The interesting wedding customs in Eastern Europe

I. Lucky shoes:

The custom--taking things away from the bride-- can be traced back to long time ago, at that time, the brides were hijacked or bought by their groom symbolically. For example, the guests would try to steal the bride's shoes on the wedding in Croatia , then the groomsman had to buy them from the looter, then gave back again to the bride.

There has ever been such a kind of custom on the Serbs’ wedding: the bride's mother-in-law has to give the bride a necklace strung by GOLD COINS, however, this kind of custom has been replaced by "stockings and a pair of sloppy shoes" at present. Perhaps this gift is to remind the bride: After passing that day all the eyes will focus on her, she had to play a role of busy wife.

II. Showily crown:

There usually has been a ceremony for wearing the crown on the traditional wedding in Romania, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia, which is also the climax of the whole wedding. The role of the crown is a symbol of the new couple’s luxury and dignity on the wedding which was given by god. The bride and groom have been crowned as the king and queen in their territory (the family of both of them), where people hope they can start their life well with their own wisdom and sincerity.

The priest will put the crown which was made of gold and special flowers on the head of the bride and groom on the wedding in Romania, and in the process of the whole wedding, he is going to exchange the bride’s crown and groom’s crown for three times separately as a token of their combination. The new couple also has to wear a veil and a wreath on their heads in Georgia's wedding. According to Armenian tradition, the bride and groom's crown have to be worn for a week after the wedding, last for eight days altogether. In the ceremony, the priest will make a collision on the bride and groom’s head (of course, gently impact), then put the two crowns decorated with gold thread on the heads of the new couple.

On the Cossacks’ wedding ceremony in the east of Russia, sometimes the groomsman and the emcee have to lift up the heavy and beautiful crown on the bride and the groom’s heads for several minutes until the priest suggests them put the crowns on the bride and groom’s head.

III. The positioned things on the heads:

Speaking of the positioned things on the heads of the new couple, cake is the common thing on the bride’s head in Russia. Within three days of the Russian traditional wedding, the bride can put all kinds of things on her head, such as veil, gold plated or silver plated crown, satin or taffeta pieces and so on. Otherwise, on the banquet of their wedding eve, people will put the silver pieces, barleys and oats on the bride and groom’s head.