автор: Репина Анна Сергеевна
Учитель английского языка ЧОУ Варницкая гимназия им. Преподобного Сергия Радонежского
Доклад учащихся на международную конференцию
Russian wedding traditions compared to Scottish wedding traditions
Peshkin Maxim, Konon Ilya,
11th grade students
(CHOU «Gymnasium named after St. Sergius of Radonezh» at the Trinity-Sergius Varniсky Monastery)
Historical facts and opinions of historians about the origin of wedding rites in Russia
The Russian wedding ceremony has a long history. It is mentioned in ancient written monuments and documents (“The Tale of Bygone Years”, “Russian Truth”, “The Truth of Yaroslav”, “The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich”, “The Commandments of Metropolitan George”, “Domostroy”, etc.). Also, wedding ceremonies are described in the notes of foreign diplomats, travelers and merchants. The main wedding rites (matchmaking, conspiracy, betrothal, the arrival of the groom for the bride, wedding, feast, wedding night ceremony, subsequent festivities) were preserved until the 17th century. The rite assumed a whole complex of special events in terms of their role and significance, which followed in a certain order.
With the reforms of Peter I, an element of the Western wedding tradition penetrated into Russian culture, excluding brides, seating, unweaving the bride’s braid and changing her headdress, showering the young with grain and hops, and a number of others. The European model took root only among the St. Petersburg nobility, a significant part of the rest of society (especially the peasantry) continued to follow the traditional wedding custom. With the passage of time and a change in the socio-economic situation, the nobles, wealthy merchants, the clergy, and the townspeople departed from traditional rituals. Despite the preservation of wedding customs by peasants, the rite developed in the 18th-19th centuries, changing outdated rituals for more significant ones.
The wedding ceremony of the 19th century combined pagan beliefs (shots from guns, sweeping the road with a broom, sticking needles into the hem of the bride’s shirt) and Christianity (prayer, icons, weddings). In the 19th century, the Russian wedding acquired diversity due to the change in sociocultural characteristics, the resettlement of the Russian people over vast territories and their contacts with other peoples. On the basis of a number of features, territorial variants of weddings are determined — Western Russian, Volga, Ural, etc. There are two main types of wedding action:
■ wedding-funeral (wedding of the Russian North): the sad nature of the rites, the lamentations of women, the rites of the transition of the bride to a new status.
■wedding-fun (wedding of the western and southern regions of European Russia): a festive mood, less lamentations, a loaf ceremony with the performance of loaf songs, rituals with a wedding tree-beauty.
Historians say that usually weddings were played in the fall: from the Intercession (October 1) to Filippov’s incantation (November 14); or in winter: after Epiphany and before Shrovetide. Throughout the wedding, Christian prayers were performed, blessings with an icon or a cross, lighting of candles, etc.
Historical facts and opinions of historians about the origin of wedding ceremonies in Scotland
During the late medieval and early modern era in Scotland, girls could marry as young as 12 (whereas for boys as young as 14) and while many social elite girls married as teenagers, most Lowlanders married only after a period of life cycle service, they are in their twenties.In some cases, marriage may have followed betrothal, an engagement period which in the Highlands may actually have been a trial marriage period, although recent scholarship suggests that this idea is the result of late 20th century New Age mythology. Marriages, especially in the upper strata of society, were often political and subject to complex dowry negotiations. Some mothers took the lead in marriage negotiations, as Lady Glenorchy did for her children in the 1560s and 1570s, or as matchmakers, finding suitable and compatible partners for others.
In the Middle Ages, marriage was a sacrament, and the key element of reality was consent. The sacramental status was abolished during the Reformation, but the central place of concord remained. Weddings were often elaborate occasions for public celebrations and feasts. A tradition of penny weddings has developed among the poor, in which guests contribute to the expenses of the occasion, with food after the ceremony, sometimes accompanied by music and dancing.
In the early modern era, emphasis was placed on the wife’s duties to her husband and the virtues of chastity and obedience. How exactly patriarchy worked in practice is difficult to understand. Scottish women during this period had some reputation among foreign observers for being outspoken personalities, and Pedro de Ayala, the Spanish ambassador to the court of James IV, noted that they were «absolute mistresses of their homes and even of their husbands».
