The colorful traditions of Ukraine have always attracted the attention of other nationalities with their rich diversity. The Ukrainian wedding is no exception: its richness in fascinating rituals, which were introduced by distant ancestors, arouses considerable interest. Even having superficially studied at least one wedding custom of Ukrainians, you will immediately be convinced that Ukrainians can boast of an original approach to wedding issues. Therefore, many will want to delve further and find out what other interesting traditions the wedding of the Ukrainian people is rich in.
Matchmaking
The first Ukrainian wedding ceremony, from which it all begins, belongs to the preparatory (pre-wedding) stage. According to this ritual, relatives (father, uncle, older brothers) - matchmakers from the groom's side - go to the bride's house. They are the first to start an official conversation with the Ukrainian girl’s parents on the topic of wedding. The art of such a dialogue is to avoid getting a pumpkin (in Ukrainian - watermelon), which symbolizes the girl’s decisive refusal.
Following long-standing Ukrainian wedding customs, matchmakers at that time had to go to the matchmaking not empty-handed, but taking with them a loaf of freshly baked bread. It was placed on the table in the bride’s house, after which the one who was the authority in the family began an exciting conversation with the parents of the girl getting married. If the whole ceremony was successful, then the bride, who was nearby all this time, took the brought bread and cut it, saying the following words: “I cut this bread to give you my vow, and you accept me as your child.”
After this remark, according to the wedding tradition of the Ukrainian people, the cut loaf was placed on a towel and given to the matchmakers. They, in turn, responded with the following speech: “Thank you to the red maiden for embroidering such a cassock towel.” Such mutual courtesies of the Ukrainians symbolized a successful agreement, after which it was decided to immediately agree on further actions of the pre-wedding stage - bridesmaids and engagement.
Bride
During this wedding ceremony of the Ukrainian people, the groom’s parents tried to seem as successful and friendly as possible in order to once again win the favor of the bride’s family. According to tradition, when the show took place, the girl had to demonstrate all her skills. She showed her future mother-in-law what kind of housewife she was. how quickly and deftly he copes with housework. It was important to show all your wonderful culinary abilities in order to win the favor of the groom's mother.
Immediately after the bridesmaid ceremony, according to the traditions of Ukraine, there was an engagement - a kind of ritual of final consent to marriage, which was announced in the presence of witnesses (publicly). The bride and groom were tied with a towel, their hands tightly connected (this was carried out to “legally” seal the wedding contract and did not have retroactive effect). After which the bride had to bandage the matchmakers and give them gifts (scarves, shirts, linens).
Bachelorette party and ritual crying of the bride
On the eve of the Ukrainian wedding, the bride traditionally gathered her friends to say goodbye to her girlhood and her carefree single life. Sometimes the bathhouse served as a gathering place for girls.
- Friends washed the bride before the wedding, and she carried out the traditional ritual of a Ukrainian girl who is getting married: she grieved and cried, saying farewell words to her dear childhood friends.
- After completing the bath procedures, the future wife began weaving ribbons on a tree branch (in Ukrainian - gilochka), which later decorated the newlyweds’ banquet table at the wedding.
Wedding attributes
The original Ukrainian wedding had its own special attributes, which were always present at the celebration and participated in certain rituals:
- A loaf with periwinkle and viburnum, symbolizing the bride's love and ability to bear children.
- Giltse is a tree branch decorated with flowers and ribbons, symbolizing the beauty of the bride and her virginity.
- Rushnik - they sewed and embroidered it earlier with their own hands, because... In no case was it possible to take someone else’s towel, because it was believed that then the girl would live “someone else’s” fate.
Giltse can only be found at Ukrainian weddings, but the loaf and towel are also typical for other countries, for example, they are used for wedding ceremonies in Russia and Belarus.
Bride ransom
Following the wedding traditions of the Ukrainian people, the bride ransom took place directly on the wedding day. The groom went for his beloved to take her away from her home forever. Heading to the bride's home, the future husband met ordinary passers-by, friends, acquaintances, and relatives of the future wife along the way, who tried in every possible way to take the bride price from the guy.
He was given various tests, thanks to which he had to not only tell, but also show in practice his mental and physical abilities. According to the customs of Ukrainian weddings, in case of failure, the groom paid with a certain amount of money, sweets, vodka or wine. After all these difficult checks, having bought his beloved, the future husband took his wife by the hand and they went to church together.
Traditions of matchmaking of a Ukrainian bride
The precursor to the wedding is matchmaking, on the result of which the future of the groom depended. We prepared for this tradition with all responsibility. Silver or gold wedding rings were purchased in advance. Elderly people were needed to select the elders who were to go match the groom. They had the ability to persuade, having many years of experience behind them. The quality of the work done influenced the result. The groom either left with a “garbuz” or “rushnyki”. Previously, it was not possible to record matchmaking in a photo, but today it is quite possible.
