, porridge and cheese were served on the table. If, after the engagement, the groom suddenly refused the bride, he had to "pay for the cheese." Refusal of the wedding after collusion was considered a breach of promise, and a considerable amount was charged from the culprit.

In the 13th century, the tradition of fixing consent to marriage with a row record firmly entered society. When conspiring, the relatives of the young, as a rule, argued, agreed, that is, “dressed up”. Since that time, the custom of handshaking has also come to us, when, having agreed, the fathers of the bride and groom sealed the deal with a strong handshake.

The church all this time led a rather tough policy towards old folk rituals. Already in the XIV-XV centuries, the marriage contract began to be fixed by church betrothal. The betrothed were given a letter confirming the legality of the engagement.

With the advent of Christianity in Rus', Byzantine marriage law was entrenched, categorically prohibiting polygamy, which was widespread earlier. The attitude towards adultery and extramarital affairs was negative. In women, chastity and purity were especially valued. The appearance of illegitimate children was also not welcomed in society.

The church also fought against such manifestations of paganism as ancient holidays, some of which were orgiastic in nature. In pre-Christian Rus', the night of Ivan Kupala was just such a holiday. In fact, when starting many household chores (spring sowing, harvesting, etc.), our ancestors resorted to the magic of fertility. In some localities, the newlyweds spent their first night in a freshly plowed field. According to beliefs, this contributed to a good harvest.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, magical actions with a circle were considered a means of protection against evil forces. The bride, entering the courtyard of her husband, had to drive around a special table three times in a wagon. On the table were magic items and special "protective" loaves. In the same place, leaving for the wedding, the wedding train did not pass through the gate, but through the gap made in the fence. It was believed that this is a sure way to protect the newlyweds from the deceit of evil forces.

So, by the 17th century, certain wedding ceremonies had already developed in Russia. There were special wedding clothes, paraphernalia, food, folklore. The significance of church marriage has firmly entered the public concept. The ancient engravings and miniatures that have survived to this day depict many elements of a wedding that still exist today. At the same time, some ritual wedding actions disappeared or changed. So, for example, after the wedding, the groom no longer broke the glass goblet. At the same time, the sprinkling of holy water before and after the wedding was present everywhere.

In their sermons, the clergy strictly condemned pagan survivals, an example is the surviving sermon of Metropolitan Daniel. However, it was not easy to eradicate some traditions that had existed for centuries. The "burial of winter" and the "unlocking of the earth" continued to take place until 1917. These holidays were celebrated with round dances, songs, dances, wild fun. Straw effigies were burned or thrown into the water, young people jumped over the fires. In May-June, "Rusal" began, which lasted 7-8 days. This time was marked by games, divination, and all sorts of magical rites. Beliefs in mermaids are also preserved from the most ancient beliefs in heavenly women. In early spring, heavenly women rose from the wells. They brought clouds from afar, and blessed rain fell on the earth, giving life to the crops.

Gradually, heavenly women turned into mermaids, beautiful, but treacherous creatures. Only witches could swim with mermaids, for the rest it threatened insanity or death.

Perhaps the first attempt to introduce strict norms of behavior in Rus' was Domostroy. This set of rules for family life rather represented an ideal in the understanding of that time. The reality, however, sometimes differed significantly from the precepts of the Domostroy. Peasant communities had their own concepts, well-established for centuries. Often, as in pagan times, parents married their children early, at 12 or 13 years old. In the steppe regions, marriages were sometimes made between newly born children. In such cases, special notches were placed on the cradles. A girl at the age of 8–9 moved to the house of her husband's parents. In the northeast, the tradition of pair marriage was preserved, when two brothers married girls from the same family, or when a brother married a girl, and his sister had to marry her brother. This custom is an echo of a very ancient, group marriage.

Sometimes, for economic reasons, an adult girl was given in marriage to a boy of 9–10 years old. This was done in the case when working hands were required on the farm, when there were not enough women's hands. There was also the custom of a “conditional” bride, when the family where there is a boy, betrothed him in advance to a girl from another family who was not even born yet. Such steps were taken if the families wanted to seal trade or friendly relations.

In Belarus, the tradition of the pillar rite was preserved for a very long time. It was usually held at the stove pillar. Druzhka, in torn bast shoes, torn clothes, shaggy and with a dirty face, climbed onto the stove pillar. There he sang the ritual song "God's Basla", in which he called on higher powers to seal the marriage union of the bride and groom. Druzhka took wine, kalachi and other food with him to the “stoup”. And it was from there that he threw food to the assembled people. Druzhka, with his appearance and behavior, symbolized the ancestor god who came to bless the marriage. In Belarus, beliefs in a patron ancestor existed until the 19th century.

