What is a wedding ceremony? Fully prepared: learning wedding traditions and signs

Currently, a wedding does not contain many complex rituals that were necessarily performed in the past. A wedding is an important event, which is a turning point in life for young people, a transition to a new period of life associated with caring for the family hearth.

Therefore there is a large number of traditions, customs and signs during the wedding ceremony. They contained for our ancestors deep meaning and meaning. Their careful observance guaranteed, according to tradition, a long, happy family life.

Time and fashion make their own changes and adjustments to the idea of a wedding ceremony. However, many wedding traditions are still preserved, albeit in a slightly modernized form. Modern scenarios weddings necessarily contain elements cultural traditions of the Russian people in a form adapted to modern times.

Modern Russian weddings contain a wonderful interweaving of ancient rituals and modern innovations.

Let's look at some of them...

The custom of introducing parents (future matchmakers) before the wedding has survived to this day. Then, if they liked the choice of the guy and the girl (bride party and matchmaking), the details of the ceremony and its financial side are discussed at a festively set table.

It is now customary for the groom's side to purchase wedding rings, Wedding Dress and shoes for the bride, and the bride's parents are preparing her dowry for family life, which includes bed linen, towels, dishes, furniture, appliances, etc. According to tradition, the groom provides housing for the future family. But in our time, this is of course a convention, because the financial situation should not become an obstacle to the union of lovers. So seeing a bride in a wedding dress before the wedding - Bad sign, the girl can bear the cost of it. In the old days, the bride bought wedding shoes with her savings, which was a sign of her thriftiness and thriftiness.

The white color of a wedding dress became mandatory for weddings relatively recently, about two hundred years ago, by decree of Catherine. It used to be red. But modern brides order dresses of the most different colors and shade, although it remains traditional White color. A veil is put on the bride’s head, which, according to ancient beliefs, is not only a sign of purity and purity, but also a talisman against evil spells. Only the groom has the right to lift the veil.

On the eve of the wedding, the bride holds a bachelorette party - a farewell evening with close friends, which symbolizes parting with her former free girl life.

The groom also organizes a farewell evening with friends - a bachelor party. The bachelor and bachelorette parties are not held in the same place.

Previously, in Rus' there was, at first glance, a wild tradition of bride kidnapping. Now its echoes have been preserved in the form of a comic and cheerful ritual. Stealing a bride, of course, is not customary, but the custom of ransoming has been preserved. Historically, it has an economic basis, since the girl went to another household. In this ritual, the groom has to overcome a number of tests, show his intelligence, strength and resourcefulness in order to gain the right to possess the bride. Before he is allowed to see the bride, he must complete several tasks invented by the bride's girlfriends, or, with the help of friends, force his way to his beloved. The girlfriends, having taken a symbolic amount from the groom, let him pass.

Nowadays the custom of weddings in churches is returning everywhere. The church wedding ceremony has remained virtually unchanged. In the old days, after the wedding, the newlyweds were showered with grain. This was a wish for prosperity and strength of marriage. Instead of grain, rice, raisins, sweets, small change, and rose petals are now often used.

The custom of exchanging rings has a long history and symbolizes endless happiness and love between husband and wife.

After registering the marriage at the registry office, the newlyweds and their friends take a wedding walk around their city. Although sometimes registry office employees are invited to a wedding evening.

After this, the newlyweds, according to established tradition, are greeted by the groom's parents (father-in-law and mother-in-law) at the doorstep of the house or at the entrance to the cafe with bread and salt brought to the embroidered towel which should be long, symbolizing a long and happy married life. The mother-in-law congratulates the newlyweds and offers to try the loaf. According to a humorous superstition, whoever bites off the most will be the master of the family.

And today, newlyweds like to release two doves into the sky, on whose paws I tie pink and blue ribbons. The bride and groom release doves in front of the house or cafe.

Doves also predict the gender of the first child. If a dove with a pink ribbon on its foot rushes forward, a girl will be born first, if with a blue one, a boy will be born. If pigeons fly nearby, this indicates that there will always be harmony in a young family.

