Ukrainian wedding - traditions and customs. Modern wedding traditions
Apparently, in no other Slavic country in the post-Soviet space can one find such a zealous attitude towards cultural heritage as in Ukraine. Here they try to preserve everything accumulated by the ancestors over the centuries, and above all, the customs and traditions of weddings, wedding ceremonies, songs and dances, costumes and jewelry ... Moreover, all this is transmitted from generation to generation, practically unchanged, only "accumulating » modern elements.
The history of wedding customs and traditions of Ukraine goes back to pre-Christian times. Not differing, in principle, from (the same stages of the wedding process), Ukrainian wedding ceremonies contain a significant amount of paganism. Despite the fact that Christianity began its journey across Rus' precisely from Kievan Rus more than 2 thousand years ago, in Ukraine the people stubbornly (and successfully) resisted the influence of the Church on wedding ceremonies. Only in the second half of the 19th century did the Church and the state manage to "agree" - the Church allowed the wedding "on the wedding day." (Here, the term "wedding", as in other countries, is increasingly understood as a wedding feast, and all rites, respectively, are divided into "pre-wedding", "wedding" and "post-wedding").
The very word “wedding”, in Ukrainian “vyasylya”, comes from the Old Slavonic name of the solstice holiday “vseliya”, which was accompanied by the performance of relevant ceremonies, including wedding ones. Therefore, in the pre-Christian era, weddings were played on the days of these holidays. In the case of a Ukrainian wedding, the word “played” can be taken literally - there is so much music in them, melodic, touching, songs, bright, sometimes, unusual costumes taken from the heroes of folk tales. Moreover, most weddings were played in the spring, when nature awakened. With the advent of Christianity, weddings began to be played, mainly in the fall after the completion of field work and harvesting. In addition, the spring solstice, as a rule, falls on Great (Easter) Lent, when, according to church laws, all kinds of festivities are prohibited and food restrictions are introduced.
We note separately that since alcohol usually “flowed like a river” at wedding festivities, only adults took part in them. Children and even teenagers were not allowed to these festivities.
matchmaking. Wedding ceremonies in Ukraine, like all Slavs, began with woo (wooing). Trusted groom, elders (remember, in Rus' - friends, in White Rus' - matchmakers) went to the parents of the girl they liked and in a playful, allegorical form asked to give their daughter in marriage. She herself did not take part in the negotiations, but had the opportunity to express her opinion. If she agreed, she pretended that she was busy cooking in the oven. If not, then she took out a pumpkin to the elders (it was called “give a garbuza”). In order not to endure such a shame, the elders tried to find out in advance the intentions of the girl and her parents. These attempts were called "vyvedyvaniya" ("vividuvaniya").
If the girl and her parents agreed to the marriage, then the future bride gave the matchmakers hand-embroidered towels, and her parents treated the matchmakers to a freshly baked loaf.
If the elders were refused, they could try to marry another girl, and if all the girls of the village refused, then the elders could go to a neighboring village and try to fulfill their mission there. For a better orientation of the "out-of-town" elders, windows, shutters, and even walls of houses with potential brides were decorated with flowers, painted with paints, or simply smeared with red clay.
Smotriny(look around). A few days later, but, as a rule, no more than 2 weeks after the wooing, a delegation from the bride was poisoned with a return visit to the groom's house. It consisted of the girl's parents, married brothers with their wives, married sisters with their husbands. Sometimes godparents joined them. The purpose of the visit is to assess the wealth of the groom's family in order to reasonably make a final decision on whether or not to accept the elders' proposal. If the groom's family was "seriously" interested in the wedding, then she tried to show the "goods face". For this, they could even be borrowed and presented as their own: horses, carts, household utensils, clothes, etc. The meeting ended with a hearty meal with plenty of drink. The guests were presented with pies. Here, usually, the date of the engagement was appointed.
