Ukrainian Wedding Traditions

Talking here about wedding traditions in Moldova, I consider very important to mention also Ukrainian wedding traditions. First of all because there are many Ukrainians living in Moldova and a lot of weddings held in Moldova are typical Ukrainian weddings. Moreover, traditional Moldovan wedding comprises many elements of Ukrainian, Romanian and other traditional weddings. That is why the ceremonies and traditions of Moldovan and Ukrainian wedding are very common and I am sure, for those who are interested in Moldovan wedding traditions it will be interesting to know more about  Ukrainian ones.

Traditional Ukrainian wedding customs are made up of various ceremonial stages sealing the union of the groom and bride. Younger generations are in some cases following Western wedding customs, however, those from more traditional families or couples in villages still observe the wedding customs of Ukraine. A wedding in Ukraine is a solemn occasion involving important religious rituals, but it is also a time of great joy and fun-filled parties.

Asking her Father
The Ukrainian wedding begins with the formal engagement when the groom approaches the bride's parents along with some older married men (starosty) to ask if he may marry her. This is the first and many would say most dangerous marriage tradition. This isn’t simply a man-to-man chat as it is in many parts of Western Europe. In Ukraine this is a very serious business. Not only the bridegroom, but his parents and friends as well all make the journey to the bride’s parents’ house with a beautifully decorated round Ukrainian loaf as a present. A bottle of horilka is presented by the groom and the bride will drape a rushnyky around the starosty. They then exchange a loaf of bread. Luckily for the groom, he does not ask the question himself, but his father and friends do it for him. Usually the bride’s father will ask his daughter whether she wants to marry the man or not, and will give his answer depending on hers. If the answer is yes then both sets of parents discuss the time and place. But if the answer is no then the poor jilted man is traditionally given a pumpkin! The period of engagement may differ but is a minimum of one week.

That is how "Rushnyk" looks like:

Before wedding in the village
On the Thursday or on the Friday before the wedding a korovai bread is baked. The following day the groom and bride along with a friend will carry a shyshka bread through the village to call to their wedding guests. On Friday evening a party is held for the bride to say good-bye. On this night they also make a ritual tree called a hiltse for the wedding table. The civil marriage contract is then signed on the Saturday. If they are to have a religious service, this takes place on Sunday.

Traveling to the Wedding
Unlike in many other countries, it is not considered back luck here for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony itself. In fact, it is traditional in Ukraine that he picks her up from her parents’ house. The wedding car, no matter how grand or humble, will be barely visible under a plethora of flowers, balloons and ribbons. The groom travels in the wedding car and is usually followed convoy-style by all his friends and family, driving through the streets of the city blasting their horns. Upon arriving at the bride’s residence the horn-tooting becomes a cacophony letting her, her family and her friends know that it is time to go. The bridegroom collects the bride from the house and as they leave together the bride’s mother throws seeds (a symbol of well-being), rose petals (for prosperity and health) and coins (a symbol of financial stability) onto their heads.

The Soviet Ceremony
The first part of the marriage proceeding does not take place at the church but at the registry office where the official registration ceremony takes place. This is where the bride and groom will officially become man and wife, whether a church ceremony takes place afterwards or not, so it is a crucial part of the proceedings, and thanks to seventy years of Soviet atheism has become as traditional here as church services are elsewhere in the world. The ceremony begins with a fanfare, and a Ukrainian embroidered towel is spread on the floor for the young couple to stand on. The wedding vows are exchanged at this point, and then the happy couple will be congratulated by both sets of parents.

A Crowned and Holy Union
After the official registration comes the church ceremony, and it is now that the maid of honour and the best man will be wishing they hadn’t been such good friends with the bride and groom, for it is their duty to hold crowns over the heads of the bride and groom throughout the long service, which can lead to very sore arms! During the ceremony the priest blesses the couple for happiness, health, luck, faithfulness, understanding, love and respect for one another. There is a very strange superstition surrounding the church wedding ceremony: with all the candles around it is considered very bad luck for the future of the marriage if the bride’s dress catches fire! It would of course be tremendously unfortunate for the bride to end up in the burns unit on her wedding day, but that aside it is a frantic time for her mother who is on tenterhooks throughout making sure she and her dress don’t stray too close to a naked flame.
 

