Ukrainian wedding traditions
Encyclopedia
Ukrainian wedding is the traditional marriage
ceremony in Ukrainian culture
, both in Ukraine
and in the Ukrainian diaspora
. The traditional Ukrainian wedding featured a rich assortment of folk music
and singing, dancing, and visual art, with rituals dating back to the pre-Christian
era. Over time, the ancient pagan traditions and symbols were integrated into Christian
ones.
village folks would roam through the forests in search of Chervona Ruta
, an elusive and magical flower that brings great wealth. Unmarried women, wearing a Ukrainian wreath
, would be the first to enter the forest. They are followed by young men. If the couple comes out with the young man wearing the girl's wreath, they are engaged to be married.
Paying the ransom – The groom must go to the bride's parent's house and offer a ransom to get his bride. The bridesmaids protect the bride from getting "stolen" without a ransom. First, the groom offers something valuable, usually money or jewellery for the bride. The parents of the bride bring out a woman or man dressed as the bride and covered with a veil
, so the groom can't see her face. When the groom realizes that it is not his bride, he asks for his true love, and the family demands a bigger ransom because she is valuable. Once the ransom is negotiated, the bride's family offers the bride to the groom.
If the bride's parents meet the bridegroom at the door with a pumpkin
, it means that his offer of marriage was not accepted by either the bride or by her family, and the pumpkin is something for him to carry, so that he doesn't leave empty-handed.
Blahoslovennia - This is a ritual blessing of the bride and groom by their parents. It usually takes place shortly before the wedding ceremony. The bride and bridegroom at their own homes with their parents and grandparents perform this ritual. When the bridegroom arrives as the bride's house, after he has paid ransom for his bride, the bride and bridegroom perform this ritual together, in front of both of their parents. In the combined blessing ceremony, the elder (starosta) first asks the couple's parents to sit on benches. Once seated, a long embroidered cloth, rushnyk is placed on their lap, and everyone is given a loaf of wedding bread. The starosta recites a ceremonial text such as the following: "As these two children stand before their own mother, before their own father, before their uncles, before their godparents; maybe they did not listen to one of you, I ask you to forgive them and bless them." In Ukrainian, the word proschannia is used to describe forgiving someone of their offenses as well as bidding them farewell. Then the family members repeat "Bih sviatyi" (May Holy God forgive and bless you) three times. The couple then bows to their parents and kisses their faces, hands, and feet. This blessing is performed three times. This ritual symbolizes forgiveness for any sins, and a blessing of the marriage from the parents.
During the crowning ceremony, in a traditional wedding the bride's vinok is replaced by an ochipok
and namitka, that covers her hair and shows that she is now married. The groom is also crowned with a hat, symbolic of him accepting responsibility as a man.
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
ceremony in Ukrainian culture
Culture of Ukraine
Ukrainian culture refers to the culture associated with the country of Ukraine and sometimes with ethnic Ukrainians across the globe. It contains elements of other Eastern European cultures as well as some Western European influences. Within Ukraine, there are a number of other ethnic groups with...
, both in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and in the Ukrainian diaspora
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
. The traditional Ukrainian wedding featured a rich assortment of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and singing, dancing, and visual art, with rituals dating back to the pre-Christian
Pre-Christian
Pre-Christian may mean:*before Christianization**historical polytheism *BC**Classical Antiquity**Iron Age...
era. Over time, the ancient pagan traditions and symbols were integrated into Christian
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
ones.
Betrothal
Ivan Kupala Day – On the eve of the celebration of Ivan Kupala DayIvan Kupala Day
Kupala Day is celebrated in Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine currently on the night of 6/7 July in the Gregorian or New Style calendar, which is 23/24 June in the Julian or Old Style calendar still used by many Orthodox Churches. Calendar-wise, it is opposite to the winter solstice holiday...
village folks would roam through the forests in search of Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta is a flower, but also part of the Ukrainian culture related to the holiday of Ivan Kupala Day. According to the legend, still respected in Carpathian mountains and Bukovina, rue is a yellow flower which turns red only for a couple of minutes on the night of Ivan Kupala...
