Russian wedding: traditions and customs. Classic wedding traditions

The exchange of rings, the throwing of a bouquet and garter, the removal of a veil - all these traditions and rituals have long been familiar to us. No wedding celebration is complete without them. However, there are other interesting traditions and rituals in the world that will not only help create a romantic atmosphere at the wedding, but also diversify the festive program. In the article, the wedding.ws portal brings to your attention the top 5 interesting and unusual wedding traditions.

A beautiful tradition that symbolizes the bonding of the union is tying a knot, or literally “tie the knot”. By tying the knot, you promise to always be together and walk through life hand in hand. You can tie both a traditional tourniquet and multi-colored ribbons.

You can tie a knot directly after painting or at a wedding banquet. You can keep this knot as a family heirloom to remind you of your wedding day.

In Europe, it has long been customary to exchange wedding vows, declaring love and fidelity to each other. This beautiful tradition has already been appreciated by many newlyweds in Russia, because there is nothing more touching and romantic than the tender words heard from the second half on the wedding day.

Vows can be said during the exit registration before the exchange of rings. If you are going to register a marriage at the registry office, then you should discuss this with the administration in order to fit into a strictly regulated time. In addition, vows can be pronounced at the end of the wedding evening and a sky lantern with your names can be launched into the sky. Romantic, isn't it?!?

An important step in preparing for this ritual is the writing of oaths. Be sure to discuss with the groom what she will be: gentle and touching or playful and ironic. If you want to add something personal to the oath that only the two of you can understand, think about how your family and friends will react to it. Discuss the structure of the text so that your vows are harmonious. The content itself, of course, is not worth talking to each other, it is better to make a surprise for your loved one on your wedding day. Practice in front of a mirror in pronouncing an oath, note the time that you need. Ideally, if you fit in 1-2 minutes, otherwise your guests may lose interest in your narration.

Another beautiful wedding tradition is the joint planting of a tree as a symbol of the beginning of a new family life.

You can plant a tree in the forest, in the country or even in the yard of your house. The park will be a great place if you manage to negotiate with the administration. But even if you cannot find a suitable place, and you don’t want to go to the forest, you can just plant a tree in a pot and put your “family” seedling on the balcony. The main thing is to choose the right plant for this.

You can carry out this tradition during a wedding walk or a banquet. Ask the host or your guest to give a beautiful speech while you are busy planting a tree. And let the photographer at this time capture every moment of this touching ritual.

Keep in mind that planting a tree is connected to the ground, so prepare themed aprons and gloves so as not to get dirty. You can’t do without a shovel, as well as a pot, if you decide to plant a tree outside of nature. And forward - to planting your "family" seedling - a symbol of your love and devotion!

With onsite registration gaining more and more popularity, we want to draw attention to the beautiful tradition of accompanying the bride, which can often be seen in American films. The father, accompanied by solemn music, leads the bride to the altar, where the groom is waiting for her. Such a beautiful tradition will create an atmosphere of family comfort at the registration ceremony, because there is nothing more touching than a father giving his beloved daughter into the hands of another man.

sand ceremony

The Hawaiian wedding tradition has already captivated the hearts of many Russian couples. And no wonder, because such a colorful ritual gives a lot of positive emotions, both to the newlyweds and guests.

Folk rituals have long accompanied the most significant events in a person's life in Rus'. They were sacredly revered, carefully passed down from generation to generation. Many ancient customs have survived to this day. A rare marriage does without traditional rites. They give the first family holiday of the young a special solemnity, make it bright and memorable. Rites at the wedding not only symbolically unite the destinies of lovers, but also connect many generations of their families with an invisible thread.

Traditional pre-wedding customs

Wedding ceremonies in Russia begin long before the joyful event. The most common customs preceding marriage:

• matchmaking;
• bride;
• hen-party;
• bachelor party.

Long gone are the days when parents chose the right couple for their children. Modern lovers usually decide on their own to start a family, and matchmaking involves a solemn marriage proposal in the presence of the father and mother of the bride.

And yet, paying tribute to the traditions, many arrange matchmaking according to all the rules. This is a fascinating and beautiful ceremony that is performed in the bride's house. Having received the consent and blessing of her parents, preparations for the wedding begin.

A return visit to the groom's house - the bride, in the old days was made in order to inspect the household, assess the family's prosperity and make sure that the bride would be in good conditions after the wedding.

Modern brides have rather a symbolic meaning. Arriving at the house of future relatives, the bride's parents get to know them better and once again confirm their consent to marriage. At the bride, they begin to discuss the preparations for the upcoming holiday.

Shortly before the wedding, a bachelorette party is traditionally held. The bride gathers her friends, says goodbye to her former unmarried life. Girls exchange small gifts, have fun and have fun from the heart.

A bachelor party is a similar holiday for friends of the future newlywed. To hold an interesting party in a narrow circle of close friends or celebrate an event on a grand scale - everyone decides for himself, based on his preferences and capabilities.

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Rituals on the day of marriage

In order for the long-awaited celebration to be beautiful, it is advisable to prepare for the wedding ceremonies in advance. If a toastmaster is invited to the wedding, he will offer ready-made scenarios for their conduct and advise what wedding attributes need to be purchased. The selected ceremonies, with the exception of an Orthodox wedding, are easy to organize on your own.

Traditional rituals at a wedding in Russia:

• ransom of the bride;
• Orthodox wedding;
• blessing with bread and salt;
• gifting newlyweds;
• interbreeding of families;
• removal of the wedding veil;
• transfer of the family hearth.

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Before marriage, the last pre-wedding ceremony is held - the ransom of the bride.