Essential Photo Opportunities
Now comes the time for the newly married couple to have their photograph taken, and it has become a tradition that this is done using one of the many Kyiv landmarks as a backdrop. Everyone in the wedding party piles back into their cars and heads off to St. Sofia or St Michaels, The Golden Gate or that viking-style boat monument by the river where the wedding photographer captures the joy of the new husband and wife and their friends and family on film.

Let’s Get the Party Started!
With the hard part now over it’s time to party! The wedding celebration usually takes place in a restaurant or at the home of the bride or groom, but regardless of the location the important thing is to drink, dance and have fun! All the guests bring presents which in Ukraine will be simple things the new family will need to set up home: kitchen utensils, linen, home appliances and the like. There is no stigma in Ukraine to giving money, and many will offer up mafia-style envelopes stuffed with cash. There is usually a meal and then speeches and toasts. After each toast the guests shout, “Gorko! Gorko! Gorko!” which translates somewhat strangely as bitter, but in this context it means everyone wants to see the couple kiss. As some grooms have pointed out, the number of kisses at the wedding celebration often exceeds to the total received throughout the whole dating period. Kissing should continue until the chanting dies down, but the bride and groom should be ready to kiss at any moment. Tongues are not considered essential, but neither are they entirely frowned upon.
 

The Best Man and the Maid of Honor
After shouting "Gorko" to the bride and groom, the guests will then shout it at the best man and the maid of honor meaning they now want to see them kiss, which can lead to all sorts of hilarity and alcohol-fueled misbehavior. On one occasion the Best Man did not speak Russian and was completely unaware of this tradition so while the chant rose in volume he innocently continued with his meal. When someone explained what was expected of him, he went a deep shade of red and gave the rather beautiful bridesmaid a peck. Later, however, no doubt fueled by copious amounts of vodka, he kept insisting the guests shout "Gorko" at them again!
 
The mother-in-law
During the celebration the groom must prove his devotion, not only to his new bride but to her mother also. With all the guests as witnesses, he must declare that he will be kind and caring towards his mother-in-law. As a sign of his attention, and a mark of respect, he presents her with a new pair of boots which he then places on her feet.

Stealing the Bride
At some point during the proceedings, the bride will inevitably be ‘stolen’ by the guests who then demand a ransom for her safe return. The groom will be asked to pay a few hundred hriyvna for her shoes, and a much larger sum for the bride herself. This in actuality is a rather underhand tactic on the part of the bride, as any money he pays for her goes not to the guests but in her own pocket, and she judges the level of his love for her on the amount of money he is prepared to pay! An additional part of this drawn-out tradition is the drinking of champagne from the bride’s elegant high heeled shoes, which usually takes place when the shoes are returned. Alternatively, instead of simply paying a ransom the groom’s Best Man may well be asked to perform a series of suggestive or embarrassing acts in order to win back the stolen bride.

Who Will be the Breadwinner?
Who is going to be the most dominant personality in any newly married couple is a question wedding guests everywhere ask themselves, and Ukraine is no different, but here they have even devised a test that takes place on the wedding day. During the party the couple are presented with traditional bread off of which they are each asked to break a chunk, using only their thumb and forefingers. According to tradition the one left holding the larger piece will be the head of the family. While this may seem a piece of idle fun, it often turns out to be true!

From Bride to Wife!
The party is coming to a close, and everyone has had a great time, but there is still one last thing to be done: the custom of turning the bride into a wife. The bride and all the young unmarried girls will dance a waltz which signifies that every young woman has a right to love, happiness and a family. The bride then throws her bouquet over her left shoulder and the girl who catches it will be the next to be married. The bride then says a symbolic goodbye to the unmarried girls at which point the bride’s mother presents her with a round loaf and lifts her bridal veil from her face. A traditional Ukrainian kerchief is placed on her head and the young bride has turned into a married woman! The official part of the wedding is now over! Time for the really hard to part to begin…

Source: www.whatson-kiev.com

Wedding in Vadul-lui-Voda

Wedding in Vadul-lui-Voda on summer 2013

Vadul-lui-Voda, Chisinau, Moldova, Villa Drago

Moldovan wedding traditions (Part 3)

The practice of weddings includes the moments when young people separate from their social groups. Additionally, there is the separation of the bride from her parents which is followed by her joining the bridegroom's family. Lastly, there is the union of the two young people and the integration of the bride into her new family. (Prior to the marriage is the betrothal which is followed by a long process of acceptance towards the prospective couple by the existing group of those who are already married.)

