Wedding traditions in Romania

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Wedding traditions in Romania
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You may wonder why a wedding has some kind of
symbolic gestures and what they mean. Many times,
many of our documents are in fact some remnants
of history of mentalities, and the wedding, the
key ritual in social life of any individual,
gestures has its mysteries. We will
try to mention the most popular traditions in our
country even if some of them still meet only in
limited areas of the north.
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Exchanging rings
It seems that the exchange of rings comes from
ancient Egypt. Egyptians believed that the third
finger of the left hand has a vein that led
directly to the heart. The rings were made of
fabrics (hemp) and they symbolized the union of
hearts. Later the Romans adopted the habit of
exchanging rings but have innovated iron rings to
symbolize the powerful relationship between
spouses. The Middle Ages British replaced the
iron with gold, emphasizing the idea of
sustainability and purity.
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Wedding cake
Romanians respected the tradition that, at the
end of the marriage ceremony, bread was to be
torn over the bride's head. There is the belief
that the number of crumbs could indicate how many
children the new couple will have. The
participants to the wedding would pick and keep
the crumbs for good luck. For larger weddings,
the guests do not leave empty-handed, the loaves
were increasingly larger. As time passed and
refinement found its way in all weddings, the
bread was replaced by the cake we know today.
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Bridal bouquet
In ancient times almost anything was considered
to be bad omen. To protect against evil, brides
used herbs that were known for their protection
against possible harm. Plants, certain varieties
of herbs were attached to the bride's dress from
head to toe. Later, the plants began to be
replaced with flowers, for aesthetic sense only.
In time the flowers have evolved in the bridal
bouquet, which we know today.  
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Wooing
The young man who wanted to marry chose some of
his friends (sometimes even the father or other
relatives) and determined the day when they would
go to the bride's house. Of course, the bride and
her family were announced in order to have time
to prepare themselves to greet guests. On the
agreed uoon day, the groom and the wooers went to
the brides home, where they held a speech, which
differed from area to area. Then the father and
the son talked to the bride's parents, discussing
various aspects of future family. Sometimes the
decision to make the wedding was already taken
the petition was merely a formality or an
opportunity to spend some wonderful moments.
Often there was a small party, especially if it
was settled that the wedding would take place.
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Tight
It's a party at the bride's house (usually) the
night before the wedding, attended by two of the
grooms young friends, other guests. At the
beginning of the party, young people would create
ornaments which would be put in the wedding tree,
from materials provided by the grooms. The party
itself does not involve too much food but rather
drink and dance.
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Tree
On the morning of the wedding, the groom,
together with two close friends adorns two trees
with different objects, fruit and rolls. Trees
are carried by young, unmarried people to the
godfathers house, where it is attached to the
gate. Then, the procession continues on to the
bride's house, a place where the second tree is
placed. The tree is the symbol of youth and
vigor its decoration symbolizes the future
familys wholesome life.
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Wetting
The bride, bridal procession and the young man
with the tree go to the third well to the east,
counting from the bride's house, accompanied by
musicians. Along the way, the bride and the young
man wearing a pitcher (or a wooden bucket in
other areas), tied with homespun cloth, to the
well. Here, the lad takes out water three times
and each time, along with the bride, sprays the
crowd with a bunch of basil, soaked in water from
the jug, as a token of good luck for young girls
to get married, for young boys to find their
partner.
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Returning from the well, the wedding guests start
a wedding dance and the bride puts a wedding
flower on each participants chest. The same
flowers or wedding badges will be received by the
groom, godparents, and other guests at the church.
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• Popa Alexandra Raluca
• Grup Scolar de Telecomunicatii si Lucrari Publice
  Hunedoara
• Romania