Engagement(zaruchini) usually took place in the house of the young. The most distinguished guests and future relatives were invited to the engagement. Young people announced their desire to bind their destinies, and their parents blessed them with an icon. Then the young exchanged cheap (expensive will be exchanged later) rings. From that moment on, they became "officially" the bride and groom. It was possible to break off relations only through a scandal. Moreover, in addition to compensation for the costs incurred, the guilty party paid compensation to the opposite party for the “moral damage” caused. During the engagement, they agreed on the time of the wedding, on the “menu”, on the number of guests and whom to invite “with honor”. The engagement ended with a feast and mutual gifts of matchmakers, hosts and young people.
Undoubtedly, the wedding day was the most intense ceremony. The number of rites and their diversity depending on the area is so great that it is impossible to consider them in one article. In addition, we have already said that, in fact, "on average", they coincide with .
The bride and groom began the wedding day separately, each in the house of their parents. A wedding “train” was formed in the groom’s house (carts, horses were decorated, people who would ride this train were selected (moreover, each of them performed a certain duty), all kinds of gifts were collected for the bride, her parents, guests, cookies, other sweets were packed and, as would say now, souvenirs), baked a wedding loaf, laid tables for the upcoming celebrations.
In the house of the bride, also from early morning, the movement began. As a rule, on the wedding day, the bride's braids were "untwisted" ( splatters). Sometimes the braid was simply cut off. Splashes were carried out exclusively by close relatives so that no evil spirits touched the bride before the wedding. The bride was then given a wreath as a symbol of purity.
Before the train left, the parents (usually the mother) would bless their son. His mother showered him with grain (for wealth). The son, at the same time, had to sit on the skin of the sacrificed animal (usually on the casing turned inside out) - this was the so-called First Posad. Similarly, they blessed the bride (also First Posad). Second Posad was held at the beginning of the wedding, when the parents blessed the young people sitting nearby (usually also on the casing). Third Posad, after the wedding, symbolized the transition of the bride to the position of a married woman. Close relatives and the most distinguished guests were invited to it.
After Posada, the “train” with the groom went around the table three times, on which stood on the towel Loaf and candles were burning, and he was heading to the house of the bride.
About Karavay it is worth mentioning separately. It was baked only by married women who were happily married. The whole baking process was accompanied by special songs, and each stage was blessed by the parents (usually the mother). In addition to Karavay, they also baked “bumps” (as a symbol of fertility), which were presented to guests, and cookies in the form of animal figurines. Children were given cookies.
The "train", meanwhile, was moving towards the bride's house. On the way, he could be detained (intercepted or, in Ukrainian, “taken over”) by the friends of the bride, who demanded a ransom for the right to travel along the road. In order not to be considered stingy, having bargained "for the sake of appearances", I had to pay. Such a "pass" could meet on the way more than once. The last "passage" of the train took place already at the entrance to the courtyard of the bride's house. An impromptu fortress was erected at the gate, and the groom and his friends were forced to overcome resistance and "break through" to the bride. The defenders usually resisted fiercely, but not for long. Quite quickly, the parties agreed on the amount of the ransom. If the bride had a brother, then the ransom had to be paid again. Further, the parties exchanged loaves, matchmakers exchanged gifts, the young people performed a “ritual” dance, and after the dance of the unity of generations, a wedding feast began, accompanied by a number of rituals, generally accepted and improvised. In the north and west of Ukraine, these rituals bore the imprints of flora and fauna, and in the south and east - agriculture. Moreover, the rituals were usually accompanied by a female choir.
In the evening, the young were prepared for wedding night. The bride was dressed in a new shirt, the matchmakers made the bed, the friends guarded the room in which the young would sleep. In the morning, matchmakers examined the shirts and bed of the young. If the girl turned out to be honest, then the wedding was resumed with renewed vigor. For the mother of the bride, they sent gifts and news of the "happy" end of the wedding night, thanked for the daughter. The bride's relatives were invited to the groom's house, where gifts were given to the young. The bride brought spring water, which, symbolically, washed the young and the guests. On this day, there was a lot of "fun" with dressing up, they sang playful songs. Everything was decorated mainly in red tones (even vodka). By the end of the day, the loaf was cut and presented to the guests.
