Traditions and customs of Russia (Wedding)

Traditions and customs of Russia ( Wedding)

School: 70

Form: 6

Stolbova S.

1. Blessing the Young

• The obligatory tradition preceding the sacrament of marriage was the blessing of the parents, which was strictly observed. The children turned to their relatives with the words: "Bless father, mother!" In response, the mother and father, holding the icon in their hands, answered - "God bless!" In ancient times, almost all people were baptized.

2. Rites

• Along with the high degree of religiosity of the Russian nation, the people sacredly believed in otherworldly forces. At the wedding, the presence of a sorcerer was necessary, a sorcerer who would protect the young from the evil eye, distract the satanic evil from them with cheerful jokes and games. At a modern wedding in Russia, the sorcerer is easy to recognize in the guise of a daring toastmaster. The organizer of the ceremony creates a festive atmosphere at the celebration, cheers and entertains guests.

3. Matchmaking

• According to the old Russian precepts, the troubles with matchmaking were entirely on the parents. They had the decisive word - to be a wedding or not. It was the parents who determined the size of the dowry, controlled the costs of the celebration. Russian wedding traditions today allow children to make their own choices, as well as to solve issues related to the organization of the celebration. But still, a visit to the bride's parents for official permission for marriage is considered a sign of decency and respect.

4. Ransom

• In Russian wedding traditions, it was natural for the groom and his parents to pay for their happiness, that is, to make a ransom. Today, the ransom ritual is fun for young people, friends and all participants in the festival. For an impatient newlywed, having fun, guests throw tasks, come up with obstacles on the way to their beloved. Usually the groom pays off with small sums of money or sweets.

5. Collusion

• In Russia, after matchmaking, the custom of conspiracy took place. This was the name for long conversations about joint investments in the wedding budget. The size of the bride's dowry, family capital and ransom were discussed. Such an event resembles the legal registration of a marriage contract, which regulates the expenses of family members and inheritance in the event of a divorce.

6. Feast

• In Russia, a wedding loaf with a salt shaker was carried out to young people before a solemn dinner. Having tasted the ritual bread, the newlyweds bowed to the waist to the guests, and they, in turn, symbolically blessed them, showering them with grain, a symbol of prosperity. Now, when leaving the Wedding Palace, the bride and groom are staged with fireworks from the petals of beautiful roses. And in the process of the holiday, a ritual loaf is eaten.

7. Wedding

• It took place in the Orthodox Church and combined not only Russian traditions, but also a legally significant action. The ritual was conducted by a priest who asked the consent of the young and then applied a wedding crown, which symbolized God's consent.

8. Bachelorette and bachelor parties

• Girly gatherings before the wedding are a long-standing wedding tradition in Russia. The girlfriends went to the bathhouse, carefully washed the bride's braid, shared stories about unhappy marriages in order to ward off the evil eye. It was not customary to hold a bachelor party in Russia, the young guy simply put himself in order: he washed in the bath, had his hair cut.

9. Towel

• A towel in Russia is a special ritual object of marriage, on which a wedding loaf was carried out, and in the church the young were supposed to stand during the wedding. In some settlements, newlyweds were tied with an embroidered festive towel. The bride gave a beautiful ethnic towel to her betrothed for matchmaking, several types of towels should have been in the dowry.

10. A Wedding loaf

• The Russian people traditionally considered bread to be a sign of wealth and prosperity. Therefore, the young were supposed to taste this delicacy, so that their life would be without need, hunger and hardship. The modern interpretation of the ritual has been transformed into a comic form. Biting off the loaf, the bride and groom strive to grab a larger slice in order to take the leading position in the pair. In ancient times, it would never have occurred to anyone to guess about the head of the family. In Russia, a strict and sometimes cruel patriarchy ruled.