The wedding is a performance with well-established rituals. Poetry, song, dance and ceremonial costumes all have a detailed role in the wedding ceremony. This ceremony begins when the spokesman of the bridegroom comes to the bride's home to woo her. During this time, the best men go throughout the village inviting the relative and friends to the wedding. Then, before the closed gates guarded by the bride's relatives, the bridegroom's best man tells a story. It is the story of a young emperor who gathered a great army and went hunting. While hunting, he saw a fairy and sent his warriors to look for her. Following the fairy's trail, they arrive at the bride's house. They have been told that there is a certain flower in the garden. This flower cannot bear fruit because of the unsuitable soil in which it grows. The warriors came to pick the flower and plant it in the young emperor's garden. There, the soil was known to be good and provide the nutrients enabling the flower to bear fruit.

The dress and hairdressing of the bride is also important. She wears a ceremonial costume and flowers in her hair. In some parts of Moldova, the bridegroom must pass a test of cleverness. He must solve a series of riddles in order to prove that he is able to be part of the married community. The entrance of the bride into the community of married women is marked by a change of her hair style, and the covering of her head with a scarf. The scarf is a symbol of the married women. This ceremony is also accompanied by a song. Just as for a medieval meal, the wedding meal provides an opportunity for singing, dancing and listening to epic hero songs. Dance forms, especially for the young people, are an essential part of the wedding, as well as the birth ceremonies. One dance, called a "hora" marks the decisive moments of the ceremonial. It is a seal of the marriage contract. The above wedding ceremonials in Moldova last for three days. The final day ends with a "dance of masks."

Translation and interpretation services in Chisinau and Moldova  

In which countries people wear their wedding ring on their right hand and where on the left hand

Where you wear your wedding ring (on what hand and what finger) does on many occasions depend on your geographical location or even religion. Here is an article you may find interesting on wedding ring history. It gives some example of places where the wedding ring is worn on the left and right hand, it also gives some background information on the reasons for it and why we wear wedding rings.

Around the world, wearing a wedding ring sets the tone for the commitment of marriage, as it is a public symbol of one’s wedding vows. The traditional practice of exchanging of rings and wearing them on the fourth finger has a history and significance that has changed over thousands of years. Depending on people’s country of residence and religion, they may wear their engagement and wedding rings on the left hand or the right.

People wear wedding rings on their left hands in many Western countries, such as the United States, Mexico, Chile, Slovenia, Iran, and European nations including the UK, Italy, and France. In Asian countries, people also tend to wear the band on the left hand.

In Northern and Eastern European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Russia, Poland, and Bulgaria, it is more common to wear the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the right hand. In Portugal, Spain, and Greece, this is also the custom. Swedish brides wear unique wedding ring sets of three: the engagement ring, the wedding band, and the ring of motherhood.

Traditional Indian practice is to wear the wedding ring on the right hand, because the left hand is considered unclean. However, modern Indians may wear the ring on the left hand to match the custom in countries such as the United States. Orthodox Greeks also wear the wedding ring on the right hand, in accordance with Roman tradition; the word “left” in Latin means “sinister,” whereas the word for right is “dexter,” the root of “dexterity.”

In Brazil, the fianc and fiance wear plain bands as engagement rings on their right hands, and upon saying their vows, they switch the rings to the left hand. It is common in Germany and Netherlands to do the opposite: that is, to wear engagement rings on the left hand and wedding rings on the right.

In the Jewish tradition, the groom slips the ring on the index finger of the bride because it is the most prominent finger. Today, the bride typically moves the band to her ring finger after the ceremony.