If the girl turned out to be dishonest, then, practically, the wedding ended there. The guys hung a white flag on the tallest tree, which meant girlish shame. Then the girl's brother had to climb a tree to remove this flag, but he was interfered with in every way, mocked.
Nowadays, a wedding is in most cases a restaurant celebration and a cortege that takes young people and guests from the registry office to a restaurant, but many return to the so-called origins and try to celebrate this wonderful event in life according to the wedding signs and rituals of our grandparents.
Here are just a few of them.
Meeting of young people with a loaf
Parents and guests meet the newlyweds from the registry office. Young people stand on a towel and they are invited to bite off, without the help of hands, a piece of loaf. Whoever bites off a larger piece will dominate the family. At the celebration, the loaf is placed on the wedding table, and in the evening, before all the guests leave, it is cut into pieces and distributed to all those present. The middle is for young people, the “sole” is for musicians, the rest is for guests. Girls who want to get married quickly immediately eat the piece offered to them. Sometimes, instead of distributing a loaf, baked "bumps" are handed out to guests.
Chobots
Relatives cover the mother-in-law's legs with mud and offer the son-in-law to wash them. Kneeling in front of the mother of the bride, the son-in-law washed his feet, and then put on her new shoes, specially purchased for such a day, and finally, a quick dance to the catchy song about “You are my Chobots”. This showed respect for the bride's parents and a kind of "grinding" to new relatives.
The bride's bouquet
Parents and guests meet young people who have arrived from the registry office. After the “Loaf” and the symbolic “glass of friendship”, which the young only sip, the bride turns her back on her unmarried bridesmaids and throws them a bouquet, thus passing the “baton” to one of the bridesmaids, who must catch it. It is believed that the girlfriend who caught the bouquet will be the next to marry.
Tying the bride with a scarf- This is a modern version of the rites described above, such as untwisting and removing the wreath. The difference is that now at the wedding the "braid" of the young is not cut off, but instead of a wreath, the veil is removed. The rite is performed to the sounds of a sad melody and by the light of candles. The groom or his mother removes the veil from the bride and covers her head with a beautiful scarf. The young woman is trying to break free, declaring that she will never obey completely and completely. But, despite all the efforts, her head is covered. After that, it is no longer the bride, but the wife symbolically says goodbye to her unmarried friends, trying on a veil for each of them.
You can write to us about wedding ceremonies in your region. The most beautiful of them will definitely be published.
A real Ukrainian wedding is famous for its traditions, which are passed down from generation to generation. There are a lot of them, and they all have a certain sequence. And they begin with preparation for the celebration.
Old, new, borrowed and blue
This tradition is followed by many brides. She came to us from England, forever rooted in our Slavic culture. After all, it is not a secret for many that the bride must certainly wear something old on her wedding day, for example, a family jewel in the form of a grandmother's brooch. Borrow something from a friend, such as a necklace or earrings. Be sure to buy something new, except for the wedding attire. And also wear either a completely blue bandage, or snow-white with a splash of blue, which symbolizes modesty, purity and fidelity to the future spouse.
ransom
When a beautiful bride is ready for marriage, her relatives and friends cannot stop admiring her beauty. And no one will agree to voluntarily give such a “diamond” into the wrong hands. Therefore, the groom must redeem her, demonstrating at the same time his generosity.
The ransom is the most fun tradition at the very beginning of the celebration, because the auction for the bride takes place in a playful way and the amount received for it can be symbolic. Basically, the auction for the bride is conducted between witnesses from both sides. And often they cannot agree for a long time, arranging a comic "skirmish".
In the western regions of the country, the redemption procedure is different. The groom redeems the bride's shirt, which she bought him. The bride, on the other hand, buys the handkerchief from the groom, which the future mother-in-law prepared for her. Five boys carry a shirt to the groom on a towel, and five girls carry a scarf to the bride. And for each child, the bride must put a symbolic amount of money on the towel for a scarf, and the groom - for a shirt.