If in the past a girl was literally redeemed, giving her parents money and other material values ​​as a sign that the future husband was able to support his wife, then the modern ceremony is carried out in a simplified and often joking manner.

The bridesmaid and bridesmaids arrange a number of "obstacles" for the groom in the form of various competitions that he must overcome in order to present the bridegroom with a wedding bouquet. Demonstrating his ingenuity, endurance, sense of humor, the guy gets the right to pick up his beloved and become her husband. The groom and the witness prepare small gifts for the girls: champagne, sweets and funny souvenirs. Sometimes the bride is redeemed for money.

A cheerful custom will entertain guests and the heroes of the upcoming celebration, cheer up and serve as a good start to a joyful day. It is worth calculating in advance the time required for the bride's ransom ceremony, so as not to be late for marriage registration or wedding.

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Orthodox wedding ceremony

Many young couples not only get married officially, but also want to take an oath of love and fidelity before God, having received a church blessing. In this case, the wedding ritual in the temple is the most important and significant ceremony of the wedding celebration.

The decision is important to make consciously. The wedding requires a certain spiritual preparation: the future newlyweds need to talk with the priest, confess, take communion and endure a short fast. The sacrament of the church blessing of the new family is invited to share only the closest people.

For the solemn ritual, they acquire two wedding candles, a white towel under the feet of the newlyweds, wedding rings and wedding icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. It should be noted that in Russia the church crowns only those newlyweds who have officially registered the marriage.

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Blessing with bread and salt

At a wedding ceremony with a loaf is traditionally performed in the groom's house. Parents meet the happy newlyweds at the entrance with an icon and bread and salt on an embroidered towel and bless. On the way, guests shower the young spouses with rose petals, and under their feet they throw coins and grains of wheat or rice - symbols of family happiness, prosperity and fertility.

The ritual of bread and salt at a wedding is often organized at a restaurant or cafe before the start of the festive banquet. A solemn custom means the acceptance of a daughter-in-law into the house of her husband's parents. According to tradition, the bride and groom must simultaneously bite off the loaf without the help of hands. It is believed that the one whose piece is larger will dominate the family.

Sometimes guests are treated to a wedding loaf. But more often, the mother of the groom hides it, so that after the wedding they take it to the temple and leave it on the table for donations. According to some beliefs, this guarantees harmony and well-being in the family of the newlyweds.

For the ceremony, they buy or bake an elegant rich loaf. They also prepare an embroidered towel and an icon to bless the young. A small salt shaker with salt is placed in the center of the festive bread.

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Gift giving by guests

After a parental blessing, the groom in his arms brings the bride into the banquet hall. Before the start of the wedding feast, the guests present gifts to the young spouses. At the same time, it is not customary to make long congratulatory speeches so as not to tire the newlyweds and others present. However, a few sincere sincere words, parting the newlyweds into life together, will successfully complement the ceremony of giving gifts at the wedding.

If an impressive number of guests are invited to the celebration, and the ceremony of gifting the newlyweds risks dragging on for a long time, then it is carried out in several stages: first, the parents and closest relatives congratulate the young, and after the first part of the wedding feast, it is the turn of friends, neighbors and work colleagues.

Witnesses and toastmasters make sure that all gifts are collected in one place, and flowers are placed in vases or other containers with water. For cash gifts, you can prepare in advance an elegant chest or a bright box with a slot.

A good idea is to invite those present to write congratulatory words for the newlyweds in a specially prepared album. You can also put a white tablecloth on a separate table, which friends and relatives of the newlyweds will gladly paint with sincere wishes for good, happiness, prosperity and prosperity.

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Parenting families of newlyweds

At the wedding ceremony for the parents of the newlyweds is carried out in the second part of the festive feast. On a solemn day, not only the hearts of lovers unite, but also become related to their families.

The ceremony of twinning at a wedding can begin with a beautiful ceremony. To do this, prepare a figured bottle, decorated with lace or bright ribbons, a small funnel and coarse salt in two colors. Salt is pre-stained with undiluted gouache and dried.

After the solemn words of the host of the wedding about the unification of two families and good wishes, the newlyweds pour multi-colored salt from two glasses into one bottle. The ceremony symbolizes the merging of the destinies of the newlyweds into one and the twinning of their families.

Then the son-in-law with the mother-in-law and the father-in-law, the daughter-in-law with the mother-in-law and the father-in-law and the parents of the bride and groom kiss each other (or just hug). After the ceremony, the new relatives take turns dancing with each other.

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Removing the bride's veil

The modern ceremony of removing the veil at a wedding is carried out differently. A pillow is placed on a chair in the center of the hall and the bride is seated. This symbolically means that now the daughter-in-law has her own cozy place in the groom's house. The mother-in-law removes the veil from the newlywed and, with good wishes, ties an elegant shawl or scarf on her head.

Then the bride dances in turn with all the unmarried friends, raising the veil over their heads. Other girls are not allowed to try on the bride's veil. According to popular beliefs, this is not a quick marriage. In some scenarios, the girlfriends do not dance with the bride, but pass under the veil, which the young wife holds in her hands, to beautiful music. The dance can be different: the newlyweds lift the veil by the wreath, and the bridesmaids dance around.

Sometimes the mother of the bride or the groom takes off the veil, and the mother-in-law puts on the scarf. The wedding headdress is kept in the house of a young family. It will serve as a reliable amulet for the future daughter of the spouses.

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Transfer of the home

One of the most touching and spectacular customs at a wedding is the ceremony of transferring the family hearth. It is held at the very end of the celebration and helps to complete it beautifully. The mother of the newlywed lights a large candle and carefully passes it to her daughter as a piece of home warmth, comfort and happiness, which from now on should reign in the house of a young family.