, an elusive and magical flower that brings great wealth. Unmarried women, wearing a Ukrainian wreath
Ukrainian wreath
The Ukrainian wreath is a type of wreath which, in traditional Ukrainian culture, is worn by girls and young unmarried women. The wreath may be part of a tradition dating back to the old East Slavic customs that predate the Christianization of Rus...
, would be the first to enter the forest. They are followed by young men. If the couple comes out with the young man wearing the girl's wreath, they are engaged to be married.
Paying the ransom – The groom must go to the bride's parent's house and offer a ransom to get his bride. The bridesmaids protect the bride from getting "stolen" without a ransom. First, the groom offers something valuable, usually money or jewellery for the bride. The parents of the bride bring out a woman or man dressed as the bride and covered with a veil
Veil
A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...
, so the groom can't see her face. When the groom realizes that it is not his bride, he asks for his true love, and the family demands a bigger ransom because she is valuable. Once the ransom is negotiated, the bride's family offers the bride to the groom.
If the bride's parents meet the bridegroom at the door with a pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
, it means that his offer of marriage was not accepted by either the bride or by her family, and the pumpkin is something for him to carry, so that he doesn't leave empty-handed.
Blahoslovennia - This is a ritual blessing of the bride and groom by their parents. It usually takes place shortly before the wedding ceremony. The bride and bridegroom at their own homes with their parents and grandparents perform this ritual. When the bridegroom arrives as the bride's house, after he has paid ransom for his bride, the bride and bridegroom perform this ritual together, in front of both of their parents. In the combined blessing ceremony, the elder (starosta) first asks the couple's parents to sit on benches. Once seated, a long embroidered cloth, rushnyk is placed on their lap, and everyone is given a loaf of wedding bread. The starosta recites a ceremonial text such as the following: "As these two children stand before their own mother, before their own father, before their uncles, before their godparents; maybe they did not listen to one of you, I ask you to forgive them and bless them." In Ukrainian, the word proschannia is used to describe forgiving someone of their offenses as well as bidding them farewell. Then the family members repeat "Bih sviatyi" (May Holy God forgive and bless you) three times. The couple then bows to their parents and kisses their faces, hands, and feet. This blessing is performed three times. This ritual symbolizes forgiveness for any sins, and a blessing of the marriage from the parents.
Ceremony
The couple steps up on a rushnyk before they take their vows. Traditionally, the one who steps on the towel first, will have the final say throughout their marriage.During the crowning ceremony, in a traditional wedding the bride's vinok is replaced by an ochipok
Ochipok
The Ochipok was a married woman's headdress as part of traditional Ukrainian folk dress, often decorated with Ukrainian embroidery.Ochipok is a cap that covers the entire head with a slit in the back and laces that pull it tightly around the head....
and namitka, that covers her hair and shows that she is now married. The groom is also crowned with a hat, symbolic of him accepting responsibility as a man.
Vesillia
The wedding celebration can last days and sometimes weeks, with dancing, singing, long toasts, and a feast that includes the entire community.Features
- Rushnyk - is a Ukrainian embroideredUkrainian embroideryUkrainian embroidery occupies an important place among the various branches of Ukrainian decorative arts. Embroidery has a rich history in Ukraine, and has long appeared in Ukrainian folk dress as well as played a part in traditional Ukrainian weddings and other celebrations. Appearing all across...
towel. Rushnyks are very important part of the ceremony and have symbolic meaning. They are often part of the bride's dowryDowryA dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
and have pairs of birds embroidered on them, representing the wedding couple. - Svashky — is a woman's choir that sings during the wedding ceremony
- KorovaiKorovaiThe korovai is a traditional Ukrainian, Russian and Polish bread, most often used at weddings, where it has great symbolic meaning, and has remained part of the wedding tradition in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and by the Ukrainian diaspora...