This tradition takes place in a playful way. Therefore, you should not go too far and delay the redemption procedure so that it does not lose its meaning and at the same time the young people are not late for the registry office.
Combing hair and veil
A veil is a symbol of girlish purity. Therefore, it is often used to cover the bride's face to emphasize her innocence. Today, many brides wear veils in beauty salons to match their wedding hairstyle.
But in western Ukraine, the old rite of wearing a veil is still preserved. According to this tradition, the bride is taken out of the house, and the groom puts her in a chair with a soft pillow. She stubbornly does not want to sit down, but nevertheless from the third time she agrees to sit on the soft throne prepared for her. Her parents and close relatives take turns approaching her. Each of them combs her hair for the last time to the sound of wedding songs. After all, combing hair symbolizes the departure of a daughter, granddaughter and sister from home, therefore, during this tradition, the bride cannot hold back her tears: she says goodbye to her girlish years.
After that, the witness puts on the bride a veil, and she goes with the groom to the painting or wedding.
Rushnyk
This is one of the oldest Slavic traditions. Once upon a time, every marriageable girl prepared her wedding towel in advance. She painstakingly embroidered it in the late evenings, carefully choosing the color ornament. There should not have been black stitches on it, so that the path of life would be bright and smooth.
Witnesses take it at both ends and spread it in the registry office and in the church in front of the newlyweds, who should step on it at the very climax of the painting and wedding. It is important that no one steps on the towel, except for the newlyweds themselves, otherwise an outsider can take away their blessing.
Bring the bride into the house in his arms
At the end of the marriage, the groom takes his newly-made wife in his arms and takes her out of the registry office or church, letting everyone know that he will now carry her in his arms all his life. Also, entering the house, the groom necessarily takes the bride in his arms to protect her from the evil eye and damage by black forces. By this act, he not only protects her from all evil, but also makes an unspoken promise to cherish and cherish throughout their life together.
Loaf
The parents of the bride and groom always met them on the threshold of the house with bread and salt, and now with a loaf, which symbolizes prosperity, well-being and fertility. The wedding loaf has a special ornament, which depicts two rings - a symbol of fidelity and inseparability of the spouses. Therefore, the young should take turns biting off a piece of the loaf, accepting the parental blessing. Then the loaf is cut, handing a piece to each of the guests.
In the Carpathian region, instead of a loaf, they bake kalach - big bread and meet after the wedding or painting the newlyweds with bread and honey, which symbolizes the sweet life. After the young people have tasted the bread with honey, the witnesses should give each guest a piece of bread with honey, so that they fasten and support the new sweet union of two people.
Bitterly!
“Bitter, bitter, bitter water, let the young couple kiss!” - such songs encourage young people to kiss. For what? After drinking a strong drink, the guests become bitter that the young are saying goodbye to their girlish and single life. Therefore, they urge the young to kiss each other, dispelling their sad thoughts.
First dance
Newlyweds must dance their first dance. Previously, the choral singing of the guests performed as musical accompaniment. Now the newlyweds choose romantic music for themselves, with which they are associated with pleasant memories. Today, many young couples turn to the services of a choreographer so that their first dance will be remembered for its original performance.
Bouquet and garter
Throwing the bride's bouquet over her head is perhaps the most exciting tradition for all unmarried girls. After all, only one of them can catch him, which, according to legend, will soon become a bride herself.
But when the groom removes the garter from the legs of his daughter-in-law with his teeth, this is such an erotic action that it is reinforced by the exclamations of all the invited bachelors. And whoever catches this intimate little thing will soon have to say goodbye to his bachelor life.
Both traditions came to us from the West, and have been successful in Slavic culture for more than a year.
