Ancient Russian wedding ceremony message. Wedding ceremonies of ancient Rus', which no longer exist. New wedding ceremonies

Two loving hearts decided to create a new union. Ahead of a lot of pleasant troubles in preparing the celebration. It's time to remember which ones exist. In Russia, most couples try to stick to at least the most basic ones. All customs carry a semantic load, which we often no longer remember, following all the unwritten rules, rather out of habit, so that it is like everyone else. Let's try to figure out what customs and traditions symbolize at a wedding in Russia.

Wedding Dress

The first thing that comes to mind when you remember wedding traditions in Russia is a wedding dress. Romantic and airy, modest and innocent, luxurious and elegant - it can be anything, the main thing is that the bride feels the most beautiful in her day. Despite this, most girls choose white outfits. And only in rare cases do they agree to the attire in which someone has already gotten married. Usually it's mom's dress, if she has developed happy marriage. Why white and new? This color symbolizes youth and innocence. Therefore, many women, marrying a second time, choose blue or champagne color variations, believing that they have already put on their white outfit. A new dress symbolizes a new life that begins on the day of marriage.

By the way, the white color in the wedding tradition in Russia came from Europe. Since ancient times, our girls got married in red dresses, which symbolized fertility. Fashion is changeable, including wedding looks. Many modern brides seek to get away from traditional colors by adding bright or, conversely, to their dress. delicate ribbons or other finishes. Red is now chosen only by the most extraordinary and extravagant persons.

Veil

The history of the veil as an attribute of a wedding dress has about two thousand years. Roman brides veiled their faces as a sign of modesty, chastity and secrecy. Only after the ceremony could the husband remove this veil from his beloved. In the East, the veil did not decorate the young, but was kept between the future spouses so that they could not touch each other until their first night.

Wedding traditions in Russia oblige brides who marry for the first time to wear a veil. If the marriage is the second, then it becomes unnecessary. Today, this custom is no longer taken so seriously. A veil is perceived rather as an accessory that complements a hairstyle, along with a diadem, for example. Sometimes a small veil attached to the hat is worn instead. You can completely do without this element of the wardrobe.

Old and new, borrowed and some blue

With this phrase, traditions in Russia generally describe the bride's outfit. “New” is, undoubtedly, a dress - a symbol of entry into a clean and bright family life. “Old” is usually jewelry passed down in the family from mother to daughter. It is not necessary to talk about family diamonds, it is quite acceptable to use some detail of the mother's wedding dress. This thing will symbolize the connection between generations, that particle of parental warmth that they have invested in their daughter and which she will bring to her own family. "Borrowed" is a little thing that was borrowed by friends. It will mean that next to the young family there will always be friends and close people who are always ready to help and support. The blue color in the outfit is a symbol of peace and harmony in the future family. It can be used in dress decoration and accessories. A blue garter is often worn.

Rings

Wedding traditions in Russia, as in other countries, are not complete without the exchange of rings. Young people who are about to get married today choose jewelry made of precious metals - gold, silver, platinum, smooth or with stones, decorated with carvings and engravings. And yet, traditional wedding rings are smooth, without inserts and decorations. Why so? The ring is an endless straight line, without beginning or end. It symbolizes a long future family life. Each pebble or bump, folk beliefs, mean some kind of misfortune on the path of a young family, since the ring is closed, troubles will be repeated over and over again, in a circle. So most often smooth rims are chosen.

Blessing

When discussing wedding traditions in Russia, one should not forget about the important custom of receiving parental blessing. It is it that gives a happy ticket to family life. The lack of parental approval can still be considered a weighty reason for the wedding not to take place. Each of the newlyweds on the morning of the day of the celebration should be blessed by their mothers or godparents.

ransom

Like many years ago, a modern traditional wedding in Russia is not complete without a ceremony from time immemorial exists in our country. It symbolizes the transition of a girl from her parental nest to her husband's family. The sacred meaning of this ceremony is almost lost, now the ransom has turned into a fun act, designed to entertain guests. The groom has to show remarkable ingenuity in order to cope with all the tasks that the bridesmaids have prepared for him. Often they help to demonstrate how well the future husband knows his beloved and what a heavenly life he promises her. If the task is not completed, you have to pay off with money or sweets - from the smallest participants. Helping the groom are his friends. Sometimes they manage to break through, skipping part of the tasks. In any case, ransom is one of the most fun rituals.