– is the ceremonial and symbolic wedding bread. Traditionally it was a large round braided breadBreadBread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, baked from wheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
flourFlourFlour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
and decorated with symbolic flags and figurines, such as suns, moons, birds, animals, and pine cones. It was given to the bride and groom as a blessing. - Myrtle or periwinklePeriwinklePeriwinkle may refer to:In fauna:* Periwinkle, a common name for a number of gastropod molluscs in the family Littorinidae** Common periwinkle ** Blue periwinkle...
Crowns - Bread and SaltBread and saltBread and salt is a Slavic welcome greeting ceremony.The tradition, known by its local Slavic names , was also adopted by two non-Slavic nations — Lithuanians and Romanians — both of which culturally and historically close to their Slavic neighbours .When important, respected, or admired guests...
- Hand Fasting
Locations
- Church
- CivilCivil marriageCivil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
Weddings
- Historic
- Medieval Rus'
- Cossack
- Arranged
- Regions
- Hutsul
- Central Ukraine
- Ukrainians in Canada
- Ukrainians in Romania
- Soviet Influence
- Present Day
Weddings in Literature
- Natalka PoltavkaNatalka PoltavkaNatalka Poltavka is a Ukrainian play written by Ivan Kotlyarevsky.-History:The play was written in 1819 in the Ukrainian language, first performed in 1821 in the city of Kharkiv, though it was not available in print until 1838...
is a Ukrainian play written by Ivan KotlyarevskyIvan KotlyarevskyIvan Petrovych Kotlyarevsky , was a Ukrainian writer, poet and playwright, regarded as the pioneer of modern Ukrainian literature. Kotliarevsky was a veteran of the Russo-Turkish War.- Biography :...
. - Ukrainian Wedding ' onMouseout='HidePop("3813")' href="/topics/Romanization_of_Ukrainian">translit.Romanization of UkrainianThe romanization or Latinization of Ukrainian is the representation of the Ukrainian language using Latin letters. Ukrainian is natively written in its own Ukrainian alphabet, a variation of Cyrillic....
Ukrayins’ke vesillya, , translit.Romanization of RussianRomanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
Ukrainskaya svad'ba) was first performed in 1851, with Semen Hulak-Artemovsky in the role of the father-in-law.
External links
- Wedding at the Encyclopedia of UkraineEncyclopedia of UkraineThe Encyclopedia of Ukraine is an English language, free, online encyclopedia covering wide range of issueson Ukraine, including its history, people, geography, economy, culture etc....
- Wedding songs at the Encyclopedia of UkraineEncyclopedia of UkraineThe Encyclopedia of Ukraine is an English language, free, online encyclopedia covering wide range of issueson Ukraine, including its history, people, geography, economy, culture etc....
- Dr. Natalie Kononenko. Ukrainian Village Weddings; Collected in Central Ukraine, 1998 SEEFA Journal, vol.4, no.1 Spring 1999 pp. 65–72
- Wedding Traditions in Ukraine University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
Museums - Orysia Paszczak Tracz. Vesillia: Ukrainian weddings in Manitoba over the last century Part I. The Ukrainian WeeklyThe Ukrainian WeeklyThe Ukrainian Weekly is the oldest English-language newspaper of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States, and North America.Founded by the Ukrainian National Association, and published continuously since October 6, 1933, archived copies of the newspaper are available at leading libraries in the...
, October 27, 2002. - Orysia Paszczak Tracz. Vesillia: Ukrainian weddings in Manitoba over the last century Part II. The Ukrainian WeeklyThe Ukrainian WeeklyThe Ukrainian Weekly is the oldest English-language newspaper of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States, and North America.Founded by the Ukrainian National Association, and published continuously since October 6, 1933, archived copies of the newspaper are available at leading libraries in the...
, November 3, 2002. - Nancy Millar. Once Upon a Wedding: Stories of Weddings in Western Canada, 1860-1945. Bayeux Arts, 2000. ISBN 1896209335
- Dzvinka Kachur. Traditional Hutsul wedding in Western Ukraine. Welcome to Ukraine magazine.
- Welcome to a wedding, Central Ukrainian style! Welcome to Ukraine magazine.