Handkerchief
One of the most ancient Ukrainian traditions is the dressing of a “khustka” (kerchief) on the bride's head. The ritual of removing the veil and putting on the headscarf is usually performed by the mother-in-law. And it symbolizes only one thing - the final farewell to the girlish years and the transition to the eternal status of the spouse. After that, the bride must put on her veil for every unmarried girl so that she gets married faster and dance with her. And if during a dance a veil flies off an unmarried girl, it means that she is in danger of an unhappy marriage or a long search for her betrothed. But this is just a sign that should not be taken so seriously.
A wedding is one of the most important moments in the life of a loving couple. No wonder there are so many wedding traditions and superstitions. Which of them should you pay special attention to when preparing for a wedding?
The traditional Ukrainian wedding is rich in various ceremonies and customs, which are so deeply rooted in the minds of people that they are observed to this day, albeit in a slightly modified form. Ancient rituals at a wedding are good old traditions that help to get to know the life and culture of our ancestors. Perhaps, very soon, wedding fashion will completely eradicate ancient Ukrainian wedding rites, but today most of the newlyweds still honor the customs of their ancestors, although now they are more entertaining and are part of the show program at the wedding celebration.
Let's see what wedding ceremonies not only existed in the past, but also survived to our times.
Rituals at the wedding:
- Girl's evening.
- Traditional wedding celebration.
- The wedding night.
Not a single wedding took place without matchmaking. In Ukraine, the ceremony of matchmaking took place as follows: wise men, close to the groom, with well-groomed tongues and the gift of persuasion, walked in a group through the village to the bride's hut. To make the hut recognizable, the bride took care in advance to paint it colorfully, although there were cases when matchmakers entered the wrong house. In the future, the matchmakers convinced the bride and parents of what a good party the girl had, and in the end, the groom left the threshold of the house of his chosen one either with a towel, symbolizing consent, or with a pumpkin, indicating a refusal.
Such a wedding ceremony has taken root in modern times. However, the groom goes to woo the bride, already knowing in advance that the answer will be positive. The tradition with a pumpkin has come to naught, and the groom often goes without a retinue. And during the matchmaking, the first acquaintance of the parents of the bride and groom and the discussion of planning the upcoming celebration often take place.
This ritual at the wedding is associated with the visit of the bride's parents to the groom's house, during which the parents examined the place where their daughter will live. Our ancestors often borrowed expensive things, silverware and furniture from neighbors in order to make a positive impression on the bride's parents.
Today, the ceremony is also observed, but more often it ends with the usual feast and discussion of plans for organizing a wedding. Often during such a wedding ceremony, issues of the future joint life of the young are discussed and financial issues are raised.
An engagement is a ceremony for a wedding, when relatives and friends from the closest circle were dedicated to the plans of the young people about marriage. Usually such a ceremony ended with a blessing from the parents.
Very often in modern Ukraine, the engagement ceremony is not observed. Young people are considered bride and groom immediately after the man made an offer, and the girl accepted it. In the past, young people exchanged silver rings during the engagement, today one ring presented by a man to a woman is enough.
Girl's evening
During the girl's evening, better known to us as a bachelorette party, female relatives and closest friends gathered in the bride's house. By common efforts, a wedding loaf was baked, songs were sung, and then the braid was unraveled for the girl as a sign of farewell to girlhood.
Today, a bachelorette party is a kind of separation from married life, completely devoid of the sacramental meaning that was invested in it in the past.
Traditional wedding celebration
The morning before the wedding, the newlyweds spent in their father's houses. The bride was dressed by bridesmaids, and at the groom's house the last organizational issues were resolved regarding transport and preparation of gifts for ransom. The groom, his friends and relatives got into the wedding procession and circled the village three times. On the way or at the entrance to the bride's house, they could meet her relatives and ask for a ransom, which was paid in money and gifts.
Also, not a single Ukrainian wedding was complete without giving a loaf and a blessing to the young, the first dance of the young, the ceremony of removing the veil and knitting a scarf, as well as a wedding ceremony with washing the legs of the mother-in-law by the groom.
The wedding night
The wedding ceremony associated with the wedding night was also approached quite responsibly. The bridesmaids prepared the newlywed for intimacy with the groom, prepared the place and dressed the young woman in a special embroidered shirt.
