ROMANIAN WEDDING

By Vlad Cristian Budescu

Product made for the project:Intercultural Dialogue as a Means to Intercultural Dialogue as a Means to Develop Creativity and InnovationDevelop Creativity and Innovation

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Wooling

The young man who wanted to get

married chose some of his friends (sometimes even the father or other relatives) and decided when to go to the bride's house.

Of course, the future bride and her family were announced before hand to have enough time to prepare themselves to greet the guests.On that day they go to the bride’s house and they have a small speech, which differs from area to area.

Then comes the moment when the father’s son talks to the bride's parents, discussing various aspects regarding the oncoming wedding.

Sometimes the decision to make the wedding was already taken, wooling being just a formality and an opportunity to spend some wonderful moments together.

Often, after the discussion ,a party is thrown, especially if the wedding date was established.

The Dressing of the bride 

The godmother along with the bride's mother and close friends helps the bride to get dressed, because in the end, godmother ties the veil and wreath on the bride’s head.

At the same time, the groom, surrounded by his friends gets dressed too. In the past, more

people could attend this ritual. While the bride and the groom get dressed

people sing several songs regarding their wedding. Most of the songs are happy, but there are also some sad ones.

Godmother orders and pays a cake adorned with various ornaments, edible or not, knitted under various other shapes. Symbolically, the bride's cake is shared over her head and is given to the guests.

They say if you eat this cake will bring good luck.

Breaking the cake

Road to the churchThe going to the church is usually done

on foot, in the order dictated by the status of each participant. The procession is the same in Muntenia, Oltenia and Moldova, the only difference can by noted regarding the clothes people wear.

Before the procession a tree is held, chosen by the groom and the tree holder.

Gift

It is one of the important moments of your wedding, each guest contributing a sum in shaping new family budget. The guests sits down to dinner and drink speech magistrate said. After the speaker, waiters offering a glass with drinking guests. Mean while, the bride bring a towel for the godmother and one for the godfather, passing each guest magistrate with a bowl to collect money. After gathering the money, dance begins again, until godmother has considered the bridal couple's time for bed and go to put bed , inviting them to bed. Before passing the threshold, the bride is opposed, but is taken in arm by the groom . With this sequence ends dinner.

Bride dressing

The ritual of covering the bride head with a scarf as a sign of its transition from a virgin state, to the wife, the mother. In a separate room, the bride, surrounded by godmother and her friends, sit on the seat prepared for goomother.

This remove crown (veil) and try to law the scarf, but it "opposes", firing a three times on the head. Meanwhile, female nurse plays a dance around the bride and shouted various verses, on its departure in turn.

After being wrapped, godmather put the crown on the head of a lady bride, to have luck and marry that year. Godparents are only driven home with musicians as a sign of gratitude and respect for them as spiritual parents.

Accessories, nuptial symbols and their

"story"

1. Bridal bouquet

The tradition of wearing wedding day bouquet of flowers dates from ancient

times, when it was thought that the scent of flowers will chase away evil spirits, misfortune and illness. In Roman Empire, this tradition was extended, both groom and bride wear a bouquet of flowers each, representing new life and fertility. In particular, bouquet symbolizes woman becoming.

2. Tiara Crown comes from the days

when kings, queens and young masters also received a tribute as a token of honor and respect. To achieve an impressive crown is used broaches, earrings and jewelry from the family collection, connected by a spiral wire. By marriage to a king, queen and bride became automatically is given the right to wear the crown. Over time, customs laws have been taken over by wealthy nobles and then the rest of the people, regardless of social strata to which they belonged.

So there Queen without the crown, but no wedding without the wreath. After all, it held the most important wedding day. During the ceremony, the priest blesses two identical crowns, which sit on top bridal couple, the "coronation" they become absolute staple in their home.

3. Engagement Ring The traditional is the diamond. They say

"diamonds are the best friends of a woman". If you want to buy a diamond ring, need to be considered for his cut, clarity, color and carat.

Cut refers to the way rock was modeled resulting in more shapes: oval, tear, while remaining the most popular round. Clarity refers to flaws like scratches, bubbles or cracks.

A diamond is judged and color, the more it is clear, the more valuable the stone is. Carat is the size of the stone, the most important characteristic of a diamond.

Note, though! A large diamond can lose in value if it has impurities. For the engagement ring, gold is the best choice, but it comes from strong silver and platinum, depending on personal tastes.