There is one custom that has survived to this day - when the bride, turning her back to her friends, throws them her bridal bouquet. It is believed that the one who catches the bouquet will soon also have a wedding. Likewise, the groom, having removed the garter from the bride’s leg, throws it to his single friends. Whoever catches her will soon get married.

The kiss of the newlyweds in front of guests contains a special meaning of uniting the souls of the young into a single whole. The kiss of the bride and groom notifies those present at the event about their unification into one family.

There is a surviving tradition of breaking dishes at a wedding celebration. This is usually done for good luck. Today the glass of the bride or groom is broken, usually these are plates, but more often the wine glasses of the bride and groom are broken. If there are more large fragments, the boy will be born first, if there are many small ones, the girl will be born.

The newlyweds take two bottles of champagne, tie them together and give them to the newlyweds for safekeeping. One bottle per anniversary married life, the second - >for the birth of the first child.

There is another modern wedding ritual when the bride, at midnight, standing among her dancing friends, blindfolded, puts her veil on the head of one of them. The girl will be lucky to get married soon.

A very beautiful and romantic tradition, which is observed by almost all newlyweds, is the tradition of carrying the bride into the house in their arms. Our ancestors believed that this is how the groom protects the young bride from damage and evil spirits.

There are many other new wedding customs: hanging locks with the names of the bride and groom on a tree or bridge railing, which they fasten and close themselves, breaking a bottle of champagne on a bridge, peeling potatoes for speed, or the symbolic sweeping of the floor by the newlyweds at a wedding banquet.

Another interesting and fun tradition at weddings is gifts to the newlyweds. Parents, witnesses and guests, as a rule, give things necessary for the new family, accompanying this with interesting sayings, jokes and wishes.

According to tradition, after the wedding, the newlyweds go on a honeymoon to spend their honeymoon in a romantic setting, in places where they both have always dreamed of visiting.

Despite generally accepted rituals and customs, only the newlyweds have the right to decide whether to follow them or not at their wedding. The main thing is that the wedding retains its important, sacred role - a symbol of the transition of young people from a free single life to family ties, with its joys and difficulties.

Wedding traditions in Russia are a mixture of ancient Russian rituals, traditions of the Soviet period and Western trends. IN Lately More and more often we can see how Western-style weddings are held in Russia: with exit registration, without toastmaster, competitions, accordion player, ransom and loaf, but still the majority still prefers classic Russian weddings. In this article we will take a closer look at how a traditional Russian wedding takes place.

There are many signs and traditions, and some of them relate to the period of preparation for the wedding: this is traditional matchmaking, which now takes the form of a small feast for parents and newlyweds.

There is also a tradition of bachelorette and bachelor parties. According to Russian traditions, the bachelorette party was held before the wedding day: the bride's friends gathered there, the bride cried and wailed, said goodbye to her girlhood, and unbraided her hair.

Nowadays, hen and stag parties are increasingly held as we often see in Hollywood films - fun, noisy and with alcohol.

Let's return directly to the day of celebration. What ritual begins almost any Russian wedding?

Bride ransom

Previously, the phrase “bride price” was not a metaphor at all! Indeed, the bride was bought from her parents' house.

Now money has faded into the background. The bride price, which is usually organized by the bridesmaids, takes place in the house of the girl's parents and includes competitions. By passing these competitions, the groom proves that he knows and loves the bride well, and the groom's friends should come to his aid.

This is how the wedding fun begins. Having gone up to the bride's house, the groom takes her to register the marriage. Usually, during the bride price and after it, the bride's parents arrange a small buffet.

Wedding ceremony

After the ransom, traditionally the couple, followed by the guests, go to the registry office, where the marriage is officially registered. The newlyweds perform their first dance there, for which they often order live music.

After accepting congratulations from the guests, a small photo session is usually held, first for everyone, and then only for the newlyweds, during which the guests prepare for the bride and groom to leave the registry office.