Sometimes the ceremony with candles at the wedding goes differently: from two small candles, which are held in the hands of the mother of the bride and groom, the newlyweds light the symbolic fire of their family. The rite looks very beautiful in a dimly lit room. To the gentle music, the newlyweds slowly whirl in the last wedding dance, completing the holiday and saying goodbye to the guests.

Wedding candle - a symbol of warmth and well-being of the parental home

A year will fly by, and the young couple will perform the ceremony of tying knots at a cotton wedding - the first family anniversary. In twenty-five years, they will tenderly endow each other with silver. Having lived in harmony for half a century, with love and gratitude they will again exchange gold rings. But the most precious memories will always be the memories of an amazing wedding celebration.

When we get married, we all want to celebrate this event so that it will be remembered for a lifetime. Today, interest in the traditional wedding ceremony has noticeably increased. On this solemn day, people try to observe all the wedding traditions that are passed down from generation to generation.

The ancient name of the wedding "svyatba" means binding (svyatba). Svyats (matchmakers) performed a rite of binding, after which it was possible for a woman and a man from different clans to cohabit together. In the future, the rite of binding began to be accompanied by various wedding rites. The Russian wedding ceremony appeared in the 18-19th century; it is one of the most important family rituals, consisting of a huge number of elements. Among them are ceremonial songs, eulogies, obligatory ceremonial actions of the bride, boyfriends and other participants.

Wedding ceremonies were a symbol of the transition of a girl from her paternal clan to the male gender, under the protection of the spirits of the male gender. This transition was regarded as death in its kind and birth in the husband's family. For example, one of the wedding ceremonies, vytiye (ritual lamentation) is compared with lamentations for the deceased. At a bachelorette party, going to the bath is compared to washing the deceased. When the bride is taken to church by the arms, this is a symbol of lifelessness, lack of strength, and the young wife leaves the church herself. The tradition of carrying the bride into the groom's house in her arms aims to deceive the brownie so that he accepts the girl as a newborn who appeared in the house, and did not enter it.

The Russian wedding ceremony varies in different regions of Russia. For example, in the north, the rite is accompanied only by lamentations, and in the south it consists entirely of cheerful songs, where lamentations play a more formal role. Some regional traditions have pre-Christian origins, as well as elements of magic. The wedding ceremony is presented as a strictly organized system.

Despite some differences, the general order of the wedding ceremony remains unchanged and includes the following elements.

Matchmaking.
Matchmaking is a wedding ceremony that involves the groom's proposal of the hand and heart of his beloved in the presence of her parents. In this ceremony, as a rule, the future groom himself participates. However, he can also send matchmakers to the parents of the future bride. Most often, the groom's parents, close relatives, and godparents act as matchmakers. The exception is friends, they may be present at the matchmaking in rare cases. Before the actual matchmaking, the parents of the bride and groom previously agreed on this.

Entering the parental home of the bride, the matchmaker performed certain ritual actions. For example, in the Simbirsk province, the matchmaker had to sit under the mother, and in the Vologda province - to rattle the stove damper, etc. It so happened that the matchmaker could speak about the purpose of his visit in a certain ritual language, and the bride's parents answered him in the same manner. This was explained by the need to protect the wedding ceremony from the effects of evil spirits. By tradition, the parents of the bride are obliged to refuse the matchmaker for the first time, even if they are approved, but the matchmaker in this case is obliged to persuade them. After the ceremony of courtship, the parents of the future bride gave an answer. As a rule, the desire of the girl was not taken into account. Her consent was only a formality. In rare cases, matchmaking took place without a girl at all.

For the matchmaking, the future groom must wear a suit, and also bring two bouquets of flowers with him. He should give one of them to the girl's mother (future mother-in-law), and the second - to his future bride. The groom confesses to the girl's parents his love for her and asks them for her hand. In case of parental consent, the bride's father puts his daughter's right hand into the groom's.

Nowadays, as a rule, matchmaking is combined with some kind of family holiday or weekend. Natural chores around the table allow future relatives to get to know each other better. In the case when the groom's parents for some reason were absent from the matchmaking, the future newlyweds should visit them, where the son will introduce his beloved to his parents, and she gives flowers to the future mother-in-law. After the matchmaking, the young people set the date of the engagement and its announcement.

Smotriny.
Brides are also an obligatory part of the wedding ceremony, in which the groom, his parents, matchmakers evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the future wife. As a rule, the bride-to-be was held before the handshake, after the matchmaking. In addition, the bride-to-be also implies an inspection by the girl's parents of the groom's household, while a special place was occupied by the presence of livestock, bread, dishes and clothes. If something did not suit the parents, they could refuse the groom. Otherwise, the bride's parents set the date of public matchmaking - rubbing.

During the rite of handshaking, they finally agreed on the wedding (date, expenses, number of gifts, masonry (a form of financial support for the bride from the groom's relatives), dowry, etc.). As a rule, hand-beating was carried out after 2-3 days after the matchmaking. During handshaking, wedding ranks were also distributed. The result of the handshaking was the beating of each other's hands (while wearing canvas mittens) by the fathers of the bride and groom. This custom symbolized the obligatory fulfillment of the agreement reached. The rite of hand-beating testified that the bride was betrothed; in this case, only an exceptional case (for example, the escape of the bride) could cancel the wedding.

Later, the rites of handshaking and courtship joined the bride.

Vytiye.
Vytiye meant ritual crying, which was carried out on the side of the bride. Vyti symbolized the farewell of the bride to her parents and friends. The bride's head was covered with the likeness of a veil so that she could not see anything and accompanied her. As the girl was released, she fell.