Whether one wears engagement and wedding rings on the left hand or right varies by country and religion. However, there are wedding ring sets to suit any tradition, and the customer service staff at My Trio Rings is more than happy to help find the set for you.

Translation and interpretation services in Chisinau and Moldova  

Moldovan documentary requirements for foreigners wishing to marry a Moldovan citizen in Moldova

The Government of Moldova legally recognizes only civil marriage ceremonies that are performed at Registry Office or Village Council in the area where the Moldovan citizen resides. Many couples also choose to hold a religious ceremony after the completion of the civil ceremony. The following documents from the U.S. citizen are needed by the Registry Office to authorize marriage to a Moldovan citizen:
Documents required for marriage in Moldova of a US citizen:

1. Certified copy of the birth certificate, authenticated with apostille, plus translation of the birth certificate obtained from a Moldovan Notary Public office.
2. Affidavits (notarized statements) that the American citizen is free to marry, and that the American citizen has no outstanding arrest warrants. These are obtained from the US Embassy in Chisinau during regular business hours; to make an appointment please click here. The U.S. passport must be presented when signing the affidavit. The notarial fee is $50.
3. Prenuptial Certificate (Health Certificate) obtained from a clinic in the Moldovan city/town where your marriage will take place.
4. Proof of termination of any previous marriages, original or certified copy, with a translation in Romanian (i.e. Divorce/Annulment Decree, Death Certificate).

All public documents issued or obtained in the U.S. must be authenticated for use in Moldova with an apostille certificate. The apostille certificate must be affixed to the document by a competent U.S. authority. Each state has a competent authority (generally it is the office of the Secretary of State in the state where the document was issued). For additional information and a list of competent authorities, please visit this link.

Information from the web-site of US Embassy in Moldova

Nunta in Basarabia

A very interesting movie about the wedding in the Republic of Moldova called "Wedding in Basarabia". Worth watching.

Dance

More dances on Moldovan wedding

Moldavian wedding dance

If you are going to attend moldavian weddind, be prepared to dance. To dance the whole night long. To dance even if you can not move anymore.

Traditions in Moldova (part 1)

Many wedding traditions in the Republic of Moldova are common with those in Romania. The Moldovan folklore developed within the borders of the two great regions of European civilization--the west and the southeast. Over the centuries, the Moldovan people crystallized their own popular culture. This culture expresses the need for communication between man and nature, between man and man, and among different human groups. The customs have also been an instrument in the exchange of goods, services and information. Matrimonial ceremonies exemplify the customs in a specific way.

The Romanian practice of faith and spirituality have been in synchrony and in harmony with aspects of popular trades and facets of regional geography. Therefore, Moldovan holidays, while diversified by regional traditions, have common threads running through them. The same unity can be found in the traditions and customs throughout the country. They include Christian and non-Christian holidays, which can ba traced back to a pre-Christian period of history. Since Moldovan is mainly and Eastern Orthodox country, this form of Christianity permeates the spirit of the holidays, with other themes such as the seasons or common trades being blended within religious themes.

Two main groups of people appear in the expression of popular customs: those who are living and the ancestors who receded them. Moldova culture carefully preserves the memory of ancestral peoples. The focus of the popular spirituality is found in each village. The trades of the villages were mainly agricultural. Moldovans traditionally were farmers who worked the land, kept vineyards, raised cattle or lived as shepherds.

Spring and summer were known as the time to work the land. Autumn represented the harvest and winter was dedicated to the formation of artistic creativity or spiritual growth. Delicate, graceful and sober--the popular art of Moldova was preserved by the village. Village leaders assumed the tasks of guarding the originality, individuality and permanency of artisans' work. The nature of the village was driven to be in strict harmony with the natural environment of the entire country. Today, traveling throughout Moldova and the neigboring Romania, one can be pleasantly surprised when observing the extent to which one village differs from another village in terms of their general outlook. These differences underscore not only the cultural influences of a location, but also the specific details of the land surrounding a village...

to be continued in the next post

Planning The Wedding

One planning the Wedding you have to bear in mind the following:

THE WEDDING DRESS

When should you start looking for your dream outfit?' When you visit
any bridal store the wedding dresses you try on are samples. Once you
have chosen a style, then the shop will take your measurements, order
one gown especially for you, and then arrange a schedule of fittings.
Beware! Ordering and fitting can take up to 3-4 months, so you need to
plan well in advance, look for a dress early and allow time for final
adjustments to your gown when it arrives.

