When the bride's veil is removed, words. Removing the veil at a wedding, a traditional moment. How to perform this ritual in our time

Every little girl has one big dream: a carriage, a prince and a beautiful white dress, like a real princess. Time makes its own adjustments to the image of both the prince and the carriage, but the dress remains a cherished dream. Lush or laconic, white, pink, sometimes even red - in the modern world, standards change so quickly that you don’t have time to keep up with the latest wedding fashion, and the bride already has a lot of worries during the preparation and planning of the celebration.

And in the pre-wedding bustle, more and more brides are turning to long-standing traditions that are not subject to daily changes. This applies to both the organization of the celebration and the conduct of folk wedding ceremonies. One of these is, in particular, the ritual of removing the veil from the bride.

Is a veil necessary?

Nowadays, many brides choose dresses without a veil, considering it an extra unnecessary detail that also hides festive makeup. The desire to create a luxurious hairstyle, the fear of not finding a model that matches the color and style - there are many reasons for refusing a veil.

The tradition of covering the bride’s face is not originally Slavic; it came to us from Europe, where people believed that the bride needed a veil to protect her from the evil eye of ill-wishers and envious people. And the burqa, which women of the East still wear, serves the same purpose - to hide beauty and youth from the eyes of strangers.

As for the veil, initially it was made completely opaque, but over the years, obstinate fashionable brides have won the right to a veil made of airy and light materials. And the girl hiding her face behind thin elegant lace looks mysterious and beautiful.

What did our ancestors do?

In Rus', girls before marriage were allowed to walk with their hair down and their heads uncovered. At the wedding, a wreath was braided into the bride’s hair, and at the end of the holiday, the hair was loosened, the wreath was taken out, and the hair was braided into two braids, then put back into a hairstyle, symbolizing the transition from girls to women. This ritual was completed by covering the head with a scarf as a sign of submission to the husband. Now this transition symbolizes the removal of the veil.

Plan a ritual

If you decide that you will definitely perform this beautiful ritual at your wedding, then you should plan in advance how it will take place. There are several ways to remove a veil, and each of them involves not only the bride, but also the parents of both future spouses. Be sure to discuss all the details so that an unfortunate oversight or accidental mistake of one of the characters does not become a reason for the bride’s upset! It’s even worth rehearsing this action several times.

Situation

Whichever option you choose, remember that you first need to create the right environment. This is a sad tradition, but sadness has no place at a wedding, so everything should go fairly quickly so that no one has time to get bored. There are many songs about this ritual, and it would be ideal to keep it to a few minutes while the music plays.

If you have an experienced presenter, he will tell you the time suitable for removing the veil. This usually happens towards the end of the wedding, when the bouquet and garter have already been thrown to the single girlfriends and friends of the newlyweds, but before the first dance of the newlyweds and before cutting the cake, because they must perform these actions, already considered husband and wife.

A chair is placed in the center of the hall, you can put a soft, beautiful pillow on it, and only then seat the bride. Everyone present stands in a circle near the chair. The light should be dimmed or turned off completely, giving guests candles in their hands, but be careful with the fire.

How does the ritual work?

So, the first option is that the groom removes the veil from the bride, gently removing the jewelry from the bride’s hair and kissing her on the cheek each time until the veil is removed. Kisses can be replaced with compliments, or they can be combined, but do not overdo it with the number of hairpins and barrettes: not all grooms are able to show eloquence and long endurance in such a situation.

The second option is for the mother of the bride to remove the veil. In some parts of our country, it is believed that the bride should not immediately succumb to the hands of her mother, but must evade and resist, agreeing to sit quietly only on the third attempt. In some places it is allowed that the mother places banknotes on the bride’s head, and the third should be the largest. This action symbolizes the daughter’s reluctance to leave her home and become a married housewife.

The third option, which is also the most common, is that the mother of the groom removes the veil, thus demonstrating that she agrees to accept the bride into her home. In this case, there is no longer any need to resist, since it is clearly not worth quarreling with future relatives. At this moment, the future mother-in-law remembers how she herself was part of someone else’s family, which should have a positive impact on the relationship with her son’s future wife. Who will understand a woman better than a woman!

End of the ceremony

So, you have finally taken off the veil. But the ritual does not end there - now you need to cover your head with a scarf. A scarf is more of a general name; it is not necessary to take just a colorful, lurid scarf. You can replace it with a silk cut in the color of the dress and wedding, or look for a suitable option in wedding stores - the industry is meeting the wishes of clients, and the tradition of removing the veil and putting on a scarf is becoming more and more popular.