Hen-party.
The bachelorette party was carried out, as a rule, before the wedding or on the days from the handshake to the wedding. At the bride's bachelorette party, her friends gathered and, to the wedding songs, helped her sew gifts for the groom and his relatives. The bride at this time had to "cry, howl, wail." This meant farewell to girlish life, the expectation of hard work after marriage.

Another important moment at the bachelorette party was the untwisting of the girl's braid, which was carried out by the bridesmaids. It meant the end of the girl's former life.

Another no less important element of the wedding ceremony was the ritual bathing of the bride in the bath. As a rule, this was done on the eve of the wedding or in the morning on the wedding day. The bride went to the bathhouse with her bridesmaids, while special songs and parables were sung, and sometimes some ritual actions with magical powers were performed. For example, in the Vologda region, it was customary for a bride to go to a bathhouse with a healer, who collected her sweat in a special vial, and at the wedding poured it into the groom's alcohol.

Nowadays, it is still customary to celebrate a bachelorette party, they only do it at home or in cozy cafes with girlfriends. But there may be other options for holding a bachelorette party, it all depends on the imagination of the bridesmaids.

Dowry.
The bride had to prepare a large dowry for the wedding. Her friends helped her with this. The period of preparation of the dowry was called a week. The dowry mainly included things made by the bride with her own hands: a bed (featherbed, pillow, blanket) and gifts to the groom and relatives: shirts, scarves, belts, patterned towels.

First wedding day.
The first day of the wedding is characterized by the arrival of the groom, a trip to the crown, the transfer of dowry, the arrival of the young at the groom's house, a blessing, a wedding feast.

Druzhka.
Druzhka (or Druzhko) has always been the most important participant and leader of the wedding ceremony. Most often, it is the friend who, according to ritual custom, is scolded, and he must adequately respond to such jokes in his direction. On the solemn day, the groom practically does not say any ritual words. The groom's brother or close friend acts as a boyfriend. Its distinguishing feature was an embroidered towel tied over the shoulder. In the traditions of some regions, two or even three friends could be present, but one of them will still be the main one.

Groom's arrival.
According to the traditions of some regions, on the morning of the wedding day, the bridegroom visits the bride's house to find out if the bride is ready for the arrival of the groom. The bride for the visit of the boyfriend should already be in wedding clothes and sit in the red corner. The wedding "train" included the groom with his boyfriend, friends and relatives (trainers). As the wedding train moved, special “train” songs were sung.

Ransom.
After the arrival of the groom, another wedding ceremony took place - a ransom. To get to the bride, the groom must pay a ransom for the gate, door, etc. When conducting this rite, much attention is paid to magical actions, for example, sweeping the road in order to protect the young from damage that can be directed at an object thrown under their feet, a stone, etc. In different traditions, the road to be swept is different. The ransom of the bride has been preserved to this day. It is allowed to redeem the bride from bridesmaids and from parents. It so happened that the groom was deceived, bringing the bride to him with her face covered. Instead of a real bride, another girl or even an elderly woman was taken out. In such a situation, the groom had to redeem the bride again, or look for her.

Wedding.
Before the bride and groom left for the church, the bride's parents blessed them with an icon and bread. Before the wedding ceremony, the bride’s braid was untwisted, and after it, two “woman’s” braids were braided to her, while carefully covering her hair with a headdress (warrior). Sometimes this was done at a wedding celebration, and among the Old Believers - between the betrothal and the wedding, or before the betrothal.

Arrival at the groom's house.
After the wedding, the bride is taken to the groom's house, where his parents bless their union. In many traditions, upon arrival, the bride and groom were put on a fur coat, which was a talisman. Bread was an obligatory element of the rite of blessing. As a rule, bread was next to the icon. In many traditions, both the bride and groom must bite off the bread.

Wedding feast.
As a rule, the wedding was celebrated over food with jokes and songs. According to tradition, the bride's parents should not be present at the wedding table on the first day, so there was such a custom to "call the proud." This task was entrusted to disguised guests by the husband and wife. In a noisy crowd they came to the house of the bride's parents and invited them to the wedding table. After the sacrament of the wedding, the bride's lamentations end, and the joyful and cheerful part of the ceremony begins. After that, the newlyweds go to the bride's house for gifts, after which they go to the groom's house, where everything is ready for the wedding feast. The wedding feast is accompanied by majestic songs for the groom, bride, parents and boyfriend all the time. The second day is celebrated in the house of the bride's parents. If the feast lasts three days, then the third day is again celebrated in the groom's house.

"Laying down" and "waking" the young.
“The laying down of the young” was carried out by the matchmaker, or the bed was preparing the marriage bed, for which the groom had to give a ransom. In the morning, the matchmaker, mother-in-law or boyfriend “woken up” the young. As a rule, after the “waking up”, the guests were shown a sheet or shirt of the bride with blood stains, which testified to her honor. According to other customs, the “honor” of the bride was demonstrated by the groom, eating from the middle or from the edge of a scrambled egg, pancake or pie. If the bride turned out to be not a virgin, her parents were ridiculed, they could cover the gate with tar, etc.

Second day of the wedding.
The most common rite on the second day of the wedding is the search for the bride "search for the yar". The essence of this ceremony is that the bride (yarochka) is hiding somewhere in the house, and the groom (shepherd) or his relatives are looking for her.

