Russian traditions of weddings. Wedding of the bride in the Russian tradition of weddings, rites and customs

Nowadays some Russian rituals are forgotten, and thosefew that remained - took a more modern look. Recently, more and more often young people want to return to the origins and celebrate the wedding just like their ancestors did many years ago.

Russian wedding traditions and customs

Rituals dedicated to the creation of a new family in Russiawere always surrounded by sacred mysteries and traditions that were passed from fathers to children. The full script of the Russian wedding was as follows:

• 
  Matchmaking


• 
  Look and look


• 
  Collusion


• 
  The hen party and the youth


• 
  Wedding travel


• 
  Wedding


• 
  Princely table (festive feast)


• 
  Encircling the young


• 
  The wedding night

All traditional rituals had a profound meaningmeaning and performed in strict sequence. The family that went all this way was considered right, which means that the couple will live happily ever after.

Wedding ceremony of the bride

This custom was the negotiations of familiesa young man and a girl. In Russia married quite early, so parents often engaged in the selection of a worthy bride and informed about their decision to future spouses, when preparations were already being made for the wedding. Before sending the matchmakers to the alleged bride was going to the family council. All close relatives of the groom, as well as godparents, took part in it. During the choice of the future wife, the opinion of the young man was certainly taken into account, but the final decision was for the parents. The material well-being of the bride did not matter at that time, it was believed that the young couple could arrange their own life themselves.

According to Russian wedding traditions matchmakers thatwent to a conversation with the parents of the bride, they were chosen with special care. From their ability to direct negotiations in the right direction and to present the groom's family in a favorable light, often depended on the result of this event. Matchmaking was held in the so-called "light" days of the week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, late in the evening.

Having come to the house of the chosen one, the matchmakers had to take offheadgear, cross before the icon, then bow to the owners with the words: "You have the goods, we have a merchant" "You have a hen, we have a cockerel" and the like. The bride's parents said words of gratitude for the honor and attention given to their family. Then invited guests to dine. According to the Russian wedding tradition, matchmakers had to meet a generously set table, even if the groom did not particularly like the bride's parents.

When the matchmaking was desired, the guests receivedpositive response immediately and appointed a day for collusion, the day when a decision will be made on the exact date of the marriage. If the groom lived in a neighboring village and the girl's parents did not know him, they asked the matchmakers time to think about the proposal: "Daughter to marry - do not bake a pie". In the case when the parents were categorically against the wedding, they delicately refused: "The goods we have not sold yet, not ripe."

Smotry and glances

After the matchmaking often arranged the gaze of the groom. Relatives of the bride paid a visit to the parents of the young man and watched them live. They were shown a house, a farm, arranged a festive feast and told about their ancestors. When family members were not familiar with each other, the inspection was carried out with special care. If the parents of the bride remained unhappy with what they saw, they could change the positive answer given during the matchmaking, to the negative: "Thank you for the bread and salt, but it's time for us to go home." If they liked everything, then they invited the parents of the young to pay a return visit.

According to the Russian wedding tradition forthe bride's nearest family came to the bride's house. The chosen woman was placed in a dress in the middle of the hut, after which the guests approved the choice of the groom. Then the young people walked around the arm in front of everyone and bowed to each other. If the future spouse did not like the girl, she quietly left the hut and changed the festive dress for everyday. Guests regarded this as a refusal. If everything went well, then the general feast began, with the owners preparing the snacks, and the groom's parents brought drunk drinks with them.

Collusion

About a week after the ceremonymatchmaking, according to the traditions of the Russian wedding, the parents of both parties gathered for the collusion in the bride's house, or as it was also called the hand-knitting. All questions concerning the upcoming celebration were decided on it, the date of marriage and the number of guests at the festive feast were appointed. After the parties agreed on everything, future father-in-law and father-in-law rose from behind the table and beat on their hands. Then everyone read the prayer, and the feast began, but the young people did not have to take part in it.

After the collusion, to refuse the wedding wasa terrible sin, which I had to pay for the rest of my life. But if this happened, the guilty party had to cover all the wedding expenses. When the collusion took place, the couple in love was officially called the bride and groom.

The hen party and the youth

According to the traditions of the Russian wedding right afterHow the collusion took place, the girl had to say good-bye with devotions and under the sad songs of her friends wove a scythe. Loose hair served as a symbol of the fact that the girl is ready for marriage. Also, saying goodbye to her freedom, her future wife should have been in a sauna with her friends.

One day before the wedding in the groom's house was held the so-called youth. At a large table relatives and friends gathered, they sang wedding songs and in the evening they brought gifts to their future wife.

Wedding travel

On the appointed day from the early morning in the groom's houseguests gathered from his side and prepared horses for the wedding pass to the young bride, lavishly decorated with ribbons, flowers and bells. The sleigh, on which the young was to go, were covered with pillows and carpets. After the preparations were completed the wedding procession was sent for the young.

According to the Russian wedding tradition, the way to themblocked fellow villagers and relatives of the bride. To the cortege missed the groom and his boyfriend gave ransom in the form of wine, gingerbread, sweets and fruits. After the dear guests came to the house to the chosen one, they were seated at the table, but the newlyweds were forbidden to participate in the general merriment. Then the bride's father joined the newlyweds' hands and they went to the temple.

Wedding

Marriage was considered legal only afterpriest ceremony in the temple, during which the newlyweds gave an oath of loyalty and exchanged rings. In order for the family to be well-off, a new snow-white cloth was laid out for the young before the entrance to the church, they sprinkled them with wheat and money. According to the beliefs, the objects touched by lovers during the Sacrament of the wedding, have miraculous abilities. They can alleviate pain, relieve heat and treat children. After the wedding, the newlyweds went to the prince's feast, which could be started only after it was announced that the couple had become a legitimate husband and wife.

Princely feast

Before entering the house, the newlyweds were welcomedthe parents of the groom, they showered them with grain and, according to the old Russian wedding tradition, presented a loaf. Young in return bowed, broke off on a piece, generously salted and fed each other. By this they symbolized that they could eat together a pood of salt. Then the husband took his chosen one in his hands and brought it to his house, so they did in the old times to confuse the brownie, because the young woman was born into another family, which means that she is a stranger to the mythical patron of housing.

At the festive table the newly-wed couplewere assigned a special place. The witness should entertain the audience with cheerful toasts and jokes, but also keep track of the young ones. After all, guests could steal wooden spoons tied with a red ribbon, which they put in front of the newlyweds, the bride's shoe, or even the young one. If all the same it was possible to the guests, the groom and the boyfriend paid a ransom with wine, sweets or money. When the sun was setting, it was time for the young to be surrounded, her head was covered with a handkerchief, now she was considered a married woman. Then, under the songs of the guests, the young people left from the table to where they should spend the first night as legal spouses.

The wedding night

Many years ago the first joint nightwas spent by spouses outside the house, very often they were put in a bath. Bath was considered the cleanest place and evil forces could not get there. This Russian wedding tradition has reached our days: very often on their first night the newlyweds go to the hotel. Left alone, the young people had to eat bread and chicken together, so that in their family there was complete mutual understanding, prosperity and numerous offspring.

The next morning, if it turned out that the bride lostchastity before marriage, her parents were humiliated. They put a collar around their necks, and to the unfortunate father at all they served beer in a cracked chalice. The groom said his mother-in-law claims for the fact that she was unable to raise her daughter and the couple went home. But this happened very rarely, mostly on a public display hung a wedding sheet as a proof of innocence young and the wedding feast continued.