Basically, they went to their fellow villagers to get married, taking their wedding rings with them. It very rarely happened that the groom took a fancy to a bride from another village. An interesting feature of unmarried girls was that their huts were brightly painted, and matchmakers could not make a mistake in choosing a bride. Sometimes it happened that they matched the wrong girl. This didn't happen often. And when the matchmakers went to match her, they knew in advance that everything would work out.
A wedding in Ukraine previously could not take place without matchmaking. Some still adhere to this tradition to this day. Today, matchmaking is a little different in its structure. It is the groom and his matchmakers who come to the house of his future wife and ask for her hand in marriage, having previously chosen silver, gold or platinum wedding rings. His parents also come with the groom.
The bride should give her mother-in-law a bouquet. This meeting will allow future family members to get acquainted and discuss all important issues related to the wedding. But it happens that the groom’s parents cannot come with him, due to the fact that they live far away or for another reason. Then the meeting and acquaintance of the two families occurs later.
The ritual of pouring water under the feet of young people
At the end of the sacramental wedding ceremony, the newlyweds left the church under the “rain” of grains and coins, which their parents and other relatives showered on them for good luck. Often this Ukrainian custom at a wedding was accompanied by the ritual of pouring water under the feet of the newlyweds. In this way, parents created symbolic obstacles on the path of the newlyweds from a pre-drawn fiery line, and they used water as a talisman that extinguished the fire and served as protection from dark forces. This is how the Ukrainian rite of purification of young people took place before starting family life.
Wedding loaf and towel
In ancient times, the painstaking craft of embroidering a towel was considered a common occupation for Ukrainian girls of all ages. Future brides had to beautifully embroider so many of these towels that they could then present them to each guest on their cherished wedding day. On holidays, the main attribute of the Ukrainian table - bread - was laid out on the towel. These two objects (rushnyk and bread) are inseparable concepts in Ukrainian rituals: bread is always served on a towel as a symbol of material well-being.
The bread that is prepared for any holiday, including weddings, is called loaf by Ukrainians. It is served on a towel when parents meet the newlyweds in a new status. Baked wedding bread in Ukrainian villages is decorated with wheat ears, viburnum leaves and two rings. The first personifies the wealth of the future family, the second - the fertility of the family, and the third - the endless fidelity of the spouses. According to Ukrainian wedding customs, the newlyweds break off one piece from it; whoever has the larger size of this ritual bread will become the head of the family.
Preparation for wedding celebrations
The pre-wedding stage in Ukrainian villages lasted quite a long time, up to a month. It was necessary to prepare for the feast, sew outfits, check again and add a dowry. Moreover, the obligatory rituals must be carried out so that the joint path will lay a smooth path under the young people’s feet.
Bridesmaids and engagement
This ceremony was carried out a few days or weeks after the matchmaking. The girl’s closest relatives gathered and went on a return visit to the groom’s house, taking with them, again, bread. In this way, they assessed the family’s financial situation and appearance, as well as the character of the boy himself. If they didn’t like something, they could refuse the wedding.
At the engagement that followed the bridesmaid, third-party witnesses were necessarily present to confirm the formation of a new union. Traditions prescribed to behave politely and kindly, because the future relations of the two families depended on this. The young woman was dressed up and taken to the common room. She treated her father-in-law and mother-in-law all evening, offering various dishes with bows. Moreover, the girl had to cook most of them herself - this was how her housekeeping skills were assessed, among other things.
The bride also showed modesty and tried to show her best side. The newlyweds were tied with a towel embroidered with ritual symbols as a sign of the inviolability of family ties. After this, the bride and groom were considered consensual. Refusal to marry imposed an indelible shame and such a young man or girl was guaranteed public reproach and difficulties in his personal life. The bride always presented the groom's parents with her embroidered handicrafts: scarves, shirts, towels.
Maiden farewell
The young bride definitely had to say goodbye to her father’s house and carefree girlish freedom in order to enter family life without old debts. There was a bachelorette party to which best friends and unmarried sisters were invited. They baked bread and rolls. They helped prepare the dowry. The girl's hair was undone and a wreath was put on. We wove an amulet for good luck - we tied bright ribbons, sweets, and gingerbread cookies onto a branch so that we could then secure it on the wedding table.
The custom of "Chobota"
One of the fun rituals of a Ukrainian wedding is the “Choboty” ritual (translated from Ukrainian as boots). It consists of special actions by the groom designed to gain the favor of his newly acquired mother-in-law. Following Ukrainian wedding rituals, this custom is performed as follows:
- The newly-made son-in-law buys new boots in advance especially for this ceremony.