The next morning, the bed of the newlyweds was necessarily examined in search of evidence of the purity and innocence of the bride. If evidence was found, the wedding continued to be celebrated on the second day. Otherwise, the groom hung a sheet on the house, signifying the shame of the bride.
These are the rituals at the wedding were characteristic of our ancestors. Many have survived to this day, although they have undergone changes.
Rites at the wedding: video
Ukrainian wedding has always been generous, cheerful and hospitable. Many traditions and customs have been preserved since ancient times, and some are completely rooted in paganism, and today people cannot always explain their meaning, at least there is no firm certainty that this was exactly what was meant when the ancestors created certain rites. But nevertheless, even modern marriages in Ukraine are a real holiday for connoisseurs of beauty.
Previously, it was not customary to travel far for a wife, they usually wooed girls in their village, but it happened that the sweetheart of a daring lad lived in a neighboring village, or all “their” girls gave him a turn from the gate, then, of course, they sent matchmakers to more distant distances, but still they did not go further than the nearby farms and villages to get married.
This had a practical justification - the people living nearby knew each other for generations and perfectly understood whether it was worth being related to this family, or such a choice would be unsuccessful.
Responsible, respected and eloquent people were appointed matchmakers, because it was on this talent that it largely depended whether the groom would leave with a refusal, or soon they would play a merry wedding. Most often, the godfather and mother of the lad were involved for this. Could go in the role of matchmakers parents, sisters or brothers. The whole conversation was conducted in a comic-humorous language, despite the seriousness of the issue being addressed.
Even when refusing, they tried to follow the expressions and not be too harsh, so as not to seriously offend fellow villagers.
Usually the huts where potential brides lived were brightly painted or painted with flowers and patterns. According to such signs, even visiting grooms with a delegation easily found marriageable girls at home. The rites of wooing differed in nuances depending on the region, but in general they were quite similar.
Cunning young men, fearing to be refused and disgraced, either sent reconnaissance to the girl in advance to find out in advance how she would react to his proposal, or sent matchmakers late at night, when there were fewer prying eyes on the street.
Ukrainian women were quite free in choosing a husband, but parents could resist, knowing that the groom was dysfunctional or "sinister" - a drinker, lazy or poor, like a church mouse, or, on the contrary, insist on concluding a profitable party.
If the potential husband was unpleasant to the girl, then the matchmakers were returned the bread with which they came to her house, and the guy was given a pumpkin (garmelon) - a symbol of refusal.
If she accepted his matchmaking, then she had to tie an embroidered towel on the hands of the elders, and give the groom a gift, for example, a handkerchief embroidered with her own hands.
During the conversation of the matchmakers and parents, she was supposed to stand and poke the wall with her finger, i.e. actively show shyness. They got married at any time of the year, except for the great holidays and days of fasting (with the advent of Christianity), but weddings were appointed either in early spring (pagan heritage - the revival of nature) or in autumn, when all work in the fields ended, and the bins were bursting with supplies.
In general, in Ukraine, Christian traditions have always been inferior to folk traditions. The wedding was not perceived by people as much as a wedding celebration. Often married young people lived separately until they played the wedding. And only in the 19th century did the Christian church allow weddings and weddings to take place on the same day, and marriages began to be concluded both before God and before people at the same time.
Ukraine is one of the few countries in which a girl could woo a guy herself. If he deprived her of her maiden honor, and was in no hurry to marry her, she took things and simply came to his house.
To refuse a girl in this case was a terrible shame for a young man, and therefore no one handed her a “garbuza”.
If the matchmakers received an affirmative answer, then the next step was the bride in the bride's house. At this meeting, they studied the guy's parents, and they, in turn, looked at the daughter-in-law and her family, even if they live in neighboring huts and are well acquainted.