Both in Russian songs and in the folklore of other countries, it can be noted that the bride is sad about the upcoming changes in her life. Indeed, the fate of a young wife in a strange house was not easy in the old days. Hard work awaited the girl, the hostility of her mother-in-law, a subordinate position in her husband's family. That is why the “weeping of the bride” was traditional on the eve of the wedding, during the ceremony of farewell to the stepfather’s house. Many songs-parables have survived to this day. For example:

Look, dear father,

For me, for the young.

Am I well equipped

According to God, go to church,

Rise under the golden crown

Accept the law of God.

With a stranger, with a stranger.

I'm for you, father

I strike with my forehead, I bow low,

I was your father

Little something little

Walked near the bench

You took me, father,

On their white hands,

You raised me, father,

Above the wild head,

You told me, father:

I won't give you up, dear daughter,

Not for the prince, not for the boyar.

I will plant you, dear daughter,

In the gardens, in the green ..

Melt, banenka,

Fire up, rock

Get upset girl

On your side

On your side

By the will of a girl.

Don't rush girl

To someone else's father.

At someone else's father

The field is sown with grief,

Watered with tears

Kruchina town.

Indeed, at an old wedding, only the bride was sad. She was sad when everyone else sang merry and joyful songs. Moreover, at Cossack weddings, special women were invited to the bride's house - "vyshchitsa", who were supposed to lament and sing plaintive songs to the bride. And she, the poor woman, even if she was glad of her marriage, it was fitting to cry and grieve, and in no case show her joy. Sometimes the bride’s request, her appeal to her parents not to marry her, was answered by the mother, who, according to tradition, should calm her daughter and give instructions on how to treat her father-in-law and mother-in-law. In response, the mother advises not to expect a good attitude from her husband's parents, but nevertheless recommends her daughter to be modest and respectful to them. The father usually did not answer his daughter, as custom demanded.

Among the Eastern Slavs, the bride before the wedding turned with special songs to the brownie. He was considered the patron spirit of the house and economy. The girl asked her to answer her, how would her husband treat her, would he stand up for his parents? During the matchmaking, the bride had to hide in the oven corner and listen to the conversation from there. After the matchmakers left, the girl began to “question” the brownie.

In the south of Austria, the newlyweds, after leaving the church, had to cut a log lying on the goats. If their actions were coordinated, and they coped with the work quickly, this was considered a good omen and meant that they would live together.

The young also passed another test: in the house where the wedding feast was to take place, they set up a table, which was covered with a special tablecloth. Items were placed on the table: a glass of water, a pipe, bread, a broom, threads, etc. The bride and groom had to choose one thing at a time. Depending on what subject they would take, they judged what kind of masters they would be.

In general, many wedding ceremonies are associated with the stove among the Slavs. For example, in Ukraine, during matchmaking, one of the matchmakers picked a stone out of the oven and hid it in his pocket. And the bride, as a sign of consent, sat down at the stove corner and dug up the clay. All this was done in order to secure a good disposition of the brownie for the upcoming event. It was believed that the brownie lives in the chimney. And moving to her husband's house, the bride also tried to enlist the patronage of the "owner".

In the Kursk region, on the wedding day, the bride was in no hurry to dress up for the crown. She was sitting on the stove in ordinary home clothes with her hair down. When the groom's train arrived, a friend entered the house, everyone else was waiting in the yard. It was after the arrival of the boyfriend and his "categorical requirements" to start getting ready that the girl went downstairs and went to get dressed. At the same time, she left her comb on the stove, the brownie for storage.

In the old days, no wedding was complete without buffoons. For the most part, they entertained and amused the guests, and in general set the tone for the holiday. Peter I banned the participation of buffoons at weddings and other entertainments. Therefore, the role of buffoons began to play a friend. And it was from those ancient times, when buffoons, praising the young, sang songs of praise to them, the sacred name came: the groom was called the Prince, the bride was the Princess. This is how the newlyweds are called at the wedding.

A lot of ancient traditions have been preserved among the northern peoples. Even today, weddings in Old Believer villages are bright, colorful, with a certain amount of drama. There you can now, before the bride and groom leave for the church, see the rite of “swearing” - when the bride is passed from hand to hand and at the end goes to the groom. At the same time, the audience sing a special song, the meaning of which is that the bridegroom will be the best in the hands of the girl, and that she is transmitted to him forever.

