Ukrainian National Wedding

When people talk about a traditional Ukrainian wedding, they often do not even imagine how it actually should take place. After all, Ukraine itself is diverse: there are the marsh, the woods and the mountains. It is very varied also ethnically.

And while each region of Ukraine (and even the villages) has its own set of wedding ceremonies and traditions, the backbone of a traditional wedding is almost everywhere the same.

This is what we wish to show you!

So, ladies and gentlemen: The Ukrainian national wedding!

The wedding consists of three stages: pre-wedding, wedding day and post-wedding day (this procedure is similar to various Ukrainian wedding traditions).

The wedding always starts with the matchmaking. The respected elders choose older people with good speaking abilities - this skill is much depended on - and then they will take to the groom "Garbuzov" (decorated pumpkin) or towels (if the maiden accepts then she gives towels to these matchmakers and a wedding is to be).

In ancient times it was thought as a rule to be engaged to a person living in the same village. When the groom refused all the girls in the village, the headman had to leave for "hunting" in the neighboring villages. Therefore a cottage - where a girl at the right age for a marriage lived - was brightly colored - for the notice of these visiting chiefs - this made it a beautiful landmark.

Next in the order is the exchange of rings. From this moment on the young couple could spend the night in the house of the bride. No wedding is complete without the symbolic attributes. The first is a loaf. The women whose family life was believed to be happy and exemplary made this bread. This wedding bread was decorated with periwinkle - the symbol of eternal love, and a guelder-rose symbolising ability of the woman to bear a child. To widows and widowers, who stepped into a second marriage, the loaves were not baked.
The place of honour on a table near a loaf occupied a ritual tree, giltse - a branch of a tree that is decorated with flowers and ribbons. It symbolises the maiden's girlish beauty and virginity.

The marriage ceremony begins in the home of each of the young couple. When the young goes for the other young, the trip could be stopped (and not only once!) and a ransom for the young could be demanded: a symbolic sum of money or some food. The bidding continues in the courtyard and this time also the bride's family joins to auction too. When the bride is redeemed people will go to the place of the wedding ceremony.

Then the celebration continues in the house of the young couple (nowadays this takes place in a good restaurant or a cafe with an ethnic cuisine). For the wish for to be rich, the young couple will be sprinkled with grain before they leave (also adding candy - for the life to be sweet, and small coins).

The word "Vesillja" is derived from "fun". The wedding ("vesillya") was meant to be fun for the young couple too, but the newlyweds in ancient times did not have the right to drink anything bitter. They ate Honey, bread and they had a little wine for the evening, but nothing more. They are preparing themselves for something else - they should be ready for creation. So in this sense the family was more decided to having fun at this ceremony. Nowadays this tradition has largely gone away - and what has remained is the drinking, dancing and songs - the celebration.

Here it is in General. We could tell you much more about this subject, but this was just to show you what should be involved in the real Ukrainian wedding ceremony.