Today’s story is about weddings in Russia before Peter the Great (until the 17th century). Wearing "something old" represents the bride's past, while the "something new" symbolizes the couple's happy future. Drowning of Marzanna. Sometimes, Serbian wedding may last for a few days! Funny and silly! Once upon a time, the bride was really purchased with large amounts of money or gold. The future bride was taken to the center of the room and asked to walk and move, for example, remove the scarf from her head, raise her hands. We told you about the wedding rituals of the Slavs in the Middle Ages. At the end of the celebration, when newlyweds go home, the groom must carry the bride over the doorstep. Any roast-meat or barbecue, side dishes, seasonal salads. The bride and groom’s parents also bless their children with a loaf of wedding bread, specifically made for this occasion. The best man and maid of honor are called Witnesses or Свидетели (svideteli) in Russian. Marriage being sort of a turning point in life, wedding ceremony and everything related to it has always been accompanied with variety of traditions and beliefs, some rooted in hoary antiquity, some recently devised, but all targeted at bringing good luck to the newlyweds and averting misfortune from them. Despite their seemingly unique matrimonial ceremonies, Russian weddings have adopted some western traditions, including incorporating bridesmaids into the wedding party. For example, the bride had to cry and howl a lot which was supposed to drive away evil spirits from her future family. They will surprise you for sure while they are accompanied by kidnapping, obstacle courses, and many things that may seem absolutely weird to you. Vegetable Potage or veal soup the Serbian way. Several pieces of evidence show that mass orgies were a part of Slavic celebrations until the … They should have found out what dowry is given for the bride and what it consists of. In case when both parties were satisfied with each other, the so-called “hand-shaking” stage came to place: the wedding was officially announced, preparations for the festivities began, witnesses were appointed. “In a Russian wedding,” say our catering managers, “the entire family marches down the aisle escorting the bride, who first walks in with her parents. If a woman died during childbirth, the man could marry again. And so, with food, with drinks and toasts, Serbian wedding lasts until the early morning hours. The groom is escorted halfway down by his parents. Orgies. Mixed meat roast (lamb, pork, veal), Potatoes on Serbian way (fat from roasted meat is topped), cooked vegetables. Here are several examples of Serbian traditional wedding menu. Such early marriages were justified by the short life expectancy and the need to have as many children as possible. After that, the braid was undone again, and the pearl string was given to an unmarried girlfriend of the bride or her younger sister, so that she would also get married sooner. Here are several examples of Serbian traditional wedding menu. The “old godfather” custom (which is transmitted from generation to generation) is strictly respected by the Serbian people. Vegetable Potage or veal soup the Serbian way. Originating from a pagan ritual, Poles burn and drown a life size straw doll … Just like in the Western world, it is a tradition in Russia for newlyweds to exchange wedding rings. Other Wedding Traditions. Then, people are able to celebrate. Meet the Slavs is your most comprehensive online resource about Slavic people, their cuisine, culture, history, mythology, and more. Karavay cake. Your wedding reception is easy to personalize—your ceremony, however, can be tougher. The classic menu; Cold Appetizer; Njeguska prsuta and Uzicka prsuta (homemade prosciutto), homemade pork sausage, stuffed eggs, Russian Salad, Ham and cheese bread rolls, Kajmak (traditional dairy Product). Bachelorette party, 1889. Usually, female wedding guests bring cakes. In the 14-15 centuries, when the state united around Moscow, the wedding ceremony became more uniform, and remained unchanged until Peter the Great came to power. The custom was established at the time when life was subordinated to rural activities. The bride was supposed to symbolically “die” for her own family (the withering and lamentation was a part of the tradition) and to “be born” in another family. Работа Владимира Кулакова и студии SaveMoment It all begins in the morning at the Bride's house. Traditional Russian wedding traditions are really interesting and diverse. Only when he takes off the apple from the tree, he is allowed to enter the bride’s house. In Russia engagement or betrothal were considered the most important ceremony before wedding. A special moment in a woman’s life was a bachelorette party, when the girl’s girlfriends first untied the bride’s braid and took the red ribbon woven into her hair (the red ribbon symbolized the girl’s youth and beauty), and then weaved her braid again but this time with a string decorated with pearls which was a symbol of the new married life. We are the most comprehensive English language resource dedicated to educating the world about ancient Slavs and modern Slavic nations alike. Bride’s mother purchases wedding cake, according to an old custom. The Lillooet Indians, from what is now British Columbia, had a ritual called “the … Young man, usually the groom’s cousin, carries around this Buklia, by visiting the homes of those who are invited to the wedding. Mar 6, 2016 - Explore Seattle Weddings's board "Russian Theme", followed by 4942 people on Pinterest. The ancient Slavic tradition that a girl should get married as soon as possible also