Wedding in May [2019] – signs? & traditions

The signs of a wedding in May say: “Get married in May - you will suffer all your life,” the ubiquitous superstitious relatives tell the bride and groom, and after this phrase is repeated a couple of dozen times, any desire to get married in this warm and bright month disappears.

In fact, folk signs are not so unambiguous, and many of them hide not a mysterious, but a completely practical meaning, which is often no longer relevant for modern people. As the practice of recent years shows, a marriage concluded in May is quite capable of becoming happy, so the bride and groom should think about what they believe in.

The essence of beliefs

When a person lived in harmony with nature, he noticed some patterns that helped him subsequently act for his own benefit. People believed in the power of higher powers and tried to determine how to live correctly in order to attract happiness and prosperity. This is how signs began to form.

Popular beliefs concerned various aspects of human life, but special attention was paid to holidays, and especially weddings. People believed not only in good, but also in evil forces that sought to harm the young on their wedding day. To protect newly-made spouses from harm, good omens were observed, and good signs on the wedding day were regarded as a gift from above.

Interesting! Read how you can beautifully decorate a spring wedding and what its pros and cons are.

Modern newlyweds' ideas about the world around them have changed. Superstitions no longer play such a role, although they still live in the hearts of people. Usually the bride and groom do not believe too much in omens, but they try not to do what superstitions do not advise, if possible. Good signs still make young people happy, and this is good, because a positive attitude never hurts.

Origins of superstitions

Folk signs for weddings in May say that people who got married this month will suffer and quarrel with each other all their lives, they will have sick people and children, and in general life will be unbearable. To understand how true this sign is, you first need to determine where it came from.

Mentions of this superstition are found in the works of philosophers of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, although there is no clear explanation of the reasons for this attitude towards May. The thinkers simply mentioned that this month brings troubles to the spouses, and especially to the bride: “In May, people say, getting married is not good.”

Let's look at the signs and traditions of weddings in May among the Slavic culture - there are more or less clear reasons why our ancestors did not advise getting married in May. At that time, people were completely dependent on nature and tried to time their actions to its natural cycles.

In particular, May was considered the sowing month. At this time, the night frosts had already disappeared, and the time had come to take care of their food, so everyone, including children and the elderly, went to field work. People tried to sow everything quickly so that part of the crop would not be lost due to drought.

Moreover, the wedding at that time was celebrated not for two days, as now, but often for a whole week, and the whole village celebrated. In this situation, it was not possible to sow the seeds on time, and this meant famine in the future.

In addition, in May, the supplies that were collected last fall usually ran out, and the broad Slavic soul will not be able to calmly celebrate the wedding, knowing that the guests are not fed to their fill. The drying up of reserves in May also symbolized childlessness among the young people who decided to get married at this time, as opposed to the fertility that brought joy in the fall.

The sign that says that the young will suffer is connected precisely with the name of the month, and it came to our country along with the Christian calendar. Initially, the end of spring was called “herbalist”, “grass” or pollen, that is, in general it personified the birth of a new life, and this can be described as a good sign for marriage.

Is it possible to have a wedding in May: what does a wedding during the sowing season promise?

Answers to all questions can be found in the folk calendar for May.

Here, almost every day involves hard work in fields, gardens, arable land, and vegetable gardens.

In spring the day feeds the year

It turns out that the answers are much more prosaic - they are explained by the ordinary practicality of the peasants.

The celebration of weddings in Rus' was quite magnificent and on a grand scale. Usually the whole village would walk, and not for a couple of days, like today, but for almost a whole week.

Now, for a second, imagine such revelry for the whole village for a week during the sowing season. Yes, simply there was no time for this. After all, everyone, young and old, participated in the sowing campaign.

It is imperative to plant and sow on time. If you throw grain into the ground ahead of time, it will get wet or freeze, and if you are delayed in sowing, the seedlings will die from drought.

Therefore, such a marriage in May could turn into famine not only for the newlyweds, but also for the entire family.

The second equally important reason for refusing May weddings is the lack of food.

Winter supplies had already dried up by May, and the time for fresh vegetables and fruits had not yet come. And it is not customary to slaughter poultry or livestock in May, since this month is the time of offspring.

Therefore, the peasants inevitably subordinated the rhythm of their lives to the sowing and folk calendar. We can start talking about a wedding in June at best, and ideally in the fall after the harvest.

This explains the popularity of autumn wedding ceremonies and completely shatters the myth that getting married in May will bring complete chaos.

Modern interpretation

After the adoption of Christianity, the belief that a wedding in May is a bad omen was firmly rooted in the hearts of people.
However, in reality the Orthodox Church does not make such restrictions. There is no mention in the Bible that you cannot get married in May, and not a single church minister will say this. The main obstacle that may arise is Easter and the Lent preceding it. During this time, no partying is allowed, alcoholic beverages are prohibited, and weddings in general are not permitted. Since Easter is always celebrated at different times, in some cases it may fall in May, which means the bride and groom will not be able to get married.

Although in fact this restriction only applies to believers. If the newlyweds are not too religious and do not intend to get married, then the registry office will be able to register them even on Easter day itself without any questions.