A special wedding ceremony, the kosnik, has also been preserved in the northern villages. His task is to sell the "scythe" as expensive as possible. Kosnik should be able to bargain well and joke. Previously, he was thanked for his work with money and a glass of wine, today they are presented with funny souvenirs.

Even 60 years ago, it was customary to wake up young people after their wedding night by breaking pots at the door. The young wife had to meekly collect these fragments, although sometimes the pots were broken before her eyes. In some regions, it was customary to beat the dishes before the young people entered the husband's house. At the door of the newlyweds, the mother of the groom in a fur coat turned out with fur met. She greeted them with the words: “The fur coat is warm and furry - you live warmly and richly!”

Particular importance was attached to the preparation of the bed for the wedding night. The mother of the groom had to lay it. For this, an unheated room, a crate or an extension to the hut was chosen. The marriage bed consisted of 27 straw, unsewn mattresses. Hops, millet or other grains were sometimes added to the straw. Feather beds, sheets, pillows, a blanket, if possible, were embroidered with special wedding symbols. Before the arrival of the young, the bed was checked by a friend who hit it with a whip several times, driving away evil spirits. Sometimes the wedding boy, a boy of 5-7 years old, had to jump, lie on the bed.

In the North, according to tradition, in addition to the main friend, the younger ones were also chosen. Their duties also included entertaining and amusing the guests, mainly the groom's friends were invited to this role. The bridesmaids weren't left out either. Preparing for the bachelorette party, the girls brought a small pine tree to the bride's house, which was decorated with red ribbons. The tree symbolized the bride dressed up for the crown. In some villages, real dramatizations of the upcoming wedding were played out by girlfriends.

In the Slovak tradition, there was an ancient wedding ceremony-game, the so-called execution of the rooster. The basis of this tradition was the rite of sacrifice, but the ancient meaning has long been forgotten. And in the 19th century, not a single Slovak wedding could do without the “execution of a rooster”. At first, the rooster was solemnly brought into the yard, where a kind of trial-parody took place. The bird was accused of numerous sins - love for all chickens, infidelity, polygamy, etc. Ultimately, the rooster was sentenced to death. He was tied with a rope to a wooden stake. The young husband was to carry out the death sentence. To do this, he took a wooden saber or chain, the eyes of the "executioner" were tied with a towel. If after three attempts the rooster remained unharmed, the right to strike passed to the bride, etc. The executed feathered one was taken to the kitchen, and a dish was prepared, which was then shared among all.

After the wedding, married women invited their young wife to the hutches, where she was treated to wine, pies and jelly. This emphasized the girl's transition to another social status. It is worth noting that married people had to strictly observe certain rules of conduct. For example, it was impossible to go to gatherings, dance with young people. Young spouses were made an exception for one year. Deviation from such attitudes was strictly condemned by society.

Public opinion and the good reputation of the family played a huge role in choosing a life partner for our ancestors. Therefore, the matchmaker always had a special role. A good matchmaker had to find out everything about the family of the chosen one (chosen one). It has always been difficult for children from a family of drunkards, lazy or mentally ill to start a family. They tried not to be related to such families.

And although our ancestors did not know anything about the laws of genetics, they always relied on folk wisdom: "An apple does not fall far from an apple tree." Therefore, when marrying the first daughter in the family, they looked at their parents, and they chose the second one by their married sister. If the eldest daughter is a good mistress, a sensible wife, and an agreeable daughter-in-law, then the youngest will not stay long in girls.

The girl's parents also did not give consent to the marriage, without first knowing everything about the guy's relatives. Folk wisdom said: “The parents married the first son, and the daughter-in-law of the others!” After all, no one will give their child to a house where they will treat him badly.

Traditions of the Russian folk wedding Sokolova Alla Leonidovna

wedding tree

wedding tree

So, we saw that the most common type of tree at a Russian wedding was a Christmas tree, which was often made from the top of a spruce and dressed up with candles, ribbons, garlands, etc. A modern person has a question: why does the above-described wedding Christmas tree look so much like a Christmas tree? Moreover, if we turn to the history of the emergence of the New Year tree, and it appeared in medieval Germany, it turns out even more about More resemblance to our wedding Christmas tree than it seems at first glance. Old German Christmas trees were tabletop and made from the top of a spruce, they were decorated with candles. The Russian wedding Christmas tree often looked exactly the same. Christmas trees used to be burned - the same was often done with our Christmas tree.