and the groom's boutonniere

The best Russian wedding traditions (and the most beautiful ones) are associated with the bridal bouquet. Previously, the groom made it himself. He could pick flowers in the field or ask any of the neighbors to cut the plant he liked in the garden. Such a request was usually not denied. Today, a rare girl will allow the groom to order a bouquet in the salon without her approval, yet he is one of the main wedding accessories and should fit harmoniously into the image. The groom is not allowed to see the dress in advance, so he is unlikely to be able to pick flowers on his own.

For the first time, the bouquet plays its role at the ransom of the bride. When the future happy spouse overcomes all obstacles, he gives his bouquet to his beloved. The ransom stops at the moment when she takes the bouquet in her hands - this means consent. Then the girl should take out one flower from the bouquet and pin it on the groom's chest. This is where the boutonniere tradition began. It always consists of the same colors and is decorated in a similar way.

The custom of throwing the bride's bouquet into the crowd of unmarried friends, and the second - the garter to the groom's friends, came to us from Europe. Not so often for everyone well-known sign works, but the fun tradition has taken root very well. And the guests are happy to support her. The main bouquet is usually cherished, for throwing they order a second, smaller one, which the girl who caught it can pick up for herself, sometimes artificial flowers are used.

Showering the newlyweds with grain

After the end of the wedding ceremony, usually at the exit from the registry office, the guests waiting for the newlyweds line up on both sides of the exit, forming a tunnel through which the groom carries the bride in his arms, and shower them with grain, small coins or rose petals. This action is included in the wedding traditions of the peoples of Russia and many other countries. Different objects can be used, but the meaning of the ceremony is the same. It symbolizes the wishes of happiness, wealth and fertility to the newly-made family.

Bread and salt

At the entrance to the house where the newlyweds will live, the groom's parents are waiting for the newlyweds with bread and salt - a festive loaf. It is decorated with the image of swans, bunches of mountain ash and other symbols of wealth, fidelity and fertility. Bread symbolizes the wealth and well-being that a young family wishes, and salt should protect them from evil forces. Young people should bite off each piece of loaf and eat. There is also a sign - whoever grabs a larger piece will be the head of the family.

There are other wedding traditions in Russia associated with the arrival in new house. The groom must certainly carry the bride over the threshold in his arms. This custom should protect her from the evil eye, diseases and other misfortunes. If the girl didn't walk in on her feet, then she wasn't there.

Even for the young, they spread a fur coat with fur up - a symbol of wealth. Whoever kneeled on it first is the head of the family.

Breaking dishes for luck

Many people in Russia come from villages. The custom of breaking dishes for good luck is also from there. On the second day after the celebration, it was customary to break clay pots. If the vessel is broken, then the girl got married clean and immaculate. Even if the crack did not appear, they could start slandering the bride. It was believed that the more fragments, the more happiness the young will meet on their way.

New wedding ceremonies

Each city has its own variations of wedding traditions and its own places where young people must definitely stop by during a walk after the registry office. Among them, a bridge necessarily appears, through which the groom must carry the bride in his arms so that she does not touch the ground with her feet. Often padlocks are hung on the fences of the bridge with the date of the wedding and the names of the newlyweds. Together they lock them up and throw the key into the water, as if sealing their union and throwing away the only possibility of its destruction. Sometimes, for good luck, ribbons are tied to trees.

The sacred meaning of wedding ceremonies is often no longer known to anyone. They are perceived only as good old traditions and a way to entertain guests. And yet, most couples who marry tend to follow the customs they know, believing that in this way they can make their marriage more successful.

Usually, a wedding celebration, a feast, or a banquet is the final stage of the ceremony. The wedding is celebrated after the registration of marriage in the registry office and the wedding. In modern Ukrainian tradition, the wedding ceremony should be held in the following order:

- wedding

- registration in the registry office (RAGS)

- banquet

This order is consistent with both religious traditions and modern customs and rituals. The modern wedding, in fact, is a ceremony, implicated almost equally in both ancient and modern rites. And sometimes it's not easy to figure it all out. But any wedding requires the observance of the necessary minimum of traditions - otherwise it will not be a wedding at all! Therefore, the Wedding Portal "Groom and Bride" presents to your attention an excerpt of the most common rituals and traditions of a modern Ukrainian wedding.