Before the Reformation, extensive bans on kinship marriage meant that most noble marriages required papal permission, which could later be used as grounds for annulment if the marriage proved politically or personally inconvenient, although there was no divorce as such. After the middle of the sixteenth century, they were reduced to those described in Leviticus 13:4-13, which limited them to relationships in the second degree of kinship. Separation from bed and board was still allowed in exceptional circumstances, usually adultery, and under the reformed Church, divorce was allowed on the grounds of adultery or desertion. Scotland was one of the first countries to allow desertion as a legal ground for divorce, and unlike England, divorce proceedings came relatively low in the social ladder.
Modern Russian wedding traditions
Customs like a generous feast or ransom of the bride came to us from antiquity, but to this day they do not lose their relevance. Over time, new wedding ceremonies appeared in Russia.
More recently, a tradition has settled in us to release white doves from our hands. Not everyone knows what is the meaning of this amazingly beautiful custom. A blue and pink ribbon is tied to the pigeon’s legs. If a bird with a blue ribbon flies higher, then a son will be born first in the family.
Another modern tradition is to break the wine glasses from which the first sip is taken. This promises happiness to the newlyweds.
When the bride and groom sit down at the wedding table, champagne or wine is poured from two different bottles until they are empty.These two empty bottles of the wife should keep the first year of marriage — for a fun family life.
Another popular attribute of the wedding was the first dance of the young. The newlyweds, as a rule, select music for it in advance. They often take dance lessons. An equally touching custom is when the bride dances with her father.
At the end of the celebration, the newlywed throws a bouquet into the crowd of girlfriends. As you know, the lucky woman who caught him will get married within a year. The groom’s friends also get a chance to say goodbye to a single life. The scheme is the same: the groom removes the garter from the legs of his beloved and throws it over his head into a circle of languishing friends.
Modern wedding traditions in Scotland
In Scotland, it is customary to arrange a wedding celebration strictly on weekdays, since people need rest on weekends, and Scottish fishermen celebrated such an event only in winter, since they have no work in winter. The Scots are considered very superstitious people and the wedding was celebrated in any month except May. Another most important condition for the wedding was the growing moon. It is believed that when the moon is growing, then the marriage will be happy. The wedding could be celebrated up to two days, but it all depends on the money and the place for this celebration. It could be any cafe, restaurant, tent on the street, etc.
When all the parties discussed the conditions of the main celebration, the groom and the father of the bride went to the church to negotiate with the priest about the upcoming wedding.
Modern Scottish weddings have abandoned the ancient and evil rite of «blackening the bride.»Its essence was that the groom’s friends pulled the bride out of the house by the arms and legs and poured slop on her. If the bride endures all this, then she will overcome family difficulties.
Another of the traditions that the groom must observe is the gift of a beautiful brooch to the bride. Further, this brooch is attached to future children in order to protect them from bad things. The groom must also give a silver spoon, which means prosperity in the family. According to tradition, the groom had to pay for all the clothes for the bride, even jewelry. The bride could give the groom a shirt. The groom’s clothes are different from the wedding clothes of a Russian wedding. The groom is wearing a shirt, a tie in the national style and a jacket, a national plaid skirt. The kilt holds a belt with a buckle that bears the national symbol. Scots wedding rings may not be new, they may be inherited, and there may be Celtic painting on the rings.
Conclusion
When studying this topic, I have identified differences in wedding ceremonies in Scotland and Russia, which most of our people are not even aware of, and yet the differences in wedding ceremonies are quite significant.
First, Scottish brides wear more modest wedding dresses.
Secondly, the bridesmaids pay for the Scottish bridesmaids’ outfits.
Thirdly, women invited to the wedding come in hats.
Fourth, wedding gifts
Newlyweds do not unpack until after the honeymoon.
By the way, the honeymoon ceremony for Russian newlyweds is taken from the traditions of Scotland.
And also the tradition of throwing the bride’s bouquet came to us from Scotland.
Russian weddings, in addition to the ransom of the bride and the wedding, which came to us from time immemorial, have the following traditions:
- Throwing the garter beloved by the groom.
- Dance of the young.
- Dance of the bride with her father.
- Breaking wine glasses for happiness.
- Release of white doves.
6.Tradition to celebrate gold and silver weddings.