The mother-in-law must put a scarf on her head, since now the bride comes under her protection. It is not necessary to tie the scarf completely; you can simply drape the ends over your shoulders so that it does not fall off.

It is at this moment that the mother-in-law should show sensitivity and attentiveness, since one awkward movement can cause irreparable damage to both the bride’s makeup and hairstyle. But if you do everything carefully and slowly, the new look with a scarf will be no worse than the old one with a veil.

Dancing

Perhaps it is not worth saying that this is being done so that they too will soon be lucky enough to be in her place. If one of the girls needs luck more than others, if someone’s young man hesitates, not daring to propose, then the bride can linger near her, but in no case should you put a veil on someone else’s head, this is considered a bad omen - after all, the veil is only yours.

What to do next?

Many people are interested in the question, what to do next with the veil? Opinions differ: some believe that it should be given to the bride’s mother for safekeeping, others believe that it should be kept by the bride as a talisman that has collected all the positive, happy energy of the wedding celebration. In any case, we must hope that you will no longer need it - after all, you should get married only once in your life and for love.

The ritual of removing the veil is a very gentle and lyrical ritual, and this must be taken into account when drawing up the holiday program. Fireworks, jokes and loud cheerful music will not be the best accompaniment, but a gentle melody, candles, rain of rose petals will be very welcome. Think through all the details of the future holiday, and then you won’t have to worry about the little things that spoil the impression of what’s happening.

Following traditions, during a wedding ceremony, the ceremony of removing the veil is very often performed - one of the most beautiful ancient Slavic rituals.

Wedding Ceremony Traditions

He is rooted in ancient customs, and his every action has meaning. As you know, all ritual objects mean certain symbols. And the veil is no exception.

The symbolic meaning of the ritual in the customs of the ancient Slavs

Symbolic meaning

Since ancient times, among the Eastern Slavs, a young unmarried girl wore her hair braided, decorated with a wreath of flowers and herbs. The wreath was both a decoration and a kind of hair clip; it was woven into a braid. When a girl got married, her braid was unraveled and the wreath was taken out of her hair. From that moment on, a woman had no right to go bare-haired in front of strangers; a headdress was put on her head; each nation had its own.

Over time, wreaths were replaced by veils, which came into fashion and culture of the Slavs from Western peoples. The customs gradually transformed, but the order of the ritual has been preserved to this day. Its meaning also remained the same: farewell to a free unmarried life, and the transition to a new status - the status of a wife (that is, covering the head with a scarf). The mother-in-law put a scarf on the head of the newly-made wife, which was the personification of the daughter-in-law’s submission to her new relative, recognition of her power.

How to perform this ritual in our time

In a modern way

Of course, the wedding ceremony will only benefit if it includes the removal of the veil, but in a modern version. You can choose one of three ways to perform the ceremony. By the way, in addition to the generally accepted one (when the veil is removed by the mother-in-law), the other two are also quite ancient, but their use was not so widespread. But for some peoples the ritual took place exactly this way.

The veil is removed by the mother-in-law - here everything happens almost the same as was described in the traditional version. The veil is removed by the bride's mother - the symbolic meaning changes slightly - in this case it is as if the girl is being transferred from one family to another. If the veil is removed by the spouse, this is a more personal ceremony; in this case, it should be performed at the very end of the first day of the wedding celebration, as if personifying the transition of the bride to the status of a wife. In any case, the ritual turns out to be very touching.

Then - dance with each of your girlfriends. The veil must be held above their head. After this, the veil is put on the head of the most beloved girlfriend, with whom you especially want to share happiness and good luck. Or, as an option, the one who most needs marriage (for example, a girl has been dating a guy for a long time, but can’t wait for him to propose marriage).

Some brides do not like the custom of having to wear a scarf, citing the fact that it “does not suit them.” But a scarf in its pure form is not necessary. Even the veil is a kind of replacement for the ancient wreath. This means that the scarf can be replaced with a beautiful scarf, cape, or beret. The main thing is that the head is covered with a headdress. This is how, without sinning against the truth, you can make your wedding memorable, bright, and emotional.

Beautiful words for the ritual of removing the veil - it is possible to hear only one single time in your life... Sometimes, unfortunately, the first marriage continues with a second, and third, and even fourth, but the ritual of removing the veil can only happen once...

I suggest that for the ceremony of removing the veil, a short narrative in prose, followed by a beautiful, solemn poem. The choice is yours. It's up to you to decide exactly how to bring this tradition to life...

No earthly music can compare in its sweetness with the beating of a loving heart.

