The primordial wedding is very long (several days) and complicated by numerous rituals, sentences and active characters. The modern wedding ceremony has become much simpler, but it retains the echoes of the old traditions.
The matchmaking rite that preceded the wedding is now very often ignored. It happens that a young man comes to visit the parents of his chosen one with gifts and treats and asks for the hand of their daughter. In rare cases, a carnival rite of matchmaking is held, when the matchmaker is with the groom. She declares that "you have goods, we have a merchant", holds the bride's bride (tells her to walk on one floorboard to show her stand, collect coins from the floor - to show diligence) and the groom, arranges a wedding. As a rule, the role of matchmaker is performed by a close relative of the groom's or bride's family, or a future toastmaster.
Previously, at a bachelorette party, girlfriends lamented, "mourned" a girlfriend leaving a free company. Now a bachelorette party is a fun "last" party before a restrained family life.
The morning of the wedding day begins with the arrival of the groom. By this time, the bride should already be dressed in a wedding dress. Decorated with flowers and ribbons, the "wedding train" (in the modern interpretation is a motorcade of cars) drives up to the house of her betrothed. At the gate or entrance, he is greeted by his bridesmaids and the ransom begins.
Most often, the ransom is a series of tasks that the groom must successfully complete or "redeem" the victory with money and move on. All the way to the room where the bride is waiting is an obstacle course, and all tasks are aimed at finding out how well the groom knows his chosen one and how much he loves her. Despite the groom's success, he may not be brought out of the real bride - then the groom will either have to look for the bride or buy her out again.
In rare cases, the ransom is carried out by the bride's parents.
Then a small buffet takes place: the bride's parents treat the guests, and everyone goes to the registry office for painting or to the church for a wedding. Previously, the ringing of bells was considered a talisman against evil spirits, now it has been replaced by signals from the cars of the wedding cortege. After the ceremony, the newlyweds who go out into the street are greeted with a standing ovation and showered with confetti, rose petals and rice - a symbol of wealth and large families.
From the registry office, the groom usually carries the bride in his arms, but this is an echo of another rite - bringing the bride in his arms into the groom's house. This action had a specific magical purpose - to deceive the brownie. So that the brownie does not consider the bride a stranger, but treats her like a newborn who appeared in the house without crossing the threshold. Now this action is simply a decoration of the holiday and a veiled promise of the spouse to carry his wife in his arms all his life.
Then they go to the "feast" - a solemn banquet. The newlyweds are greeted here with a loaf and a salt shaker: the bride and groom are invited to take a bite of bread - it is believed that the one who bites off a larger piece will be the master of the house.
During the festive feast, young people are congratulated and presented with gifts. The modern rite of passage of the bride from the house of the parents to the house of the groom is the slow dance of the bride with her father, in the middle of which the father passes the girl over to the groom, and the dance continues with him.
A friend - a very active participant in the entire wedding celebration - is now being replaced by "witnesses", the closest friend (best man) and the bridesmaid. During the feast, guests are entertained by a toastmaster or a host who conducts funny contests.