Guests sprinkle the newlyweds with rice (for the early birth of children), candies (for a sweet life), coins (for wealth) and rose petals (for a beautiful, romantic life together).

Orthodox couples who belong to the church also undergo a wedding ceremony in the church.

Wedding walk

After registering the marriage, the guests (often only young friends and girlfriends of the newlyweds) go for a walk around the city. At the same time, they try to visit the most beautiful sights in order to take pictures there.

Seven Bridges

We have all seen the groom carry the bride across the bridge. It turns out that this ritual also applies to wedding customs and traditions in Russia.

It is believed that if the newlyweds cross seven bridges on their wedding day, their marriage will be strong. It rarely happens that a couple manages to go around all seven bridges, but everyone tries to cross at least one.

Also, a padlock with the names of the newlyweds is often hung on the bridge, which, according to legend, seals the marriage.

Bread and salt

Traditionally, after the wedding, newlyweds come to the house of the groom's parents, where they meet them with bread and salt.

Usually the new mother-in-law holds a loaf of bread on a towel (a special towel), from which the bride and groom must take a bite. Whoever bites off the most will be the head of the family.

Wedding traditions and customs of the Russian people these days are losing touch with religion: previously, the groom’s parents used to bless the newlyweds in this way, and the groom’s father kept icons for this. Loaf for a wedding is a tradition that originated from here.

Now the wedding loaf is greeted at the restaurant where the banquet on the occasion of the celebration will be held.

Festive feast

The celebration continues in a cafe or restaurant, where everything is ready for the arrival of the newlyweds. The decoration of the hall, tables and menu are usually chosen in advance.

This is a separate topic worthy of a huge post. Now we are talking about the traditions of the wedding feast.

Congratulations

The whole holiday is organized in such a way that special attention is paid to congratulations: everyone will have time to congratulate! Usually the parents are the first to congratulate, they are given the floor, and they seem to bless the children for marriage.

Afterwards, relatives congratulate: first on one side, then on the other, and then friends. Often, the bride prepares a special box in advance, in which she places envelopes with money so that they do not get lost.

Dancing

After the guests have eaten, the dancing begins. But here, too, traditions cannot be avoided. The first dance of the bride and groom is obligatory. Recently, it has become fashionable to prepare this dance in advance, to make it unusual, brides change their dress for the dance, grooms can also change clothes. Of course, such dances are remembered by guests.

Another dance, without which it is difficult to imagine a Russian wedding, is the dance of the bride and her father. With this dance, the father seems to be escorting his daughter to another family, saying goodbye to her. This touching dance reminds that a completely new time is coming in the bride’s life.

Family hearth

An ancient tradition that is still popular today. How to spend a family hearth?

Organizers and assistants hand out small candles to guests.
Guests stand in a circle and light candles.
The lights in the hall turn off.
To the accompaniment of slow music, the presenter tells a parable about a family hearth.
Parents light their candles and approach the young people.
A new candle flame is created for the newlyweds - a family hearth.

Ritual of removing the veil

According to tradition, at the end of the holiday, the mother-in-law or mother of the bride removes the veil. At first, the bride should not agree, only the third time does the mother manage to persuade her to remove the veil.

After the veil is removed, the groom undoes the bride's braids. During the ceremony, the leader usually explains what is happening and tells the story of the ceremony. This wedding moment always turns out to be very touching.

Second wedding day

But the holiday doesn't end there! The first day is followed by the second wedding day, the traditions of which include an informal celebration.

On the second day, guests most often gather outdoors, where they drink, sing songs and barbecue. These days, weddings are rarely celebrated for more than two days. After the wedding, the newlyweds can go on a honeymoon.

These are the wedding traditions in Russia. Of course, these are not all the rituals that exist; many of the traditions are already disappearing, but new ones are replacing them.

So, fortunately, at weddings we can find vulgar competitions, which were very popular 10 years ago, less and less often. Nowadays, themed weddings and outdoor weddings are gaining popularity.