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Federal Agency for Education

Ivanovo State University

Faculty of Law

Department of Theory and History of State and Law

Modern wedding customs and traditions in Russia

4th year students of the 5th group

day department

commercial form of education

Scientific adviser:

Art. teacher Pavlova

Ivanovo, 2009

Wedding traditions……………………………………………………….4

Wedding signs………………………………………………………..8

What month to marry………………………………………………….12

Sources…………………………………………………………………..13

wedding traditions

The tradition of "marrying" a daughter along with a dowry was born in Holland. This is the opinion of German ethnographers. There is a legend that a girl from a wealthy family fell in love with a simple miller. Of course, her parents were against such a marriage, they persuaded, convinced that she would not last long on bread and water. However, the girl was unshakable, and left, in what she was, to her beloved.

The lovers decided to modestly celebrate this celebration, invited close friends and relatives. All the guests came to the wedding not empty-handed, but with gifts. Everyone carried something that could be useful to the young in the household. Some - dishes, some - bed linen, some - money. Everyone wanted the life of the young to start happily and last a long, long time. Since then, they say, it is not customary to come to a wedding empty-handed.

When did the custom of giving each other rings appear? Ring- these are not prejudices, because by exchanging rings, young people make a vow of complete unity and fidelity with each other. Already in ancient Egypt, newlyweds exchanged rings. This meant that they entered into an alliance until death. The Egyptians firmly believed that if you put a ring on the middle finger of your left hand, you can keep love in each other's hearts for life. So this tradition among the Eastern peoples has been preserved to this day.

Something old, new, borrowed, blue. There is an old English saying that the wedding should be something old, new, borrowed and blue. This sign began in Victorian times and since then many brides try to dress in accordance with tradition. Something old symbolizes the connection with the bride's family, peace and wisdom in marriage. Many brides wear some sort of old family jewel. Something new symbolizes good luck and success in the new life of the bride. Something borrowed reminds the bride that her friends and family will always be there if their help is needed, this thing can be borrowed from a married woman, happily married with the blessing of a good family life. Something blue is (for both pagans and Christians) means love, modesty, fidelity. Usually it's a garter.

Most consider the best custom bring the bride into the house in his arms. He appeared as a result of the belief that the bride is a tasty morsel for evil forces, the evil eye and corruption. Since she does not walk the earth, it means that she is not here now.

Custom beat the dishes for luck during the wedding. You can call it international. On the second day of the wedding, clay pots began to be beaten in Russian villages. In addition, a broken pot was considered proof of the bride's chastity, but if the pot remained intact, the poor girl had a hard time. After all, it was very difficult to dissuade others that she was honest. And in general, it was believed: the more fragments, the more happiness. The custom of breaking dishes for happiness existed not only in Russia. So, in Yorkshire (England) there is still a tradition of breaking a dish. It is given into the hands of the groom, on it there are pieces of a wedding cake. The groom must throw this dish over the head of the bride onto the road. And the kids should quickly snap up the pieces of the pie. The more broken pieces of the dish, the more happiness the young will have.

Custom decorate wedding cars with ribbons. He came to us from Europe. In fact: these are already echoes of an older tradition. The fact is that there were so-called "bantha brides". It was in the XVII-XIX centuries. The bride was accompanied to church by several boys with rosemary (bride's flower) and bride's bows on their sleeves. It was believed that by doing so they are a guarantee of a happy marriage. Bride bows are narrow strips of ribbon that are tied around the sleeves. Later, the brides stopped adhering to this custom, but they still attached importance to the ribbons. They began to hang ribbons on cars.

bride kidnapping. This custom existed even among the Russian Slavs. For example, the Vyatichi and Northerners had games "between the villages": during games, songs and dances, men chose brides for themselves and took them to their homes. The very expression PLAY WEDDING is reminiscent of the ancient games with which the acquisition of brides began. This rite was not forgotten thanks to the serfdom that took root in Rus'. As in Scotland, where the right of the wedding night belonged to the English sovereign, in our country the right to the wedding night belonged to the master (nobleman, pan), sometimes (quite often) the grooms opposed this custom and the lord's serfs simply stole the bride right in the midst of the festivities. If the groom was quite wealthy, the master could offer a ransom for the bride. With the abolition of serfdom, this became a fun tradition.

The bride's bouquet. It is believed that throwing the wedding bouquet is a purely American custom, although some experts suggest that Americans spied this ceremony at Jewish weddings. At the end of the wedding evening, according to tradition, the bride throws her bouquet to a crowd of unmarried girls. Whoever catches this bouquet will be the next to get married.

Loaf. Parents always met the newlyweds with a loaf and salt. Why? This ritual traces its roots back to the ancient civilization of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians idolized bread so much that they designated it in writing with the same hieroglyph as gold. And this is no coincidence. After all, bread is a symbol of abundance and material well-being. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the newlyweds are greeted with bread and salt. But in this case, a special loaf of bread! The loaf is necessarily decorated with ears of wheat, which personifies well-being and prosperity in the family. Viburnum leaves are always baked on the loaf - a symbol of the family's fertility. And it is no coincidence that the loaf is decorated with two woven rings, as symbols of fidelity to each other. The ring has no beginning and no end. It is a symbol of infinity, eternal love.

What is the ceremony when the groom takes off bride's leg garter? Just as the bride tosses her bouquet to her unmarried friends, the groom tosses the garter he has taken from the bride's leg to his unmarried friends. Similarly, according to the sign, the first one who catches her marries.

Custom tying two bottles.Usually at a wedding, no matter at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the wedding feast, the witnesses tie two bottles of champagne for good luck. The first bottle is drunk on the first wedding anniversary, and the second - on the birthday of the first child.

Tradition sprinkle the young only those who left the registry office with grain, rose petals, money and sweets. This is done so that the union is strong, fruitful, rich and sweet.