They carefully prepared for the bride: they put things in order, decorated the house, showed the dowry. It was a traditional meeting of families and young people before the engagement and preparations for the wedding. The engagement was concluded on a loaf of bread or grain, on which the bride and groom crossed their arms, promising themselves to each other.
Also, anyone could help in pre-wedding preparations, women in the kitchen during cooking for the whole village were definitely not superfluous.
Wedding preparations
Having decided on the date of the wedding, the couple went around all the fellow villagers, inviting them to their holiday.
Coming into the yard, they need to bow at the waist to the head of the house and say: “Father and mother said, and we say to you, come to us for a wedding.” Before the wedding, the bride and her bridesmaids had a bachelorette party with songs, dances and games.
They also needed to prepare a "giltse" - a luxurious branch was coated with dough, dressed up, tied with ribbons and other decorations. The couples had an analogue of the bachelor party. Sometimes the boys could come to the girls by the end of the evening.
The whole village was building huts, starting in the spring, so that by the summer the hut would dry out properly and be ready for occupancy.
Holding a celebration
On the morning of the appointed day, the bride was dressed in wedding clothes, and at this time the groom went to pick her up from her father's house. On the way, he could be stopped several times and demanded a payment (ransom) for the possibility of further travel.
Sometimes there were so many such cordons that the lad preferred to make a detour or go around the outskirts so as not to be stranded. Force was considered to arrive on a cart drawn by decorated horses. In the yard of the girl, her friends were waiting for him, who also wanted a ransom for the bride (money, sweets, gifts).
Then they went to the church to get married, at the exit of the church, relatives and friends were waiting for the young, who sprinkled them with grain, coins, poppy seeds, hop cones. It was believed that this guarantees the newlyweds a prosperous life and many children. After that, the wedding feast began. The tables were bursting with meat, fish, bacon, boiled pork, sausages. Potatoes, dumplings, pies, jelly, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits, both fresh and cooked, or pickles were served.
As for drinking, the guests were offered moonshine, wines, beer, kvass, compotes and uzvars, mead, liqueurs. The loaf was an indispensable attribute of the wedding, as well as the "bumps" that were given to each guest.
The mother-in-law met the newlyweds from the church with bread, salt and an icon. This is one of many Slavic, including traditional Ukrainian wedding ceremonies that have survived to this day. All day long songs, congratulations and wishes sounded, musicians played, and the guests danced until they dropped.
When decorating the loaf and tables, periwinkle, cornflowers, poppy and viburnum were necessarily used. At the end of the first day of wedding fun, the ceremony of covering the bride was performed. Symbolically, the tradition meant that the newlywed left behind a carefree girl's life and became a wife.
The scythe (a symbol of girlhood) was untwisted, and in some areas it was chopped off or cut off with a knife. From that moment on, it was not permissible for a young woman to walk around with “bare hair”, without a scarf on her head. Also at this moment, the bride and groom had to bite off one piece of the loaf, as a sign that now they are one. The ceremony was performed by the mother-in-law, removing the veil and tying a scarf.
Unmarried girlfriends danced around them at that time to the song “The pine burned, fell” (the pine burned, burned). In turn, the bride tried on her own veil on each of them.
After the wedding
After the first wedding night, to which the pan could claim his rights, it was customary to hang out a sheet. Only not with blood, but shameful (clean), the brother could remove it, but the groom's friends prevented him from doing this.
In Ukraine, brides could also be stolen so that her husband, even the future, would get her virginity. And the lordly envoys could also take the pullet right from the feast. Waking up, the daughter-in-law had to bring water and light the stove, cook dinner. By these actions, she seemed to join her new family. On the morning of the second day, the guests gathered again for the celebration. At the same time, they could find that the passage to the courtyard, where the tables are, is blocked, and in order to get there, they need to put money on a tray, say congratulations and drink a glass of vodka.