In any case, you do not have to follow all wedding traditions and customs, the main thing is that your wedding is memorable and you like it!

At every wedding you can see various traditions that have come to us since ancient times, but they still try to adhere to them.

We are familiar with many wedding traditions - this is the creation of a family, the bride's ransom, the exchange, eating a loaf, a white wedding dress, showering the newlyweds with coins, rice, sweets, flowers, the groom throwing a garter, and the bride a bouquet, changing the shoes of the bride's mother into chebots. This list goes on and on; in every wedding tradition you can find exactly what your couple likes most. We offer several options for wedding traditions that continue to be relevant even after many centuries.

Every nation has its own wedding ceremonies and traditions

Every wedding is a bright event full of positive emotions.

In European countries there is a tradition of having a small dinner before the wedding. This kind of pre-wedding dinner is very often observed by newlyweds in our country. On this evening, close friends of the bride and groom, their parents, relatives, and, of course, the young people themselves, get together in order to get to know each other better before the wedding day. If you are interested in such a tradition, then you need to know the following things before starting it:

Dinner location and time. Since this dinner is not an official event, it is not necessary to celebrate it in a cafe or restaurant. You can meet at someone’s house (the parents of the bride or groom), arrange a trip out of town, have a picnic, cook fish soup, or barbecue. It is best to organize such a dinner three to four days before the wedding date, since before the wedding itself everyone will be busy with other, more important things.
Who should organize such a dinner? It can be organized by the newlyweds themselves, or by their parents, relatives or friends. Much depends on who is invited to dinner. You can invite both relatives and friends, or you can limit yourself to inviting only your closest relatives so that they can get to know each other better.
How can you entertain your pre-wedding dinner guests? This question is one of the most important. Since the purpose of this evening is to bring relatives closer together, you can come up with anything you want. Newlyweds can prepare vows to each other in advance, come up with an original declaration of love, and tell everyone present the story of how they met. They can express gratitude to their parents for their help in preparing for the wedding and give them memorable gifts. Relatives or friends can use a slide to show photos of the newlyweds together. You can come up with a variety of interesting competitions. You can simply spend the evening chatting with loved ones. It is important that the organizers of such an evening discuss all the details with the bride and groom.

There are Western countries where a wedding dinner involves a full rehearsal of the wedding ceremony, right down to the feast.

Traditions and customs on your wedding day

Home. The custom of the hearth came from ancient Rus'. Today, the fireplace is supposed to be lit by the mothers of the bride and groom. It is believed that in this way they convey experience, harmony and traditions to the young family. In reality, this tradition is carried out by lighting candles.
White color . This is very old tradition. A wedding dress should be white, since this color is considered a symbol of innocence, purity, harmony and purity. But recently, girls often break this tradition and make their own adjustments. Modern brides often choose wedding dress colors such as ivory, cream, and pale pink. Some people prefer to get married in a bright red dress. Everyone has their own style and taste. But still, the white color of a wedding dress remains traditional.
The first dance of a new family. For many people, the first dance does not seem like a wedding custom. It seems that through dance, young people demonstrate their dancing skills and beautiful outfits. But this is absolutely not true. The first dance of a young family reflects their feelings, relationships, and harmony.
Throwing the bride's garter. It's comparative new tradition, but she is already present at almost all weddings. The groom needs to remove the garter from his wife’s leg and throw it to all the single guys present at the wedding. Whoever holds the garter will get married soon.
Throwing the bride's wedding bouquet. This tradition is one of the most beautiful and memorable. By throwing her bouquet, the bride gives the opportunity to one of the unmarried girls present to get married in the near future. Some brides throw their bouquet at the very end of the wedding, others do it between feasts, some prefer to throw the bouquet after the wedding ceremony.

You need to choose traditions that both the bride and groom will like. This day should be only yours, it should give you a lot of positive emotions, colorful impressions and leave memories for a lifetime! Love each other and be happy!

Wedding traditions of the peoples of the world:

What traditions or customs do you know?