Vaults - farewell to bachelor life

The vaults occur before the departure of the couple down the aisle. Vaults are a symbolic union of the bride and groom. The ceremony is performed to the songs, in the hut or in the yard. The young were brought to each other by a friend or matchmaker, joined their hands and tied them with a handkerchief. Then the young people are led in a circle - always three times. In some customs, a couple "cuts circles" around the table, tubs for dough - in general, utensils that symbolize the hearth.

Wedding ceremonies with bread

Rites with bread have an important, almost magical, meaning. The exchange of bread symbolizes the hospitality of the parties, the exchange of wealth, prosperity. Almost everywhere young people are greeted with a loaf, matchmakers exchange bread, and guests at the wedding are given out pieces of loaf.

There is another beautiful custom when the bridegroom cuts off the edges from the bride's loaf and the groom's bread brought with her, ties them with a red ribbon and passes them to the godmother. The godmother takes them to the table, where the connected pieces of bread are supposed to lie side by side until the end of the banquet. Sometimes bread is broken over the heads of the young, and then the halves are exchanged - part of the groom is given to the bride's parents, and vice versa.

Now these bread rituals, which are based on the magic of strengthening marriage bonds and which symbolize the union of the young into one whole, are not as widespread as before. At a modern wedding, one can rather find various variations of these rites, in which magic is not so pronounced, but their origin is clearly visible.

So, in Ukraine, the custom “Break the loaf” is widespread. Immediately after the painting, the young people are presented with a loaf (or more often just a cone from a loaf), and to the enthusiastic cries of the guests, the bride and groom break bread. Whose part is greater - he will be the head of the family.

Binding the young forever

The customs of tying various objects are very widespread. So, at a wedding banquet you can often find two bottles of champagne tied with a ribbon. Related items proudly flaunt throughout the banquet on the table near the young. There are customs where the bride and groom are poured champagne from tied bottles, which after the wedding should be kept in the house of a young family for a whole year. According to other customs, bound bottles are kept for a whole year, after which one of them is opened on the first wedding anniversary, and the second - when the first child is born to the family. They also tie spoons, forks, glasses, etc. The author of these lines, for example, still has a couple of spoons connected from the wedding. I don’t know what to do with them, but let them lie - and so, before the wedding of the eldest son, perhaps, they lie down!

Shedding grain

Departure from the house of both the groom and the bride is accompanied by similar rites. Of which the most common and important is shedding with hops and oats. This is done with the wishes “Good luck!”, with the desire for happiness and good luck. In general, the young are showered several times during the ceremony, and this is always associated with the departure, when the couple is going somewhere. In Ukraine, not only oats and hops are showered - maybe wheat and rye - in principle, any grain symbolizing productivity and prosperity. Often a mixture of grains, candies and coins is used instead of grain.

And when young people leave the registry office after registering a marriage or leave the church after a wedding, it is customary to shower them with rice. Rice rain marks the birth of obedient, good, healthy children.

In the old days, in some regions of the Russian Empire, there was a custom according to which, before going to the crown, the bride and groom had to simultaneously stand with their feet in a basket of oats.

To the wedding - through the fire

There is a custom to step over the fire. In some cases, this happens when leaving the house, in some - when leaving the church or the registry office, before entering the banquet hall. Anything can act as coal: a lit torch, a bundle of straw, or just a lump of paper. Stepping over fire at a wedding is said to protect the couple from spoilage.

For protection from evil spirits in the old days, friends sometimes cracked a whip or fired a gun. Until our time, this custom, in practice, has not survived.

wedding loaf

Loaf is an obligatory attribute of a wedding. In ancient times, in Rus' they baked "Grove" - ​​a wedding cake decorated with figures made of dough on sticks. The figurines are symbols of the bride and groom, and the sticks are a grove in which all the trees grow together, and not one by one. Dough - the basis of the loaf and pies, has always been considered a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Meeting with parents and other ceremonies

After the registry office or church, parents meet the young at home or at the banquet hall. This is the first official meeting of the young family. Newlyweds are greeted with bread and salt, sometimes with music.

