Russian Wedding Traditions
The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting
it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the
subject of Russian wedding traditions is certainly no exception.
Russia has a long history of wedding traditions. The traditional
Russian wedding ceremony does not have many traditions and many
couples opt for a simple civil service that is not widely
attended by their friends and relatives. The wedding reception
however is a very important part of Russian tradition. Perhaps
the most distinguishing aspect of a traditional Russian wedding
is that it lasts for at least two days.
Russian law does not recognize church weddings so couples
wishing to marry must have a civil wedding ceremony. At the
conclusion of this ceremony the couple is given bread and salt
which represents health and prosperity. This civil ceremony is
considered unimportant by family members and many of them do not
attend. In the Russian culture the wedding reception is a two
day extravaganza that is considered to be more important than
the ceremony itself.
The first day of a Russian wedding ceremony is filled with a
series of events that includes the civil ceremony, a tour of the
city and the start of the reception. The wedding day begins with
the bride and groom in separate locations each accompanied by
their own friends and family members. The groom will arrive at
the bride's location well before the two of them need to arrive
at the civil service. This is necessary because the bride's
friends and family members make it difficult for the groom to
reach his bride. For example, if the bride lives on a high floor
of an apartment complex, the groom will be detained by friends
or family members at each floor and asked trivia type questions
about his bride. If he answers incorrectly, he must pay cash to
advance to the next step. Once he arrives at his bride's side,
the two of them travel by train, in separate cars, to the
location of the civil service. Only their closest friends and
family members accompany the bride and groom to this ceremony as
it is not considered very important. It is viewed as merely a
way to have the union recognized by the government.
Immediately after the civil ceremony the couple takes a tour of
the city to visit memorials of those who have died. This tour is
usually two to three hours long and during this time the couple
honors those who were killed in wars by laying flowers at their
memorials. The couple is usually only accompanied by the two
witnesses to their wedding on this journey. Sometimes a few
other close friends will come with the couple but family seldom
partakes in this tour because they are busy making preparations
for the reception.
The best time to learn about Russian wedding traditions is
before you're in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep
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experience while it's still free.
After the tour of the city the couple arrives at the reception
and this is where the true celebration begins. The reception
always starts with a toast and usually the parents are the first
to toast the bride and groom. The rest of the guests then offer
their toast. Following the toast is the most prominent Russian
wedding tradition. The guests drink wine after each toast and
after they sip the guests will begin to shout, "Gor'ko" which
means bitter. The couple then has to kiss in order to sweeten
the wine. The guests will continue this tradition after each
toast requiring the couple to kiss after each toast.
The rest of the first night is filled with dancing and another
Russian tradition of playfully "kidnapping" the bride. The
groom's friends will take advantage of the chaos that ensues as
all the guests start to dance and "kidnap" the bride. They will
then demand the groom pay a ransom for her return. The bride's
friends also get in on the good natured fun by "stealing" the
bride's shoes. Again the groom has to pay a ransom before her
shoes are returned. This first day of the reception continues on
late into the night leaving the guests exhausted.
The second day of a traditional Russian wedding is usually held
at the house where the couple will begin there lives together.
This is a more relaxed day and although anyone from the first
day is invited to attend, usually only the closest friends and
family members attend this second day of festivities. Day two of
a traditional Russian wedding usually begins in the late
afternoon or evening. The guests all enjoy a meal together and
after the meal comes another Russian tradition of having the
bride clean the floor. The guests will litter the floor with
currency and the bride has to "clean" the floor by picking up
the money. The guests can continue to litter the floor with
additional currency while the bride is "cleaning" and are
particularly fond of coming to the festivities with a large
amount of coins to make the bride's job as difficult as
possible. This tradition gives the guests the opportunity to
make a contribution to the new couple.
Traditional Russian weddings are essentially two fun days of
food, drink and friends. The ceremony itself is not viewed as
the highlight of the wedding. The government will only recognize
a marriage that is verified through a civil service and the
church will not perform a church wedding unless a civil service
has already been performed so couples often participate in both
types of ceremonies separately. It is instead the reception that
is the focal point.
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn
may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.