Many Russian wedding rituals that accompany the wedding ceremony have survived to this day. All of them have changed, most of them today are more of an entertaining nature. If you want to pay tribute to a rich cultural past by incorporating it into your celebration, explore wedding customs and traditions that began centuries ago but have retained their charm to this day.

Blessing of the Young

“God bless!” - with these words in old times in Rus', parents gave consent to the marriage of young people. This is a church custom that requires parents to rebaptize future spouses with icons wrapped in a towel. It was only permissible for those who were baptized to perform it, but now even those who have not been baptized are present at the beautiful wedding ceremony/custom of Russia, but this is not a blessing in the literal sense.

Rituals

Traditionally, a Russian wedding of previous centuries did not take place without a sorcerer, who provided protection for the newlyweds from evil forces and performed rituals to protect them from the evil eye. A modern sorcerer is a friend of the groom and a toastmaster at the same time. He takes care of a pleasant, interesting wedding atmosphere throughout the entire celebration.

Matchmaking

In the old days, the groom's parents came to get married. They gave their children down the aisle early, so all issues were resolved between adult family members - dowry, expenses, deposit. Over time, this Russian tradition has changed, because people marry for love. But it is considered a gesture of respect, as well as maintaining customs, on the part of the groom to visit his fiancée’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage.

Ransom

Previously, the ransom was purely financial in nature - the groom had to prove his worth. Now this Russian custom has turned into a game where girlfriends prepare a lot of tasks, puzzles, and competitions for the betrothed. If he can’t cope with them, he buys them off with money, sweets - that’s the custom.

Collusion

The conspiracy traditionally took place after matchmaking and was the monetary part of wedding traditions. The groom's side and the bride's side discussed organizational and financial issues about the dowry, deposit, and family wedding expenses. An analogue, or rather, a continuation of this custom ancient Russia can be called a modern contract that spouses enter into at the time of marriage, “agreeing” on the rules of family life after the wedding.

Feast

The old Russian feast is a demonstration of the generosity of parents. The wedding menu was extensive, each dish had its own meaning, but all together made it possible to heartily feed and water the guests so that not a single one was left hungry. The newlyweds were to be treated to bread and salt - according to tradition, it was a loaf. Now all these traditional stages are carried out during a banquet, the tables of which are always laden with festive snacks. The abundance of meat and fish dishes is replaced by vegetable ones, there is always bread on the tables, and the crown of the feast is cake.

"Bitterly!" - this is exactly the word that guests shout at a Russian wedding feast - previously it was not a call for a kiss, but had a different meaning. From the tray carried by the bride, the guests took a glass of vodka, leaving money and gifts in return, and then shouted: “Bitter!” By this they confirmed that they drank a strong, bitter drink.

Another tradition of the wedding feast is the tying of two bottles of champagne by the witnesses, one of which the spouses, according to Russian tradition, will open on their anniversary, the second - when the child is born.

The last stage of the official part of the Russian wedding feast, which has already become a tradition, is the first wedding dance. The couple go out to dance together, and later other couples join them. This moment marks the transition of the wedding celebration to a dance, music, and competition program.

Wedding

The church wedding ceremony confirms the marriage between a woman and a man before God. Afterwards, the couple go on a wedding walk, having time to visit several places before the banquet and take memorable photos. Nowadays it is not always customary to get married, so the cortege picks up the newlyweds immediately after the wedding registration. And before the wedding was the main part wedding celebration, so not only the church itself was carefully selected, but also the outfits for the bride and groom.

When the newlyweds are walking, another custom takes place - fortune telling: they tie pink and blue ribbons on the legs of two pigeons, then release the birds together, determining according to tradition what gender the future first-born will be - male or female.

Bachelorette and bachelor parties

The tradition of holding a bachelorette party before a wedding has been around for a long time: in Rus', girlfriends gathered at the girl’s place, combed her hair, took bath treatments, and simultaneously told her the dark details of her future life. This was done in order to protect the young girl from damage. The bachelor party, as a tradition, appeared not so long ago - before the groom had to go to the bathhouse alone before the wedding.