- On the wedding day, a young guy invites his mother-in-law into the spotlight to wash her feet until they shine. He does this with special care, diligence and love.
- Having completed this procedure, he puts beautiful new boots on his mother-in-law’s clean feet, thereby showing a friendly attitude towards her.
- The whole ceremony is accompanied by traditional folk songs and dances around the mother-in-law pair.
hen-party
The prototype of modern bachelorette parties was ritual crying. Wedding traditions in Ukraine involved a ceremony during which the bridesmaids pointedly grieved for the fact that the bride would go to live with her husband, with her mother-in-law. This ritual ended with the usual cheerful bachelorette party, which was accompanied by songs and jokes. The main difference from a modern bachelorette party is that previously all the bride’s relatives gathered for this holiday. A feast was organized for them. And the bride and her bridesmaids usually went to the bathhouse on this day.
Ritual "Bread and salt"
The “Bread and Salt” ritual at a wedding is performed by the parents of the bride and groom. According to the old folk customs of Ukraine, this ritual is equivalent to a blessing for one or another important matter in the life of every person. The parents of both sides hold a specially baked loaf with a salt shaker on top. full of coarse salt. According to tradition, young people break off a piece of loaf and then dip it in salt. The “Bread and Salt” ritual symbolizes the parents’ blessing for the happy future family life of their newly engaged children.
Tradition of braiding
This ritual is considered one of the most touching moments in a Ukrainian wedding. According to tradition, the mother-in-law must undo the braid of an already married girl, and her newly-made husband helps her. They carefully remove the wreath with ribbons from the bride’s head, unravel the girl’s braid, and tie a scarf or “ochipok” in Ukrainian over it. This action symbolizes the new status of the Ukrainian beauty - from now on she is married. Having completed this ritual, the bride throws the wreath towards the unmarried girls to determine who will marry next.
Features of Ukrainian wedding dresses of newlyweds
Embroidered shirt is considered a traditional element of festive attire for any event in Ukraine. A wedding is an ideal occasion to wear a shirt or dress with amazingly beautiful flowers, magical birds or other ornaments on it. Embroidered clothing is worn by both men and women; it is decorated using patterns of threads of different colors, made in satin stitch, cross stitch, and hemstitch.
In ancient times, all Ukrainian women embroidered it with their own hands, and the main designs were poppy flowers, bunches of viburnum, oak leaves, etc. The Ukrainian people believed that these plants are special symbols in their traditions, because they represent wealth, a happy life, love and prosperity. For each occasion, including a wedding, there were certain patterns - for happiness, for good luck in family life, for procreation.
Newlyweds' first wedding night
The matchmakers and groomsmen had to prepare the bride for the wedding night. Some prepared the bed, others dressed the bride in a long white shirt, which she prepared in advance and embroidered special patterns.
The main event of the next morning was the inspection of the bed on which the young people slept. Once the bride's innocence was proven, the wedding continued. The groom's relatives sent gifts to the bride's mother in gratitude for her daughter. The morning began with the joyful bride giving the guests spring water.
Then the wedding took place, today it can also be captured in the photo. The groomsmen dressed the bride in clothes that she had prepared for herself in advance. It was believed that a wedding shirt should not be thrown away; it was a talisman until death. The bride embroidered the groom's shirt as well. Such a talisman could protect against bullets in war.
If the bride was unclean, the husband hung a white cloth over the house, which symbolized shame. Today, a wedding remains the main event in the life of every person. And more and more often we turn to the origins, ancient customs and traditions that were created for the happy life of young people.
Video: wedding in Ukrainian style
Increasingly, one can observe how modern weddings strive to repeat the history of the ancient Ukrainian people with their wedding rituals. This becomes more popular when it comes to organizing an entertaining wedding program. These rituals are accompanied by fun, laughter, mischief and are carried out mainly as entertainment competitions for all invited guests to the celebration. To be able to see with your own eyes what a colorful Ukrainian-style wedding with its traditions looks like, watch the video:
After the wedding
In the morning, the bed was always checked for the girl’s innocence. If the girl turned out to be honest, her mother received gifts. Then the young wife brought water from the spring and gave water to all the guests.
On the second day, “mummers” usually appeared for the amusement of the guests. Taking the place of the newlyweds, they amused everyone. The rest could dress up as they wished, after which the whole crowd walked around the neighborhood and sang songs. It was believed that in this way the evil spirits would become confused and would not find real spouses.
A Ukrainian wedding is all about songs, celebrations and fun. These warm-hearted people know how to have fun and welcome guests. And ancient customs, carefully preserved and strictly observed, give the solemn event a deep meaning.