The bride should go to the right of the groom, he leads her by the arm. Bread and salt, with which the young are greeted, are placed on a long towel. The first word when meeting a new family is for mom. The mother-in-law or mother-in-law greets the young, then the fathers speak.
There is a custom when an egg is broken at the exit of the bride and the church - this should contribute to the easy delivery of the expectant mother.

And when the newlyweds cross the threshold of their home for the first time, the husband is obliged to take his wife in his arms in order to protect her from all sorts of misfortunes and troubles, to protect her from the machinations of evil forces.

Young people should break the first glass of champagne for happiness.

There is also a belief that the bride should not see the groom ahead of time on the wedding day, and the groom should not see wedding dress bride before marriage.

According to a common custom, young people should drive up to the registry office or church in the sun - in no case should you move against the sun.

There are many more rituals and customs, many of which are not included in this article, but you will definitely find them on the pages of the wedding portal!

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.

Today, customs and traditions at the wedding celebration have changed a lot. Some complex rituals are no longer performed, some, new to the Russian people, came to us from the West. The essence remains the same: a wedding is one of the most important events in the life of a family and the most important in the life of the newlyweds.

Despite the constant evolution, the wedding today has a clear structure:

• offer;
• matchmaking;
• hen-party;
• bachelor party;
• ransom of the bride;
• registration;
• wedding;
• walk (photo session);
• banquet;
• first night;
• Honeymoon.

Let's look at the wedding traditions that are relevant now and compare them with those that our ancestors had.

Traditional meeting with parents

Previously, it could have happened even before the acquaintance of the bride and groom. A matchmaker could arrange it, although the initiative was also allowed from the young themselves. If the acquaintance went well and the future relatives liked each other, then they discussed the details of the wedding and resolved financial issues related to it. This ceremony was traditionally held at the festive table.

Today, too, it is customary to do so.

This tradition not only survived, but also acquired new rites. For example, now there is an unspoken rule according to which the rings, shoes and dress for the bride are purchased by the groom or his parents, and the bride's side is responsible for the dowry - bedding, dishes, towels. On the same day, parents can also discuss wedding gifts - furniture and appliances (so as not to be repeated).

There are some traditions that are dying out right now. The opinion that the groom is obliged to provide housing for the future family becomes a convention. But the sign that the future husband should see his betrothed in a wedding dress only on the wedding day is still alive. The bride can buy the outfit herself, and the groom can only pay for it or not pay at all.

As for shoes, today, on the one hand, the groom must buy them, on the other hand, neither shoes nor socks can be given before the wedding, otherwise there may not be a wedding (leave). Initially, the Russians believed that the bride herself should save up for shoes, thereby demonstrating her thriftiness and frugality.

Wedding dresses

Wedding dresses became white only 200 years ago, by decree of Catherine. Before that, they married in red. However, even this seemingly fundamental tradition is not obligatory today.

Modern brides choose pastel colors, close to white, and puffy ball gowns, including red ones, and even black outfits for brides flicker on the catwalks. The veil, according to signs, not only symbolizes the purity of the bride and her purity, but also serves as a talisman against evil spells. It is the groom who must lift the veil.

According to ancient rites, the veiling of the bride with a veil also had a special ritual significance. The father had to do this, while the bride, even if she was happy about the wedding, had to run away from him, resist and hide. After the veil was hung, the bride no longer resisted, but accepted her fate.

Customs before marriage

A few days before the wedding, the bride and groom arrange evenings in honor of farewell to their single life - a stag and hen party. There are more and more ways to hold them, and the main rule remains the same: these two holidays must be held separately.

Bride theft

Truly modern grooms of brides in Russia have not been stealing for a long time. And they don’t steal it from suitors. But the rite of redemption was preserved. The task of the groom is to get the bride from his parents or girlfriends. To do this, he will have to pay a certain price, from a symbolic to a very large one, or show his best qualities - cunning, dexterity, strength and ingenuity.

Marriage is an ancient tradition

A tradition that is making a comeback. Newlyweds often get married after the wedding, sometimes on the first anniversary, and sometimes immediately after registration. Increasingly, young couples began to order field registration in church. After the wedding in Rus', the newlyweds were showered with grain.

