Russian Wedding Traditions

Russian wedding traditions are many and are celebrated very pompously and religiously. What is noteworthy about every wedding in Russia is that civil weddings are given much more preference to official weddings. This is why even if a couple ties a knot in a church they have to separately organize a civil wedding ceremony. This reflects the social consciousness of the Russian people. Following is a detailed description of the Russian Wedding Traditions.
Russian weddings mainly last for two days and is celebrated lavishly. Though the Russian civil ceremony is a small process yet it is carried out with much fun and enjoyment and is more of a festival. The whole process of wedding involves singing, dancing, feasting and drinking. This explains the fun-loving nature of the Russians.
Unlike other wedding ceremonies in the world, Russian wedding ceremonies are attended by close friends and family members. During this ceremony the Russians follow certain customs and traditions. These are:
• A relative or a close friend makes a wedding toast in honor of the newlyweds.
• Again it is mandatory in a Russian wedding to offer the bride and the groom bread and salt. This is mainly done to ensure the newly-weds have a good health and a flourishing married life.
• The bride and the groom must reach the wedding chapel together to exchange the marriage vows. Then they are supposed to stand on a special carpet all through the marriage ceremony. There is more to add to this. Whoever reaches the carpet first is regarded as the guardian of the family.
• Again towards the end of the reception the guests throw the champagne glasses on the floor. It is a common Russian belief that if the glasses break into pieces after hitting then the ground then this is sure to bring the couples good luck.
Russian weddings are also popular for the exclusive dining that they have. Here the guests are treated with delicious Russian dishes. They can also enjoy romantic Russian music and can dance to its tunes.