4. Wedding Ring "The circle, symbolizing the infinite,

suggests that love and attraction between two young men has finally, try an English writer Charles Swinburne possible answer.

Newly husband when i put the ring on the finger wife is not only a solemn moment, but, for some time and tried a semnficatii superstitious. They say that if the ring is the first joint of the finger prevents the bride, she will be master of the house.

Only if easy to slip lip ring finger, will lead man. This is why some brides purposely bent finger. Ring can be simple or patterned, etched or not. If the Romans are engraved on wedding proverbs and declarations of love, today, the young appear only monogramele their rings and wedding date.

5. Veil Still not established a safe home

accessory that accompanies this wedding dress for centuries. One

explanation dates from ancient times, but when the groom throw a blanket on top of his choice, which means that the girl belongs. It was a sign of conquest of the future bride.

They also say that the veil's role is to protect the bride from evil spirits floating around her during the ceremony.

6. ThresholdWhen entering for the first time in their

house, the groom must cross the threshold with the bride in his arms. It seems that there are two explanations for this custom.

The first would be to protect the bride from evil spirits, who wait hidden below the threshold. The second Romanian dates from when it was believed that if only the bride will pass the threshold of the new home, the couple that will take part only of bad luck.

Mysteries of two weddings

1. Civil Wedding It is a simple ceremony and the importance which was given in the last decades in communist countries is the fact that the church wedding was not seen in the eyes of the authorities. Civil marriage takes place in the morning and officiating at City Hall or the sector that belong to the future bride and groom.

Use requires the mayor to go youth and their parents only. There are special guests and relatives and friends can come only if you wish.

Required documents - declaration of marriage- ID-original and copy - Birth certificate-original and copy - Medical certificate prenup, available 24 hours

- Divorce final court decision or act death of sotuui / previous wife (if applicable) - Revenue stamps - If the future spouses is a foreign one, the documents needed are: passport with a visa, birth certificate and certified translation, a statement showing that civil data and that has not been or has been married.

If more was needed: a death certificate or divorce sentence in original and certified translation of their two witnesses and extrajudicial stamp duty.

2. Religious WeddingIs represented by two youth when connecting

their destiny to God. The whole ceremony takes place at the church service was officiated by two canons of religion.

The Romanian Orthodox Church, in theory, mixed marriages can not be committed, but with the approval of the bishop or vicar can be achieved, provided that the descendants of his wife be baptized in the Orthodox Church.

Things needed in church

- civil marriage certificate- certificate of baptism - wedding rings- wine and wafers- two wedding candles- fee for the church (usually collected from godparents)

Religious ceremony- a confesor is chosen by the bride and

groom - before the wedding the bride and

bridegroom confess to receive Holy Communion. It is good that parents and godparents ’ bridal couple to confess

- first, the lady and the best man enter the church holding the wedding candles

- the bride enters wearing the veil on her face, being led by the godfather to the altar and the groom follows, led by the godmother

- the church people put out a bucket of water, a sign of wealth. At the exit, on the bridal couple is cast wheat or rice, and on their feet sprinkle flower petals

- at the same time, the bride's bouquet is thrown on the steps of the church, immediately after committing wedding

Superstitions- if it rains on your wedding day, you will have a rich marriage- it is said you mustn’t see another

bride inside the church, because you will have bad luck.

-If you see a rainbow on your wedding day, a black cat or a chimney sweep, you'll get lucky

-If the groom drops the ring inside the church, your marriage will be cursed

-if the bride steps on the groom's foot during the religious service people say that the bride will wear pants

Days in which you can’t celebrate

weddings -all fast days over the year -eve imperial feasts -in the week before Easter -the Easter lent -during the Holy Week -on Saint Peter and Paul’s Day (23-29 June) -Assumption in Post (July 31 to August 14) -the Christmas fast (November 14-December 24) -from Christmas to Epiphany

Wedding menuI Appetizers

• Roll chicken with mushrooms• Dodos with cheese and ham• Roulette salami• Green peppers with cheese paste• Olives• Pickled Fish

II. CoffeeIII. Over (Trout with garnish of potatoes and lemon)IV. Sharma (Beef and Cabbage rolls sheet of cabbage with polenta and pepper)V. CoffeeVI. Roast

Grilled porkBeefsteakGarnish: potato peasantSeasonal Salad

VII. Chocolate fountain with assorted fruit skewersVIII. Marzipan cake

The End