Newlyweds kiss This beautiful wedding custom has a sacramental meaning. A kiss unites the souls of the young into a single whole. And if the kiss takes place in public, the bride and groom "announce" to everyone present about their unification into one family. The relationship of young people before the wedding was extremely chaste, so it is very important in this ceremony that it takes place in front of parents and guests.

Wedding cake- a symbol of abundance, good luck in marriage. The shape is most often round, like the sun - a symbol of light, joy, a happy life.

Honeymoon. In ancient times, the groom, who stole the bride from her parents, tried, for obvious reasons, to take her away ... This was the first honeymoon. The name itself was invented by the Teutons, an ancient Germanic tribe. After the wedding ceremony, the guests drank a honey drink until the moon began to wane.

wedding omens

If one witness is married to another, then the marriage of the witnesses will break up.

If the witnesses at the wedding are divorced, this is for the divorce of the couple entering into marriage.

No one is allowed to measure wedding rings either before or after the wedding.

Both the bride and groom need to fix a safety pin on their clothes with the head down from the evil eye. To the bride on the hem of the dress, to the groom where the boutonniere is, but so that the pin is not visible.

The bride should not let go of the groom's bouquet all day long. In an emergency, you can give the groom or mother to hold the bouquet. Only at a wedding banquet can you put it on the table in front of you.

When leaving the house for a wedding / registration, it is desirable that the bride wears a veil from the evil eye. When she enters the House of Celebrations or the church, if desired, the veil can be thrown back.

After the groom has put the wedding ring on the bride, neither she nor he can take an empty ring box or a plate on which she lay. It is better to take a box to an unmarried girlfriend or friend.

Lovers do not give each other their photographs - otherwise they will part, disperse.

Weddings of any nationality are famous for their special traditions and rituals. But no matter what nation the heroes of the occasion belong to, all the rites symbolize purity, love, devotion of hearts and procreation.

The most ancient rite is to meet the newlyweds after the marriage with bread and salt in the groom's house.

This tradition symbolizes that a new family has been “baked”, in which there should be prosperity and satiety. Breaking or biting off a loaf became a ritual only in recent centuries, when women began to fight for equality in the house with men.

The traditional unity of the young begins at the threshold of the registry office, when the mother-in-law leads the couple out, tying their hands together with a scarlet ribbon. You can often find bottles tied together on the table of the newlyweds, symbolizing the bride and groom, this is a continuation of the rite of “binding forever”.

Most wedding traditions, such as throwing rice or breaking a wedding cake, go back a long way. Every ritual has its own story...

White dress of the bride.
The tradition of wearing a white dress for a wedding and always a new dress, intended only for this occasion, is relatively young - it is only 150 years old. Previously, few women could afford such a luxury. White color traditionally symbolizes youth and innocence. In Asia and the Middle East, red and orange are popular because they are considered colors of joy and celebration.

Wedding cake.

Wheat, an ancient symbol of fertility, was mainly used to bake the wedding cake. In ancient Rome, a thick loaf of bread was broken over the heads of the spouses. The crumbs were kept and taken home by the guests as a sign of good luck. The tradition of breaking the wedding cake comes from old England, where the bride and groom had to kiss through a bunch of little cakes.

Flowers.
Ancient Roman brides wore bouquets of flowers under their veils as a symbol of fidelity. Orange flowers served as a symbol of happiness and childbearing, since the orange tree blooms and bears fruit at the same time. Roses are the flowers of love, making June, the month of roses, the most popular month for weddings.

Honeymoon.
In ancient times, the groom, who stole the bride from her parents, tried, for obvious reasons, to take her away ... This was the first honeymoon. The name itself was invented by the Teutons, an ancient Germanic tribe. After the wedding ceremony, the guests drank a honey drink until the moon began to wane.

Scattering rice.
Rice is a symbol of fertility and long life. Guests threw rice at the bride and groom, wishing them children and a happy life. Confetti, orange flowers, corn, barley, and figs may also be scattered to sweeten the marriage.

Rings.
Wedding rings are associated with the rite of exchange of rings to seal an important agreement. The ring has no end, which symbolizes eternal love. The ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand, since it is believed that it is from this finger that a direct vein goes to the heart.

Veil.
Roman brides wore veils as early as 2,000 years ago. The veil is worn as a sign of modesty and secrecy, and only the husband could take it off after the marriage ceremony. In some Eastern countries, a veil was placed between a man and a woman for the entire wedding ceremony. This was done in order to make sure that they would not see or touch each other until the marriage was completed.

Beautiful rituals at the wedding

The ceremony with a lit candle at the wedding symbolizes the warmth of the hearth. As a rule, the mother of the bride lights the fire and passes it on to her daughter. It is very important to use a large candle that will not go out on the wedding day, so that the young people live their whole lives in peace and harmony. The last dance of the young with a candle symbolizes that their love will never fade away.

It is a beautiful custom to lock the lock with a key, it means that the family is closed from outsiders, there is no “third wheel” to enter it, and since the key is thrown into the river, there is no way out of the family. This rite "closes" the family, preserves marital fidelity.

Often, young people release doves into the sky, this ceremony symbolizes farewell to windy youth. Modern young couples have changed this tradition and tie a pink ribbon to the foot of the bride's dove, and the groom's gray-winged is marked with a blue ribbon. It is believed - whose bird flies higher, the first child will have such a sex.

Traditionally, gender can be determined by a passerby who met the newlyweds on the way from the marriage house. This person must be thanked and fed so that the unborn child is always healthy.