Wedding rings

Wedding rings are a symbol of fidelity, love and devotion. They first appeared among the Egyptians, who believed that such wedding gifts to each other would help preserve the spark in the relationship between two people. Familiar to us today, they came to us in Russia not so long ago from European countries, becoming an established tradition.

The bride's bouquet

In Russian traditions there was something like this: a girl passed her bouquet to her friend. Interestingly, a traditional Russian round dance was used here: the bride (blindfolded) twirled and danced and chose the one who would be the owner of the bouquet. The tradition of throwing a bouquet into a crowd of unmarried girls appeared later and came to us from Europe - the girl who was lucky enough to catch it was destined to be the next to marry.

Men will also not be left without a unique tradition at a wedding: before throwing the bouquet, the girl takes off her garter, which the men will soon catch. It also determines who will marry successfully next.

Bride kidnapping

Nowadays kidnapping is of an entertaining nature, but during the times of serfdom in Russia it was an unpleasant peasant custom. A girl who was being given in marriage could be taken by a lord or master for her wedding night. If the groom opposed this, his assistants stole the bride from the celebration and brought her by force, but rich men managed to buy their way out of this.

Bride's slipper

But stealing a shoe was not customary in Russia. On the contrary, the betrothed herself gave it to her friends to try on, who were just waiting for their happiness. The one who suitable shoes, demanded a ransom from her future husband. This Russian custom also made it possible to determine the groom’s well-being and evaluate his generosity.

Rushnik

A towel embroidered by the bride herself was considered one of the main attributes of the wedding celebration; it remained with the spouses forever after the wedding and was part of the girl’s dowry. During the wedding, the spouses stand on one towel, and tie the second towel around the hands of the newly-made spouses, forever fastening them together. This attribute is still used to this day when blessing and presenting a holiday loaf in Russia.

According to Russian custom, it was believed that the groom's shirt should also be embroidered by the bride.

Wedding loaf

At the threshold, the parents presented the newly-made spouses with a wedding loaf of bread and salt: they should take turns taking a bite, this is the custom of Russia. Previously, it meant a kind of fortune-telling - what gender the baby would be, where the family's expenses would go. However, modern newlyweds wonder who will be the “leader” in the family and who will be the “follower,” depending on whose piece is larger. In Rus', such fortune-telling was unthinkable, because the only possible head of the family, according to tradition, was a man.

The wedding night

After all the observance of Russian traditions and customs, comes the last, main part of the wedding day - the first wedding night of the lovers. This is an important event for an innocent girl. The husband carries the bride over the threshold in his arms so that evil demons think that this is a baby and not a stranger. Often newlyweds chose an unusual place for their first wedding night so that “spirits would not find them” - a hayloft, a barn, the bedchamber of a familiar couple.

Even modern people tend to spend it not at home - in a luxurious hotel room or rented apartment. In recent years, as attention to tradition has made it popular again, weddings in rustic style implies a wedding night in a haystack of fragrant hay, and lovers of romance do not refuse this.

After this event, a second day of wedding celebration may occur, but this depends on the financial viability of the wedding organizers. Usually, according to tradition, it ends with a honeymoon - a journey for the spouses. But before, a honeymoon meant a light alcoholic drink, which was prepared for the wedding and drunk not only during the celebration, but also for a whole month after it. Interestingly, the weight of the barrel was no less than 10 kilograms, and it was forbidden to drink anything other than this invigorating sweet drink.

For a long time, a wedding has been considered the most important event in life. Our ancestors created a family, adhering to traditions and strictly observing special rules. Echoes of Russian wedding ritual traditions are also present in modern marriages.

The traditions of Slavic wedding ceremonies go back more than one century: our ancestors were extremely careful about observing the rules. Starting a family was a sacred and meaningful act that took on average three days. Since that time, wedding signs and superstitions have come down to us, passed down from generation to generation in Rus'.