This part of the ceremony went to the registry office today. After the official marriage, the newlyweds are showered with rose petals, rice, change or sweets - for every taste.

Exchange of rings - a centuries-old rite

Ring exchange- a centuries-old rite, a symbol of endless happiness and love. For the bride and groom, the rings on their hands will become a real talisman family life.

Loaf offering

After registration and a wedding walk, the newlyweds head to the banquet hall, where they will be met by the groom's parents with a loaf and offered to bite off a piece of it.

A loaf is brought on a long embroidered towel, which is a symbol of a long married life. Mother-in-law offers to taste bread and salt. According to this sign, the one who bites off the largest piece will be the main one in the house.

Releasing pigeons

The newlyweds, who left the registry office, release a dove into the sky, one of which has a blue ribbon on its paw, the second has a pink one. This is a kind of guessing who will be born first to a couple - a boy or a girl. Pigeons flying nearby predict peace in the family, and those that have moved away from each other, or headed for different sides- discord.

Bouquet and garter

The bride throws a bouquet to her unmarried friends. This bouquet heralds the wedding of the one who catches. The same mechanism is used for throwing the garter. Recently, it is customary to bring your bouquet home, and throwing a bouquet is an understudy, because with your bouquet you can give away your happiness.

Breaking dishes

In addition to the fact that the dishes, in principle, beat for happiness, this ceremony also has a sacred meaning. When the glasses of the newlyweds beat, their fragments mix with each other and become one, thereby promising a long life. life together. And you can guess on the fragments of glasses. Large ones portend the birth of a boy, small ones - girls.

The best tradition

The groom carries the bride into the house in his arms. The ancient Slavs considered a married woman to be a newborn from a spiritual point of view. The rituals of seeing her out of the house were similar to funeral rites, then the bride changed her name, and she was brought into the new house in her arms, like a child who "did not enter the house, but ended up in the house."

Whatever the reasons for carrying a woman in her arms, it is always beautiful and pleasant.

There are a lot of wedding customs, family and folk may well both coexist together and contradict each other: locks on the bridge, Champagne bottles donated in advance for the first anniversary and for the birth of the first child (although it’s impossible in advance), gifts to parents and from parents, symbolic sweeping of the floor and much more, including a honeymoon trip.

Since ancient times, a special place has been assigned to a wedding in the life of every nation, so such an event was accompanied by many signs, customs and superstitions. Today, echoes of these traditions also exist, but for the most part in a modified version. Based on the old canons, new ones appear, adjusted to modern realities. WITH wedding customs, traditions, rituals make modern weddings are generalized, with a touch of ancient roots.

essence

The order of the wedding ceremony in each culture has evolved over the centuries, and its structure was largely influenced by faith and signs. Each country has identified basic principles for marriage, which all newlyweds strictly adhered to. No one even had the thought of abolishing or changing this or that tradition.

In ancient times, all weddings followed the same scenario. After the bride and groom announced their engagement, each of their relatives and acquaintances was assigned a special role, often even complete strangers helped in absentia with the organization of the marriage. The young people knew exactly what and when they needed to say or do, so there was no unnecessary fuss and confusion at the holiday.

Modern weddings cannot boast of this, since most of the traditions have already been forgotten. Each celebration takes place according to its own plan. This is by no means bad, because the bride and groom can make their own holiday unique and memorable, emphasizing their own individuality and style.

Some old traditions are still observed as a kind of tribute to the ancestors. However, such rituals are just a formality, they do not put any particular meaning into them, but they are performed because it is customary. In other cases, customs apply if the celebration is organized in accordance with some style, and a special atmosphere needs to be emphasized.

Current interpretations

Few people realize that every stage of the wedding celebration, which is held in the vast majority of cases, is a tradition. Together, several of these customs determine the structure of the entire celebration. Consider the most popular modern wedding traditions.

Program wedding day usually begins with the ransom of the bride. This stage takes 20-30 minutes, during which time the groom must prove that he is worthy of the hand and heart of his beloved. Girlfriends and relatives from the bride's side arrange trials for the young man and ask tricky questions, and sometimes they simply demand a ransom for a beautiful girl. This tradition has been around for a long time different countries Oh. Before the girls they generally hid, and the groom could get the hand of his beloved only for a significant amount that migrated into the pocket of the future father-in-law. very popular and funny contest "Chamomile" for the ransom of the bride.

