We continue to consider the wedding traditions of the peoples of the world. Earlier we considered wedding traditions in Ukraine, both historical and modern. Below are wedding traditions in Russia, namely part one of five.
Wedding traditions in Russia, as well as in other Slavic countries, varied in different parts of the country, sometimes quite significantly, and each village had its own "highlights" in wedding traditions. But the main "skeleton" of the wedding scenario, woven on pagan rituals mixed with imported Christian rites, remained mandatory. The time of formation of the wedding ceremony, the one that is used as modern, is considered to be the 13th - 14th century.
As with most peoples, the traditional wedding ceremony in Russia implies several stages: matchmaking, bride show, handshaking, wedding, wedding feast, the second day of the wedding, etc. All wedding rites invariably symbolized the transition of the girl from the father's clan to the husband's clan, and accordingly, under the protection of the spirits of the new husband's clan. This is akin to dying in the father's house and being born in the husband's house.
For example, "vytie" is similar to lamentation for the deceased, a visit to the bathhouse is washing the dead, and in the church, in fact, the rebirth takes place, because the bride is led into the church by the arms, symbolizing lifelessness, and the newlywed leaves the church on her own. In order to deceive the brownie and force him to accept the girl as a newborn family member who did not enter the house, but ended up in the house, the groom carried the bride into the house in his arms. From those distant, pagan times, the modern fashion of carrying and holding the bride in one's arms began.
Matchmaking traditionally took place by prior agreement between the parents of the groom and the bride. On the agreed day, the groom's relatives or a hired matchmaker went to the girl's house. But, at the same time, for a successful outcome, according to the tradition of the wedding ceremony, many "precautions" were observed. For example, they walked only after sunset (so that no one would jinx it), they did not talk to anyone along the way, when the matchmaking "cortege" left the groom's house, the women tied all the pokers and tongs together - for good luck in business.
There were also traditional wedding signs associated with the day of matchmaking and the wedding itself. Friday and Wednesday were considered unfavorable for them, as was the day of the thirteenth. The third, fifth, seventh, ninth, on the contrary, were welcomed in every possible way and were considered lucky for creating a new family.
Having reached the bride's house, the matchmakers started a conversation with her parents in an allegorical form, and the parents answered them with the same traditional ritual sayings, observing all the traditions of matchmaking (and again, guarding against evil spirits). The text could be like this:
You have a flower, and we have a garden. Can we transplant this flower into our garden?
Or like this:
A young goose is looking for a goose. Is there a goose hiding in your house?
We have a goose, but she is still young.
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