Wedding ceremonies of the ancient Slavs

For our ancestors, the wedding ceremony was an extremely important event: they approached the creation of a new family with extreme responsibility, hoping for the help of the Gods and fate. The word “wedding” itself consists of three parts: “sva” - heaven, “d” - an act on earth and “ba” - blessed by the Gods. It turns out that historically the word “wedding” is deciphered as “an earthly act blessed by the Gods.” Ancient wedding ceremonies came from this knowledge.

Entering into family life is first and foremost always aimed at continuing a healthy and strong family line. That is why the ancient Slavs imposed several restrictions and prohibitions on the creation of a new couple:

The groom must be at least 21 years old;
the bride's age is at least 16 years;
the clan of the groom and the clan of the bride should not be close by blood.

Contrary to existing opinion, both the groom and the bride were rarely married off or married against their will: it was believed that the Gods and life itself helped the new couple find each other in a special, harmonious state.

Nowadays, much attention is also paid to achieving harmony: for example, everyone more people begin to use special meditations to attract love. Our ancestors the best way dance was considered a harmonious fusion with the rhythms of Mother Nature.

On the day of Perun or on the holiday of Ivan Kupala, young people who wanted to meet their fate gathered in two round dances: men led a circle “salting” - in the direction of the sun, and girls - “counter-salting”. Thus, both round dances walked with their backs to each other.

At the moment of rapprochement between the dancers, the guy and girl, their backs colliding, were taken out of the round dance: it was believed that the Gods had brought them together. Subsequently, if the girl and the guy were in love with each other, a viewing party was held, the parents got to know each other, and, if everything was in order, a wedding date was set.

It was believed that on the wedding day the bride died for her family and its guardian spirits in order to be reborn in the groom's family. This change was given special significance.

First of all, the wedding dress spoke about the symbolic death of the bride for her family: our ancestors adopted a red wedding dress with a white veil instead of the current translucent veil.

Red and white in Rus' were the colors of mourning, and the thick veil that completely covered the bride’s face symbolized her presence in the world of the dead. It could only be removed during the wedding feast, when the blessing of the Gods over the newlyweds had already been completed.

Preparations for the wedding day for both the bride and groom began the evening before: the bride's friends went with her to the bathhouse for ritual ablution. Accompanied by bitter songs and tears, the girl was washed with water from three buckets, symbolically indicating her presence between the three worlds: Reveal, Navi and Rule. The bride herself had to cry as much as possible in order to receive the forgiveness of the spirits of her family, whom she was leaving.

On the morning of the wedding day, the groom sent the bride a gift, signifying the loyalty of his intentions: a box with a comb, ribbons and sweets. From the moment she received the gift, the bride began to dress and prepare for the wedding ceremony. While dressing and combing her hair, the girlfriends also sang the saddest songs, and the bride had to cry even more than the day before: it was believed that the more tears shed before the wedding, the fewer they would be shed during married life.

Meanwhile, the so-called wedding train was assembled at the groom’s house: carts in which the groom himself and his squad went to pick up the bride with gifts for her friends and parents. The richer the groom's family, the longer the train should be. When all preparations were completed, the train departed to the bride's house accompanied by singing and dancing.

Upon arrival, the bride's relatives checked the groom's intentions with questions and comic tasks. This tradition has been preserved in our time, turning into a “ransom” for the bride.

After the groom had passed all the checks and had the opportunity to see the bride, the wedding train, together with the newlyweds, the groom and relatives, headed to the temple. They always took a long road to see him, covering the bride’s face with a thick veil: it was believed that at this time the future wife was half in the world of Navi, and people were not allowed to see her “fully alive.”

Upon arrival at the temple, the waiting sorcerer performed the ceremony of blessing the union, thereby confirming the harmony in the couple and sealing the oath of the young people before the Gods. From that moment on, the bride and groom were considered family.

After the ceremony, all the guests, led by the married couple, went to a feast in honor of the wedding, which could last up to seven days with breaks. During the meal, the newlyweds received gifts, and also repeatedly presented their guests with belts, amulets and coins.