First of all, they were served chicken soup with dumplings, which, like a hand, removed the hangover of yesterday and returned strength and vigor. On this day, it was customary for guests to “dress up” - dress up as gypsies, bride and groom, grandfathers, grandmothers, etc. They hammered a stake, symbolizing fertility and strength, rolled the mother-in-law and father-in-law on a wheelbarrow. Wedding festivities often stretched out for several days, after which the time of "thanksgiving" came - the twinning of the families of the girl and the guy, who were now united into one.
For a whole month, relatives went to visit each other in turn, which strengthened their relationship and emphasized the new status of the married couple.
This video shows how a traditional wedding takes place in Ukraine:
A Ukrainian wedding is not only a celebration of the unity of two loving hearts, but also a real feast for all the senses: bright colors, beautiful music, melodious songs and speech, delicious dishes - conquer even the most sophisticated aesthetes with their simplicity, but at the same time, time-honored beauty . Therefore, many couples today want to see their wedding day decorated in Ukrainian style. Do you want such a marriage?
Ukrainian wedding is a holiday full of color and beautiful customs. The traditions of celebrating Ukrainian weddings have not changed for many centuries. Of course, they become more modern, meeting the requirements of modern life, but they are still based on respect for parents, love between husband and wife, as well as the desire for unbridled fun.
Wooing
Since ancient times, the matchmaker has been engaged in arranging the family life of the young. The whole neighborhood knew her. According to wedding traditions in Ukraine, it was she who went to the parents of the future bride with a proposal from the groom. It was believed that a decent girl should not agree to marry at the first proposal. The parents of a potential bride refused matchmakers three times. And only if the girl was offered a hand and heart for the third time, she could agree.
There is also a wedding rite of consent of the bride to marriage. If she wanted to marry the groom who sent matchmakers, she went into the room and stoked the stove. If she did not like the groom, the girl presented the matchmakers with a pumpkin.
Modern Ukrainian wedding traditions are rarely associated with historically correct matchmaking. Now matchmaking mainly consists in meeting the parents of both newlyweds. At general gatherings, families decide how and when the wedding will be organized, what expenses each party will incur. Previously, the parents of the bride and groom met only on the bride. Then they decided all the questions regarding the wedding event.
hen-party
The prototype of modern bachelorette parties was ritual lamentation. Wedding traditions in Ukraine implied a ritual, during which the bridesmaids pointedly grieve for the fact that the young woman would go to live with her husband, mother-in-law. This ritual ended with the usual merry bachelorette party, which was accompanied by songs and jokes. The main difference from the modern bachelorette party is that earlier all the relatives of the bride gathered for this holiday. A feast was organized for them. And the bride and her bridesmaids usually went to the bathhouse that day.
Wedding
A Ukrainian wedding was usually held in two courtyards, sometimes even on different days. The groom went from the very morning to the bride's house and ransomed her. This tradition is described in more detail in a separate article on the Svadbagolik.Ru website. At this time, the girl preened herself and looked out the window when her beloved would come.
After the ransom and the meeting of the groom with the bride, they went to church. Today, the newlyweds go to the registry office, and their parents bless them and sprinkle them with small money, sweets and grain, which should bring prosperity to the newlyweds.
The peculiarities of wedding traditions in Ukraine are that after the official marriage ceremony, water is poured under the feet of the young. Usually children do this, and for this it is customary for them to give "coppers". It is believed that it brings happiness.
At the wedding itself, the newlyweds have fun with the guests. Previously, they were allowed to stay at the celebration only until the third cup. Today, newlyweds usually wait until the holiday subsides. And then they go home.
At the end of a traditional Ukrainian wedding, the newly-made mother-in-law undoes her daughter-in-law's braid, removes her veil and covers her head with a scarf. This symbolizes that the girl has already become a married woman. The bride then dances with each unmarried bridesmaid, putting her veil on her head.
Many wedding traditions today are borrowed from Western cultures. It is already difficult to imagine a wedding in Ukraine where the bride would not throw her bouquet. Also a fairly new custom is the dance of the bride with her father. And even though they are gradually pushing the classic wedding traditions into the background, there are still places in Ukraine where the wedding has the original look that was characteristic of it hundreds of years ago.