becomes a thing of the past. The door or gate of the house is especially well decorated. Each stage included many ritual actions of the bride, groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, future mother-in-law and other participants, as well as ritual songs and various formal procedures. The custom was that the first three or so visits ended in a refusal. The representative of the groom’s family went to meet the potential bride and her family. We also set up an elaborate chuppah. In his annals, Nestor mentioned that Slavs practiced the so-called “abduction” (the groom abducted the bride during merrymaking having previously agreed with her). After the wedding ceremony, the celebration goes on, with Folklore dancing and singing, a lot of food and drink. Русская традиционная свадьба. After that, the young couple was taken to church where they were married. Christmas in Croatia: Traditions & How to Celebrate, Maslenitsa Melbourne 2015: The Biggest Slavic Festival in Southern Hemisphere, Serbian “Slava” on the UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, What Does Slav Mean? What kind of food Serbs serve at traditional wedding? It is usually his best friend. The Serbian folk costume, whether it is male or female, includes several parts. Hungary: the bride is for sale! Parents sat against one another and kept silent for a few minutes. In 1846., Serbian Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic issued an order: asking for and giving money and gold for the girl is abolished, as a custom that is contrary to the human dignity. Field works are finished in the fall, after the harvest. DIY Traditional Slavic Pagan Wedding This couple decided to go for a unique wedding - a traditional Slavic pagan one More and more couples are looking for something really special and unique – unusual color combos and cool wedding themes, even geeky ones. Back then, people used to get married very early: for girls this age was 12-13 years old, and boys could get married starting from 14-15 years old. If wealth seemed scarce to them, the groom was refused. You will learn about this in our next article! Spending the first three days confined to their home together … A traditional Russian wedding can last between two days and one week. Untouched glass meant the opposite. After it, they had the right to be called a bride and a groom. After that, the wedding procession goes to the wedding ceremony. The wedding process was divided in several stages: matchmaking, viewing, “hands-shaking”, a bachelorette party, wedding ceremony, festivities and feasts. Particularly large changes in the organization of weddings and in the arrangement of personal life occurred under Peter the Great who brought changes to all spheres of life. The ceremony and the ring exchange take place on the first day of the wedding. Having received the blessing, the couple had to go to the wife’s house to receive wedding gifts with which they returned back to the husband’s house. The groom has to shoot the apple. The second choice is: Pork Medallions in mushroom sauce. Contemporary locals, on the other hand, seek to get a good education, get a decent job, and make some career advances before devoting themselves to family. Then, the groom has to do the same thing to her. "Something blue" denotes fidelity and love. Njeguska prsuta and Uzicka prsuta (homemade prosciutto), homemade pork sausage, stuffed eggs, Russian Salad, Ham and cheese bread rolls, Kajmak (traditional dairy Product). They wipe their mouths by kisses! Often the matchmaking was accompanied by some ritual text, for example: “You have a flower, and we have a little garden. To create the real impression, you need to see, to smell, you need to experience it for yourself. Easter is the day of the resurrection of Christ. This means that the groom „buys“ the bride from the groom’s brother. The most famous source on that is the annals of the Christian priest Nestor called “The Tale of Bygone Years” written in the 12th century. The girl who catches the bouquet is the lucky one – she is going to be the next bride! Alexey Korzukhin. Culturologist, professor of Russian as a foreign language and promoter of Russian culture. Not So Fast. Svatovi are the wedding guests. Wedding Veil. Being given away is a tradition that evolved from the days when men bought brides from fathers or, even worse, captured them! After the wedding ceremony, the bride indiscriminately throws the bouquet over her shoulder, and single girls are supposed to catch it. Therefore, before to begin outing together ideas for wedding registry, you need to figure out what type of wedding you’ll have first.. traditional: Though not religious, the traditional wedding follows certain norms that are common to the religious wedding. Unfortunately, we know very little about the wedding rituals of the Slavic tribes. Stealing the bride’s shoes by a child is a funny and cute custom. There are different cakes, at Serbian weddings. First of all, you have to realize that a wedding is the most important day for any Russian … The most important guests at any wedding in Serbia are the Best Man and the Bridesman. The married life should be sweet like cakes! If you get an invitation to the Serbian wedding, don’t miss it! Matchmaking was the first stage, previously agreed upon by the parents of both families. If he drank a glass of honey brought to him by his potential wife, this indicated that he agreed to marry her. According to Serbian tradition, the dining hall is a Wedding Tent instead of the restaurant or hotel. Today, brides ask either parent or both parents to walk them down the aisle. 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