In addition, during six months of family life new family, having appreciated the gift of each guest, had to pay a return visit and give the so-called “otdarok” - a return gift worth more than the guest’s gift. By this, the young family showed that the guest’s gift was used for future use, increasing their well-being.

Over time, unshakable wedding traditions have undergone some changes caused by migrations and wars. The changes took root and brought us the memory of Russian folk wedding rituals.

Russian folk wedding rituals

With the advent of Christianity in Rus', wedding rituals changed radically. Over the course of several decades, the ritual of blessing the Gods at the temple turned into a wedding ceremony in the church. People did not immediately accept the new way of life, and this directly affected the holding of such an important event as a wedding.

Since a marriage was not considered valid without a wedding in the church, the wedding ceremony consisted of two parts: the wedding in the church and the ritual part, the feast. “Sorcery” was not encouraged by the highest church officials, but for some time clergy took part in the “non-wedding” part of the wedding.

Just like the ancient Slavs, in the Russian tradition folk wedding For a long time, traditional customs were preserved: matchmaking, bridesmaids and collusion. At the general viewings that took place during the festivities, the groom's family looked after the bride, inquiring about her and her family.

Having found a girl of suitable age and status, the groom's relatives sent matchmakers to the bride's family. Matchmakers could come up to three times: the first - to declare the intentions of the groom's family, the second - to take a closer look at the bride's family, and the third - to obtain consent.

In case of a successful matchmaking, a bridesmaid was appointed: the bride's family came to the groom's house and inspected the household, concluding whether it would be good for their daughter to live here. If everything was in order and met their expectations, the bride's parents accepted the invitation to share a meal with the groom's family. In case of refusal, the matchmaking was terminated.

If the bridesmaid stage was successful, then the groom’s parents came for a return visit: they personally met the bride, observed her ability to run a household and communicated with her. If in the end they were not disappointed in the girl, then the groom was brought to the bride.

The girl had to show herself in all her outfits, to show how good she was as a hostess and interlocutor. The groom also had to show his best qualities: on the evening of the “third viewing,” the bride in most cases had the right to refuse the groom.

If the young couple managed to please each other and did not object to the wedding, their parents began to discuss the material costs of their children’s wedding, the size of the bride’s dowry and gifts from the groom’s family. This part was called “handshaking” because, having agreed on everything, the father of the bride and the father of the groom “beat their hands,” that is, they sealed the agreement with a handshake.

After the completion of the contract, preparations for the wedding began, which could last up to a month.

On the wedding day, the bride's friends dressed her in a wedding dress while lamenting about her girlish, cheerful life. The bride had to cry constantly, seeing off her girlhood. Meanwhile, the groom and his friends arrived at the bride’s house, preparing to buy his future wife from her family and friends.

After a successful ransom and symbolic tests of the groom, the newlyweds went to church: the groom and his friends went noisily and with songs, and the bride went separately, on a long road, without attracting attention. special attention. The groom certainly had to arrive at the church first: in this way, the future wife avoided the stigma of a “jilted bride.”

During the wedding, the bride and groom were placed on a spread white fabric, showered with coins and hops. Guests also carefully watched the wedding candles: it was believed that whoever holds his candle higher will dominate the family.

After the wedding was completed, the newlyweds had to blow out the candles at the same time in order to die on the same day. Extinguished candles should be kept for life, protected from damage and lit briefly only during the birth of the first child.

After the wedding ceremony, the creation of a family was considered legal, and then a feast followed, at which the ritual actions of the ancient Slavs were largely manifested.

This custom existed for a long time until it changed into modern wedding traditions, which still retained many of the ritual moments of ancient weddings.

Ancient wedding rituals

Many people in our time do not even realize the sacred significance of the now familiar moments of any wedding. Instead of an authentic ceremony at a temple or a wedding in a church, which has long been mandatory, now there is state registration of marriage followed by a banquet. It would seem that what is left of the ancient way of life in this? It turns out that there are a lot of things.