A wedding is an important day not only in the life of young people, but also of their parents. The mother of the bride becomes a mother-in-law and plays an important role in the festive celebration. This applies not only to the organizational aspects of the holiday, but also to wedding traditions.
Holiday chores
One of the main tasks of the mother-in-law (and the father-in-law) is the organization of the celebration, especially if the bride and groom are still very young guys. Choosing a place for a holiday, agreeing on a menu and a guest list, buying a wedding dress for the bride - these and many other chores are ahead of the future mother-in-law. Fortunately, most of them will be shared with her by the groom's parents and the newlyweds themselves.
Blessing
According to a long-standing tradition, the mother of the bride blesses her daughter for a happy family life. Usually, this ritual uses the icon of the Kazan Mother of God. After the ransom, the newlyweds are going to go to the registry office. The future mother-in-law showered the bride and groom, as well as the wedding procession with a mixture of rye, sweets and coins, so that family life was sweet and rich.
Parental greetings
After the official part of the holiday, guests are usually invited to a banquet. The mother-in-law meets the newlyweds and guests at the doorstep of the restaurant with bread and salt and invites everyone to the tables.
Among the many congratulations, the most important role is given to the speech of the parents. Mother-in-law and father-in-law are invited to be the first to pronounce parting words and congratulations. Most often, such a speech is prepared in advance. This is a very touching and exciting moment, so in order not to get lost and not get confused, it is better to make a cheat sheet on a beautiful postcard.
Ignition of the family hearth
An important wedding tradition is the lighting of the family hearth. This is a rather old rite, symbolizing the transfer of the wisdom of family life from the older generation to the younger.
The symbol of the family is fire, which the mother of the bride passes on to her daughter, as the keeper of the new family hearth. For the ceremony, you will need a simple candle for the mother-in-law and a large beautiful candle, symbolizing the new family hearth, for the bride. To the quiet lyrical music, the mother of the bride says good parting words and with her candle lights a candle for the newlyweds (the bride is holding it), thereby symbolizing the transfer of warmth, love and experience to the new family. Usually the hearth is placed on the table of the newlyweds and taken home as a souvenir at the end of the celebration.
Removing the veil
Taking off the veil is another wedding tradition that involves a mother-in-law. This ceremony symbolizes the bride's farewell to the girl's life and the transition to a new role - the wife, and in the future also the mother. In the old days, only unmarried girls could walk with bare heads or loose hair. After getting married, they were required to cover their heads with kerchiefs.
At the end of the holiday, the guests form a circle, to the center of which the bride and her mother are invited. The presenter says the words about the entry of the young bride into a new role for herself as a wife, while the mother-in-law at this time carefully removes the veil and covers her daughter's head with a beautiful lace scarf.