Apparently, independently of each other, different peoples applied the same subject to different events: the Germans - to the birth of a young sun instead of the old one (solstice) and the birth of Christ, and the Slavs - to the birth of each new married couple. When asked why the crown of a spruce was chosen for Christmas or for a wedding, and not another object, historians answer that this evergreen tree is a symbol of immortality and the image of the World Tree in the culture of many peoples. Indeed, different nations have always remembered the World Tree during key holidays.

A wedding tree is an important attribute of not only Russian, but also Slavic weddings in general. According to linguistics, the original common Slavic wedding tree was precisely the Christmas tree (in many Slavic countries, even in those where fruit trees or a bouquet of flowers are used at the time of marriage, they are called by some word derived from the common Slavic root *jedl-[BSSK]).

In most Russian regions, the tree was perceived as a symbol of a break with girlhood, while in the context of the common Slavic heritage, in addition to this image, rituals with the World Tree are also visible. The memory that the Christmas tree was originally something more than just an attribute of the bride is clearly visible in Russian culture. This is evidenced by the following phenomena.

In many Russian regions, two kr a honeycombs are both an attribute of a hairstyle and a Christmas tree. This indicates that the Christmas tree was supposed to carry other functions besides the crown. a honeycombs - but what kind, in the 19th century, people in these parts no longer remembered - and did not even suspect that it should mean something else. In the Oryol wedding, a tree called a “herringbone” or “apple tree” was a spruce branch stuck into ritual bread (the tree is also strengthened in the main wedding loaf by some Slavs). An example of a not quite conscious use of the image of a Christmas tree among Russians is a pattern made from dough on a wedding loaf called "dace" or figurines of Christmas trees on a pie.

Dowry transportation. 1902 Russian Ethnographic Museum. The wedding tree is attached to the arc.

In the Yaroslavl region, a spruce was decorated in the groom's house, and in the bride's house - a birch; in the Nizhny Novgorod region, spruce branches were stuck into a kurnik - a pie intended for both newlyweds. Compare with the traditions of other Slavic peoples. Before the wedding, among the Poles, spruce trees were set up both at the groom's house and at the bride's (Zap. Beskid district). In Ukrainian weddings, the bride and groom were curled. Among Belarusians, a “tree” was made for the groom, and a “wreath” for the bride. Among the southern Slavs, a tree (a Christmas tree with apples among the Bulgarians, with cheesecakes - in Moravia, with flowers or ribbons - in Slovakia) or a shaft entwined with various greens was made by girls or guys from the groom's side. It was considered a wedding banner, accompanied by a wedding procession, it was placed near the newlyweds at a feast.

Apparently, initially the Christmas tree symbolized the World Tree, and the ribbons and other decorations symbolized the girlhood of the bride. It follows from this that the a the hundredth was the ornaments, not the tree itself. In some regions, this pattern is clearly seen in custom, namely: in the Vologda, Pskov, Yaroslavl regions, a doll was planted on a Christmas tree branch. Here the doll is the girlhood of the bride, the Christmas tree is the World Tree. In the songs, by the way, it is sung that when a the honeycomb leaves the bride, she “sticks” to the tree and remains there forever.

Therefore, the wedding tree is a multi-valued symbol, the original meaning of which is associated with the World Tree. The popularity of spruce in this role is associated with its fluffy prickly crown, which was associated with the other world. The people saw the same magical properties in the fluffy furs on which the newlyweds sat throughout the wedding. In light of this, it shouldn't surprise us that in the song (given below in the topic of initiation) the World Tree is overgrown with sable fur instead of foliage.

In wedding songs, it is sung that the betrothed meet at the World Tree, so the Christmas tree was placed next to the place of the newlyweds at the table.

After the announcement of the newlyweds as spouses, the tree was “transported” to another world in one of two ways: destroyed, often burned (i.e. sent to the “other world”), or left to parents (the living space of parents for married children is the same as another world) . Probably, they tried to get rid of the tree for the same reason that they got rid of all the other attributes involved in the bonding of the marriage union - in this way they made the wedding indestructible. Looking ahead, I will give similar examples: the cups from which the newlyweds drank were broken; the towel with which they tied their hands was presented to the one who performed the ceremony; shared the loaf; the wedding castle was left in special places.