The rite of redemption of the bride at the wedding came to us from antiquity, but much has changed in it. Previously the ransom was made with poems, dances, songs and actions in which the groom and his friend showed strength, courage and resourcefulness. Difficult tasks were set for the future husband - to chop wood, saw the log, jump over the fire. At modern weddings, the future wife is more often redeemed for sweets, gifts and money.

An ancient rite is the removal of a veil at a wedding from the head of the bride. The white veil signifies the purity of the virgin, and at the end of the evening the mother removes it from her daughter's head before the wedding night. After that, the newly-made husband takes the young wife in his arms and brings it into his house, always crossing the threshold so that the evil spirits do not frighten the girl.

wedding omens

Before the wedding

The bride's dress should be with long sleeves and a closed back, long and without flowers, boutonnieres at the waist.

Warn all relatives and future guests not to give piercing and cutting objects.

Misfortune will befall a young couple who announce their impending marriage at the end of one quarter of the year, and get married at the beginning of the next.

When you go to your future daughter-in-law to woo your son, let your son enter first. He does not take off his hat in front of the matchmakers until they are seated at the table. If one of the wooers manages to take away a spoon from the bride's house, then the son will be the master in the house and his wife will never leave. Three months after their wedding, the spoon should be thrown into the house of the bride.

A wedding dress, a ring and a veil should not be allowed to be measured either by girlfriends or sisters or anyone else. Otherwise, there will be quarrels in the family or the marriage will not take place at all.

You can not invite an even number of guests to the wedding.

Don't buy lace-up shoes. The bride should have shoes without laces.

You can’t let guests into the bedroom of the young before the wedding, and even more so show their bed.

Wedding towel, candles are not left in the church. Hiding at home - sure to come in handy.

The bride's dress, veil, shoes and wedding rings should be under special supervision, as they can be easily damaged and even simply ruined by chance. The damage that came from the wedding is heavy and difficult to remove. Therefore, you need to take care of the bride's dress until the year of their life together.

The change received from the purchase of veils, shoes, dresses is not spent as long as possible, at least not less than three months. Take away this money so that a stranger does not take it into the hands.

The bride's dress can be white, beige, gold, golden, pink. The bride's dress should not be black, blue, light blue, red, green, gray. The same applies to underwear.

The bride should not wear pearls and they are never given. Especially for a wedding.

The groom must wear a black suit. Allowed gray, white, gold. The same goes for shoes.

A wedding dress should have an even number of buttons, if any, of course. The bride's underwear must be only white, and the shoes must be without laces.

An odd number of guests are invited to the wedding.

Before the wedding, the mother of the bride must cover her daughter's face with a veil. After the ceremony is over, the groom throws back the veil and kisses the bride.

Before going to bed on the eve of the wedding, the bride puts a mirror under her pillow.

in order to come to family happiness and choose the right course for your life together.

On the wedding day

The mother of the bride should not be present at the wedding.

If the bride was presented with roses, then the bride herself should cut off all the thorns with scissors. Look, don't poke yourself.

A wreath with a veil is put on the head. There should be no flowers separately inserted into the hair, hats and tiaras.

The bride should put on the dress first of all, sticking her head through the neck. A friend with the same name does not dress up the bride.

The dress should have an even number of buttons, if any. The bride's underwear must be white.

If the bride's hem is cut off during the wedding, the bride herself does not hem it.

Young people are seated at the table on a shaggy fur coat or sheepskin coat, turned inside out with fur. To live richly.

The spoon that the groom ate at the wedding table is cleaned up until the fortieth day. On the fortieth day, they give her husband to eat it again. To live well and long together.

On the day of the wedding, it is good to plant a tree for the bride and groom. Plant so that they start.

Leaving the church after the wedding, the bride distributes change in order to remove unnecessary troubles in her family life.

During the wedding, when the crowns are on the head or above the head, young people should not look into each other's eyes: there will be betrayals. Don't look at your candles either. Look at the father.

During the wedding, try to get out of the doors that you entered, otherwise it will be a disaster.

If all the pins from the bride's outfit were taken out by one woman, then every girl who received such a pin within one year will get married. If the pin is bent, will remain an old maid.

Getting married after sunset will not bring anything good.

The girl who received a piece of cheese from the bride, cut off before leaving the table, will be the next bride among her friends.

Matchmaking: 3, 5, 7 and 9 are lucky days.

On Wednesday and Friday they don't get married.

The wedding ring is not worn on the glove.

Hat on the wedding day on the bride - to divorce.

So that the son-in-law does not offend the daughter, the mother-in-law should (while they are going to the wedding) pin a pin on the bra at the right breast, and on the way back, pin it on the left breast. Upon arrival from the church, the mother pins this pin on the hem of her daughter. Do not remove the pin until the first wash.

The matchmakers do not take salt - their children will not live, they will disperse.

If the wife’s ring falls during the wedding, she will die first, if the husband’s ring falls, he is a short-lived tenant.

If at the wedding one of the young people first steps to the altar, he will be the head of everything.

If someone throws shoes of salt at the bride, first into the right, and then into the left, the young woman will cry with her husband all her life. According to custom, shoes are stolen at a wedding, be careful.

If during the wedding one of the choristers coughs, then this means that one of the newlyweds will not live so long.

If the wedding car meets a funeral procession, you should consider: Wreath wreath strife. Amen.

If the candles go out during the wedding, the bride and groom should exchange candles, otherwise there will be no life.

When crowning your children, see that three of the same sex, that is, three men or women, do not stand behind them. Children will not live.

If a wedding tablecloth is laid three years in a row on the anniversary of the marriage, then the young will live to a ripe old age.

If the bride or groom drops something during the wedding, you cannot pick up this thing (flowers, gloves, etc.).

