The ceremony of removing the veil from the bride is an ancient, beautiful and a bit sad tradition that has become widespread in Belarus and Ukraine. In Russia, this ceremony is carried out less often. Removing the veil symbolizes the transition of the bride from girlhood to family life, gaining the status of a married woman.
Where did the tradition come from?
The tradition of removing a veil from a bride is rooted in the deep past. Previously, married women could not show themselves on the street with their heads uncovered, while girls walked with uncovered plaited braids. Therefore, at the end of the wedding, before the departure of the newlyweds, it was customary to conduct a ceremony symbolizing the moment of "transition" from status to status. The girl took off her veil, undid her braids and covered her head with a scarf, forever hiding her hair from strangers.
The ceremony did not end with the removal of the veil. The bride took a veil in her hands and called all her unmarried girlfriends to her. They approached, the newly-made wife raised the veil over their heads, and a sad dance began. At the end of the dance, the veil was given to the closest unmarried friend so that she could get married as soon as possible.
Who takes off the veil
There are several options for the ceremony. According to the classical tradition, the mother-in-law takes off the veil. Carefully releasing her daughter-in-law's hair from the veil and hairpins, she covers her head with a scarf, symbolically inviting her to a new family. The young wife says goodbye to her girlhood and goes under the roof of the house of new relatives.
Alternatively, the veil can be removed by the mother of the bride. In this case, the ceremony is preceded by a scene. The bride's mother persuades her daughter to take off the veil and become a married woman, but she refuses, referring to the fact that she lived well as a girl. These scenes show a sad female humor: the ladies understand why the young wife does not want to join the "delights" of family life. Refusing three times, the bride agrees, and the mother takes off the veil, after which she “hands over” her daughter to the groom, who covers the head of her beloved with a scarf.
In some regions, the entire ceremony is performed by the groom. He carefully removes the veil, carefully removes his favorite hairpins and hairpins from the braid, and then covers her head with a scarf. Thus, with his own hands, he transfers the bride to the rank of wife. It is strongly recommended that the groom, before the ceremony, practice properly on the dolls, so as not to turn the ceremony into an execution of the newly-made wife.
The veil removal ceremony is usually left to last and is performed before the newlyweds have time to leave. During this ceremony, the bride herself, her mother and the entire female half of the guests begin to cry, therefore, in order not to flood the most significant holiday in life with a sea of tears, the ceremony is not delayed.