THE WEDDING FLOWERS

When it comes to floral arrangements at your wedding, there are no
rules. However, many brides opt for a bridal bouquet at the very
least, together with matching flowers for the bridesmaids. See our
"Florists Section" for your local florist.

IN CHURCH

You an chose floral decorations for pews, stands and pillars in the
church, as well as for the entrance. Remember that you will need to
ask for permission, and check whether there are any areas that you
can't decorate.

At the reception you can continue any theme, and the colors from the
church, with table decorations and flower arrangements around the
dining area. This theming can even extend to the cake, with a garland
of fresh flowers.

If you are arranging a floral decoration in a hired venue, once again
you will need to speak to the owner or manager to obtain permission
and to check any specific requirements.

Some florists are specialists in providing wedding arrangements, and
will have plenty of seasonal ideas to match the time of year and your
chosen colour scheme.

When you first meet your florist it is a good idea to take along a
picture of your dress and the attendants' outfits, a sample of the
dress material, and, if you can, a sample of the stationery. These
will convey the style of the wedding, and will help the florist to
select appropriate flowers. Plan to see your florists two or three
months prior to your wedding to discuss what you requre. Even if you
intend to make up the arrangements yourself, the florist

will have some helpful advice on which flowers to order.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Unless you intend to have your newlywed bride and groom photographs
taken after the wedding day, you only get one chance to get it right,
so be very careful when you choose your photographer. Quality should
be the priority. A quailified professional photographer will be able
to show you the style and quality of their work beforehand. Ask to see
samples from a previous wedding presented in an album.

A good photographer's work will tell the story of the wedding day, and
will be much more than a series of photographs. Be careful because
price dose't always reflect quality!

You may have already seen the work of a photographer you would like to
use. Otherwise you can look in the Yellow pages. But do look for the
letters LBIPP, ABIPP, or FBIPP after the photographer's name to make
sure that they are professionally qualified.

One of the advantages of the FBIPP is that they also hold regional
seminars for their members, which means that they will probably be
up-to-date on the latest styles and techniques.

Qualified photographers tend to specialise, and it therefore makes
sense to choose someone who specialises in weddings. A local
photogapher will know the venue, and should know where to get the best
shots. Ideally you need to visit the church or location with the
photographer to discuss what you would like. If the weather is going
to make difference to your photography then decide on your
alternatives. Good photographers are likely to get booked up early, so
try to allow six months for planning.

WEDDING TRANSPORT

When you are looking around for wedding transport it will soon become
apparent that you can choose between an enormous variety of vintage
and modern four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles or, alternatively,
four hooves!

When you are looking for aternatives, don't simply rely on a
photograph, as scale and colour can be misinterpreted.

Take the trouble to go and look at the vehicle, and consider the
obvious:

Will you be able to get in and our easily, and without too much
embarrassment. If your dress is quite full, will you fit in
comfortably or will guests only be able to see a mass of material
bunched up against the window. Does it look like the owner or company
keep it clean and polished, or will they arrive with dirty seats
showing signs of the previous wedding !

The colour of the car you choose is very important. How will it look
in photographs !

Unless you are getting married in pure white, a white car can make a
cream or ivory dress look dirty in photographs.

Depending on the service offered, ribbon and flowers may be provided
as standard, but ask anyway - especially if you want specific colours.
Owners of vintage cars and carriages will probably want to use their
own silk flowers, as fresh ones can stain and mark the interior. It is
worth considering your options in case there is an unavoidable problem
with the vehicle. It may break down for instance! Does the company
have other cars that could be used as an alternative.

If your wedding is on a Saturday then there is a good chance that you
will need to book up to a year in advance in order to secure the car
that you want. When you have booked the vehicle make a date to meet
them again two to three weeks, before the big day to ensure they have
the correct times, addresses and route.

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