A week after this holiday, another Orthodox day is celebrated - Red Hill (Antipascha, Fomino Sunday). This holiday patronizes lovers and generally symbolizes the warmest feelings between people. It is believed that if the bride and groom start their family on this day, then their marriage will never fall apart, they will always have love, tenderness and respect for each other.

Interesting! There is one good omen about a wedding in May. If the bride and groom see a cockchafer on their wedding day and are able to catch it, they will attract good luck and prosperity to themselves for the rest of their lives.

Signs about a May wedding

wedding ceremony photography

Our ancestors believed that if you get married in May, you will suffer for the rest of your life. They also say: “I would be glad to get married, but May doesn’t tell me”, “good people don’t get married in May.” It would seem just a play on words: May - toil. Or is it something more?

We recommend reading: Find a coin. All about omen

What astrologers say

Superstitions no longer play such a role in people's lives as they used to, but many take on faith what the stars say. Astrologers agree with popular wisdom and believe that May is unsuitable for a wedding. According to experts, couples who tied the knot this month are doomed to mutual misunderstandings, omissions, quarrels and tears.

It is believed that each spouse will pull the blanket over themselves, trying to extract maximum benefit from the relationship. The husband and wife will not listen to each other's opinions, which is why disagreements will constantly arise. As a result, having not received satisfaction from their personal life, everyone will look for what they lack on the side.

Astrology of May

Today I would like to consider the month of May from a more scientific point of view, and not from superstitions and omens. For example, astrologers note that the last month of spring is the time of power for Taurus and Gemini. These signs are truly complex and contradictory. In addition, they are conflicting, because Geminis can’t bear to listen to anyone, they are not ready to understand their partners. Taurus are famous for their stubbornness. Consequently, neither one nor the other is capable of concessions and compromises. Conflict, as they say, is guaranteed.

During Taurus and Gemini, marriages are more “public”, for show. That is, the spouses will become posers, pretending that everything is fine. For them, the most important thing is to make an external impression on others. Their goal is to show everyone that everything is fine with them, and this becomes the reason for insincerity and lack of frankness between spouses.

Also, the duet of Taurus and Gemini will be the reason that someone else will constantly interfere in people’s relationships, for example, a mother-in-law or mother-in-law, friends or girlfriends, and perhaps lovers. It is clear that this factor also does not make the marriage stronger.

Finally, both Taurus and Gemini are capable of reacting to current events quite violently and sharply, which will cause quarrels and conflicts.

May lunar calendar

In addition to advice from the stars, many people prefer to turn to the Moon for help. For a long time, people used it to determine the most favorable days for certain actions, and this practice has been preserved to this day. Here you can find out about the wedding on Saturday. Each year has its own lunar calendar, depending on the phases of the moon and its position relative to other celestial bodies, so it is impossible to make a universal forecast.

For example, in 2021, favorable days for a wedding will be May 10, 17 and 19. The husband and wife will listen to each other, support their other half and constantly work on their relationship. But the signs for a wedding on May 5 and 1 are unfavorable days for marriage, since in the family everything will be exactly the opposite - scandals, quarrels, misunderstandings and reproaches. The following numbers can be considered relatively favorable: 6,18 and 26.

Interesting!

Church wedding calendar 2021: auspicious days

The church calendar is, first of all, a calendar of fasts and Orthodox holidays. If you decide to get married, then you need to take the choice of date very seriously. Many couples rely on the church calendar when choosing favorable days for painting in the registry office and celebrations, without planning a wedding.

In 2021, according to the church calendar, the following days are considered favorable for a wedding:

January: 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 24, 25, 31;
February: 1, 7, 8, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28;
March: 1;
April: no favorable days;
May: 3, 5, 7, 9 (Red Hill), 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31;
June: 6, 7, 13, 14, 21, 23, 25, 27;
July: 18, 19, 25, 26;
August: 1, 2, 8, 9, 29, 30;
September: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26;
October: 3, 4, 10, 11, 14 (Pokrov), 17, 18, 24, 25, 31;
November: 1, 4 (Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God), 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22;
December: no favorable days.

As you can see, in March, April and December according to the church calendar there are no favorable days at all. This is due to the long fasts during these months. During Lent, weddings and, in general, any fun are prohibited, as this is a time for prayer, repentance and reconciliation.

You can divide the wedding into three parts and space them out over time: registration at the registry office, wedding in church and a solemn celebration with family and friends. With this approach, you will be able to comply with all the rules and regulations.

The most auspicious days are Orthodox holidays, on which weddings have taken place from time immemorial: Red Hill, Intercession and the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Most often, couples who are not planning a wedding hold a celebration on a day that suits them. Nobody will forbid you, it’s a matter of everyone’s faith.

Summary

Neither folk wisdom nor esoteric practices can say with absolute certainty that a wedding in May is doomed to failure. There are contradictions even in superstitions, and if you dig deeper and find out about versions of this superstition in different cultures, you can get completely confused. The bride and groom who decided to get married in May can only be advised to follow their feelings.

If the young people themselves don’t really believe in superstitions, but want to make sure that everything will be fine, then you can throw away all prejudices, have a wedding when you want, and work tirelessly on your relationship, listening to your other half. In this case, no signs can destroy a marriage built on sincere feelings.