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Wedding ceremonies are different in every country you visit. The customs in Egypt won’t be the same as the ones in China. This is an accepted truth no matter where you go so it is easy to understand why some people may want to learn how things may be different for them. Here are some customs Russian brides need to know for traditions sake.
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The wedding celebration in a traditional Russian wedding often lasts for at least two days. In some cases it can stretch on for even longer. There is no best man or maid of honor. These people are simply known as witnesses, or in Russian “svideteli”.
Some things in traditional Russian marriages are the same as in American ones. One of these things is the time it takes to put the wedding together. A Russian wedding can take between one and six months. The marriage registration takes place in a “Zags” as opposed to our American courthouses.
There are many gifts exchanged for weddings. One of the traditional ones is a gift of salt and bread. This is presented to the couple by their parents and is representative of a hope for prosperity, long lives, and health.
When the couple is given these gifts they are expected to take as big a bite as they can. This is much like in America where we take the first bites of wedding cake. Only, with Russian tradition the individual who takes the biggest bite of this special bread is considered to be the head of the household.
Much like within the United States traditional Russian weddings have toasts. A toast is when a close friend or family member of either the bride or groom stands up before everyone and shares a word or two of blessing an encouragement. Everyone drinks afterwards.
In Russian tradition once a toast is made the glasses are thrown on the floor. If the glasses break when they hit the ground it is believed to be good luck. However, if the shards draw blood this may be considered a bad omen, so, just like in marriage you have to know when to put force, how much, and you have to take careful aim before you toss anything!
One of the most interesting customs in a traditional Russian wedding is known as Krazha Nevesty. This means “stealing the bride” and it is exactly as it sounds. That’s right; if the groom fails to watch his bride closely he may just end up without a wife.
Wedding celebrations can quickly turn into a bad nightmare for the groom if he’s not watching his woman closely. Friends and family of the groom will execute elaborate schemes in order to kidnap his bride and force him to pay a random to get her back.
There are many things to remember when you are planning to be one of these Russian brides. With all of the differences in wedding styles and all the hard work and gathering it can be easy to lose sight of your goal. Just remember that this is your day and you should be happy. After all, you’re about to get married!
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