Try to avoid scandals during the wedding, so that you do not harm anyone, so that your car does not hit a dog or a cat, and, of course, the dead are not commemorated at the wedding table.

The loaf with which the newlyweds are greeted, the guests do not eat. If it is very large and it is impossible to eat it right away, dry the crackers and eat it with soup. Loaf eat only bride and groom.

You can not hold a crown over the heads of the bride and groom. The crown should be put on their heads.

The path of the bride and groom is lined with carpets so that they walk more gently through life.

Leaving after the wedding, the bride distributes change to avoid trouble in her family life.

In order for the family to be prosperous, the newlyweds are showered with grain, coins and sweets along the way, and the coins put into the glasses of the bride and groom during the wedding are kept at home under the tablecloth.

If before the registry office the bride and groom stealthily eat one chocolate bar for two, life will be sweet

The mothers of the bride and groom must be dressed in one-piece dresses and in no case - in suits.

It is customary for young people to look in one mirror after marriage.

The first glass that is presented to the newlyweds, after they have become legal spouses, they break.

Sets of knives and forks are not given to a wedding so that there are no quarrels

A husband and wife should not eat from the same spoon at a wedding, so as not to be dissatisfied with each other later.

After the wedding

Wedding dress, veil, shoes are not rented or sold to anyone, so if you financial difficulties, then the dress should be sewn not expensive or one that can be worn on holidays.

Dried wedding flowers are not stored.

Don't give wedding photos to everyone. It is very easy to damage them.

original wedding customs

There are a dozen or two more customs that are often overlooked by the young. But it is they who will help you make your wedding sincere and unforgettable.

It is simply impossible to list them all at once, so we suggest you choose from those that are the most common, significant and beautiful.

According to an old English proverb the bride must wear something old, new, blue and borrowed to the wedding ("something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue").

It stands for this: a new thing symbolizes good luck for the bride in her new family life. The old (usually a family jewel) symbolizes the connection with the bride's family, brings her peace of mind. Borrowed guarantees that the bride will always have true friends nearby. And something blue will bring love and fidelity to the bride.

Now it has become fashionable when newlyweds hang on bridges castle with their names. But this old Russian rite was carried out in a slightly different way. Before the young people get ready to leave the house, a lock is placed under the threshold of the house. After the young people step over the lock, it is closed, and the key is thrown into a deep reservoir. The castle should be kept in the family as a symbol of love.

The launch of pigeons has already become a tradition. This custom came from Italy, where the bride released a dove into the wild as a sign that she was leaving her home. Now newlyweds make a wish when launching pigeons, and if the pigeons fly nearby, then the wish will come true.

A completely new custom the bride releases a sky lantern into the sky or balloon with his own written on it maiden name as a sign that she says goodbye to her.

At the meeting of the newlyweds after the ceremony with a loaf they break glasses, throwing them over their backs. Glasses are broken as a sign that the young have left all their evil behind. And looking at the fragments of broken plates, they look at how happy the newlyweds will be - the more fragments, the more happiness.

Before the start of the wedding banquet (and sometimes before the young people leave home) family fire ceremony. Mothers of the young with the help of candles convey the warmth of the parental family hearth to their children. The newlyweds light one big candle with two candles. This large candle will symbolize their family hearth.

Ritual of farewell to the veil is becoming more and more fashionable. There are several variations of it.

According to one scenario, in the second half of the wedding, the bride changes from her wedding dress to a ball gown, and gives her veil to an unmarried friend who dreams of finding her betrothed.

However, most often the veil is removed by the mother-in-law, immediately covering the bride's head with a scarf or shawl. This symbolizes that the mother-in-law accepts the bride into her house, as a daughter, as a continuer of the family. The veil itself should be kept at home, it should not be given to strangers. Our grandmothers said that a young mother can cover the baby's bed if he sleeps restlessly.

In western Ukraine, a “dancing” of the veil is being carried out. The bride dances with unmarried friends and holds a veil over her head. Thus, the bride "dances" her husband's girlfriend.

At the wedding, the bride give a box of wedding rings the girl she wishes for a quick marriage.

Bound bottles of champagne are given to the young, one of which they drink on their wedding anniversary, and the second on the birth of their first child.

Wedding ceremony of handing over the family hearth to the newlyweds

The whole essence of this ritual lies in the fact that it is the parents of the young who symbolically transfer warmth from their family hearth to the new family. The ritual itself is carried out at the end of the wedding festivities, when the young themselves go to a new house and the parents, both from the side of the groom and the bride, light a candle each and at the same time light a common candle for the young with two candles, while pronouncing wishes and instructions for the young family.

The ritual itself also provides for the direct participation of wedding guests. They form a circle and also hold candles in their hands, thereby forming a kind of protective circle around the young. The lights in the hall are turned off and the newlyweds stand in an impromptu protective circle with one common wax candle. At this time, each of the guests pronounces his brief wish and after that raises the candle up and mentally repeats the wish said aloud and lowers the candle.

After all the guests have expressed their wishes, the parents of the young come up to the couple and pronounce their instructions and light the common candle of the new married couple with a flame from their candles. Having lit a candle and wishing the best for the young, the candles are not extinguished, but placed on the tables, while creating a romantic atmosphere during the wedding ceremony.

There are a lot of modern wedding rituals and ceremonies: new ones are constantly appearing, and sometimes well-forgotten old wedding ceremonies simply return. Choose which ones you like, which ones will look beautiful at your wedding, and which ones carry meaning. It is quite possible that at your wedding there will be rituals that your grandmother or someone you know will tell you.

But do not forget that the rituals should be approached carefully so that there are not too many of them, and each ritual becomes bright and memorable not only for you, but also for your guests.