A wedding ceremony is a particularly reverent wedding tradition. Previously, it was this rite that was considered directly a marriage, but documentary evidence of the creation of a family was gradually introduced. During the wedding, the bride and groom unite their souls in the eyes of God, so the union becomes indestructible. If a couple separates for some reason, then both take the sin upon themselves. Now this tradition is optional - only believers get married, and an official painting in the registry office is considered a wedding.

Since ancient times, in all cultures, the groom's family had to bless the newlyweds after the official ceremony. This was done in different ways, at modern weddings, for example, the father-in-law and mother-in-law bless the spouses with bread and salt on a towel. This ceremony is performed by the groom's family, since in most cases it is in her house that young people have to live if they do not have their own housing.

In Rus', on the day of the wedding, the girlfriends untwist the bride's braid as a sign of her new status. After the official wedding, the girl already braided two braids, like a married woman. Modern wedding traditions and customs do not impose any requirements on everyday hairstyles. So the tradition has changed a bit.

Important! According to legend, unmarried girls should not wear a bride's veil, otherwise their wedding will not take place soon.

At the banquet, after the official painting, the hero of the occasion is seated on a chair with a soft pillow, after which the mother-in-law takes off her veil and ties a beautifully embroidered scarf. Then, if desired, the girl can dance with unmarried guests in turn, passing a veil over their heads to attract a quick marriage.

During the celebration of the marriage, guests may try to steal the bride. This is done completely in an unobtrusive way, for example, one of her friends invites the hero of the occasion to get some fresh air. A ransom is again demanded from the groom, now not just for the lady of the heart, but for the official wife.

This custom dates back to the days of serfdom. Previously, if a bonded girl was about to get married, the master of her lands had the right to the wedding night. It is clear that most of the suitors opposed such an opportunity, so the servants of the master stole the bride by force. If the young man was wealthy, then he could redeem his beloved. When serfdom was abolished, the tradition was quickly turned from scary to fun.

At the end of the celebration, the family hearth is lit as a sign of bringing prosperity to the house of the newly-married spouses. To do this, the parents of the bride and groom bring fire from their homes, and in a modern interpretation - a decorative candle. It is believed that it is during this ceremony that the unity of three families takes place.

Famous and little known

Modern wedding ceremonies come to replace the old ones, but everyone has heard about some of the innovations, and few know about others. This is due to the fact that wedding fashion is constantly changing, and customs from other cultures are often woven into the order of the celebration. Some of them take root, others do not, so it is impossible to keep track of all.

Among the popular modern traditions are the following.

Another little-known tradition says that only the girl who marries for the first time can wear a veil. Previously, this custom was relevant, since the veil was considered a symbol of the bride's innocence, and if she was already married, then such a wardrobe item turned out to be superfluous.

Not at every wedding you can meet the ceremony of tying two bottles of champagne. This tradition is modern and relatively new, so it has not yet had time to disperse to all celebrations. Witnesses bandage two bottles and give them to the newlyweds. They should open one of them on the first wedding anniversary, and the second on the birthday of the first child. The study of modern wedding traditions allows you to make weddings more touching and memorable.

Mandatory and optional

In fact, any tradition at a modern wedding is considered optional. The bride and groom, unlike their ancestors, are free to organize their holiday as they see fit.

Only a solemn kiss can be called obligatory, which the newlyweds exchange after they have agreed to the marriage. So they consolidate their union under the approving exclamations of friends and relatives.

Another obligatory custom is the exchange wedding rings. When a young man proposes to his beloved, he gives an engagement jewelry. The girl puts it on her ring finger right hand and wears until the wedding. During the painting, the ring is replaced by a wedding ring, and the same adorns the groom's finger. This custom originated before our era, and is still strictly observed.

Among the optional traditions to observe, the following can be noted.

Summary

There are many wedding traditions from around the world, but this does not mean that all rituals and signs are mandatory. Modern newlyweds have freedom of choice and enough knowledge about modern wedding traditions and what they mean, so it’s up to them to decide how their first joint celebration will take place. In any case, guests will support all undertakings, so you should follow your own preferences.