Getting Married the Russian Way! - By: Charli Jhonson

Family structure and family traditions in Russia is starting to change today. Becoming liberal in nature, traditional Russia is declining. The emergence of mail order brides in the country and some already not following traditional ways of marriage are just indications of these changes taking place actively. Even the simple tradition to ask permission to get married has changed. Well, regardless where you met your Russian bride to be, it is one of your tasks to know the traditions and ceremonies of marriage in Russia. It is true that things have changed, however let us go back and see how all these exciting traditions are.

Traditionally, in Russia, parents practice to betroth their daughters or sons to marriage at a very young age. For reasons such as to know each other better, get used to the thought of them being together in the future and eventually get married. This is also because as young as they are, they need to learn each other’s attitudes before entering married life. This tradition was strictly followed until the late 1960s. But when Americans infiltrated the county with their modern concepts and the dating style, time’s started to change. Parents realized the pros and cons of the traditional way and started to let their children go on dating. But the modern way went beyond the limits of just the typical boy meets girl scenario. In Russia, it is strictly prohibited to have sexual relationship before marriage and when caught guilty, couples suffer severe penalties and punishments.

Before, the traditional way proved to be an enjoyable journey toward married life. It gave ample time for both the girl and the boy to know each other, meet and interact with each other’s families and more. Even proposing marriage to a Russian girl is exciting for any male. After proposal, it is now up to the father of the bride to accept or reject the proposal, even after all the hardships and events they had been to. If the decision is accept, tradition says that a woman kneads bread to be taken to the man’s parents. This is to show that she is capable to be a good wife to their son. In return, she earns their respect and trust.

Another tradition is similar to purchasing a bride. As this is tradition, it is not considered bad or unpleasant. There are other races that also practice this tradition. The man will place a sort of bid for his chosen woman. He offers money and/or presents to her family. This is also a way to show the woman’s parents that he is capable of taking care of the woman after marriage. He has enough to feed and provide for her and their family.

If the woman’s parents do not favor the bid and do not agree to give their daughter’s hand in marriage, this is perceived as a challenge, thus give rise to another marriage tradition called “stealing”. Some may find this funny and weird however, there are people who make stealing brides their profession.

Another exciting marriage tradition in Russia is done after marriage. It is sort of a symbolism rather than an act. After the marriage ceremony, the bride will elope with her groom at midnight. This symbolizes that the bride had left all her possessions behind including her family and friends for her husband.

Finally, the actual marriage ceremony is another unforgettable tradition in Russia. It is more on the religious side rather than the legal side. We can term it as a paperless marriage unlike most countries do where legal papers are signed after the ceremony. Here, couples do not sign anything. The marriage ceremony in Russia focuses more on the couple’s commitment to God and asking God for a blessing to have a happy married life. They also made to pray and vow to stay together, marry for love and passion rather than money or anything else. The traditional marriage ceremony usually takes 30 to 40 minutes while in other areas the ceremony takes up to 5 hours. After the ceremony, common to all weddings and marriage ceremonies, is the banquet. Either in a restaurant or in the bride’s home, the wedding reception takes place. Celebrating the bride and groom with lots of drinking, food, music and dancing. To the bride and groom’s happy married life.

Knowing these traditions, especially when you are a foreigner, will give you not only an idea how to act but also learn and respect the culture of your bride. After all, these traditions can add to a happy experience once you had decided to tie the knot with your Russian bride.

About the Author

Charli jhonson is a dating coordinator between the western men and Russian mail order brides. he presents abundance of genuine profiles of Russian women. If you are in search of your lady love then this is the place for you. Furthermore, you will be exploring different ways to attract your Russian bride.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Charli-Jhonson/33808

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