Henry Ward Beecher

Words before removing the veil in prose

“Mom is the most beloved, dearest person on earth, she gave you life, she surrounded you with tenderness and care. And today mom is giving her little blood in marriage... Now mom will take off your veil.

And this moment will divide your life in half. Your childhood and carefree youth will remain behind you. And ahead of you, like every girl, a woman’s fate awaits you. What it will become depends on the two of you. Let the groom be a kind, caring husband for his bride. And let the bride become a faithful, gentle and caring wife for her husband. Now the mother will approach her daughter, touch her with her kind, motherly hands and take off the wedding veil...

In front of all the guests, we will tremblingly place the girl’s veil in a magic casket and lock it with a key. We will immediately give this casket to the groom.. You should not open the casket until that happy moment until your first-born is born. Only after the birth of the baby can you take out a wedding veil and throw it over your child’s crib. The wedding veil - having absorbed the happiness and joy of today - will protect your child from the evil eye."

Words for removing the veil with poetry and prose

We will now perform a very beautiful and symbolic ritual of removing the veil, as a symbol of the bride’s farewell to a carefree life, and the entry into a new, beautiful, mature life, when you need to be responsible not only for yourself, but also for your soul mate and for your children.

The custom came to us from our ancestors -
Take off the veil, which is the key to youth,
May your home always be a warm cup,
As soon as you cross the threshold,

Now you are together, you are one!
And therefore it is necessary
Gently remove the veil from the bride,
Give it to another bride...

Last time you can touch
To your veil and maiden destiny,
Already a wife... and will not return again
Neither childhood nor childishness towards you,

Let mother's hands, which are so carefully clean,
They remove the cloud of veil from their daughter...

or (if both mothers remove the veil):

Let mothers' hands, which are carefully clean,
The cloud of veil will be removed from the bride...

(Mommies, or one mother, carefully remove the veil)

To make your girlhood dream come true,
So that everything comes true, reciprocity smiles -
Try on your veil for your girlfriends,
So that every woman’s happiness touches...

(The bride tries on a veil for each bridesmaid)

Just let it be sweet
And just a little bit of bitterness,
Blessing on the way -
Let's shout to lovers

"Bitterly!"

After removing the veil, the groom ties a scarf on the bride's head. This action implies that the man himself is leading his beloved into a new family life. Now the responsibility of each other for each other falls on the shoulders of both spouses, which they will bear throughout their entire life together.

Wedding celebrations are a series of traditional rituals that are designed to give the holiday a sacred meaning. The decision of young people to spend their lives together is a very serious one. This radically changes the usual order of things not only for them, but also for their family members. Removing the veil at a wedding is one of the most revealing wedding rituals. It is widespread, with minor modifications, in Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria and other countries.

The history of the ritual of removing the veil from the bride

There is a version that this action is associated with the ritual of unbraiding the bride’s braids. On the eve of the wedding, the girl's braids were undone by her girlfriends or brother. Thus, she said goodbye to her family and girlish freedom. After the braids were unbraided, a scarf was put on the bride’s head, which was then worn by all married women. Hair was believed to attract the attention of other men. Now the young woman was moving on to the next stage of her life.

The ritual of removing the veil has the same meaning. A veil is an attribute of a wedding celebration, where the bride is just about to become a married woman. While the girl’s head is decorated with a veil, she is still a bride, but as soon as the veil is removed, she turns into a married woman.

In addition to the significance that this action has only for the bride, there is a symbolic meaning that it represents for members of the young family. The bride's family says goodbye to her, and the groom's relatives and he himself accept her.

Previously, a girl thus left the control of her parents, but came under the control of her husband and his family. Therefore, the script often assumes that the bride's veil is removed by the groom, mother-in-law or his father. Nowadays her mother does it sometimes. There is also an option in which the bride takes off the veil herself. So she tried to make it clear to guests and relatives that she was not going to be subordinate to her husband. In ancient times, this could have ended badly for her.

Rules for the ritual of removing the veil

Three ritual scenario options

Today, at weddings in Russia, it is customary to carry out this ceremony according to one of three scenarios. Music accompanies ritual actions.

Next comes the continuation of the ritual. Those girlfriends who have not yet gotten married stand in a round dance. The bride, accompanied by music, approaches each girl from the round dance and dances next to her, holding a veil over her head. The main thing is that the friend does not touch the veil, so as not to take away the happiness of the bride. The bride can dance longer with that friend whose personal life is not going well. The entire ceremony is accompanied by the words of the leader.

After completing the ceremony of removing the veil

In order to avoid a sad mood after the ceremony, you need to pay attention to some important details.

Now you can choose interesting musical accompaniment for a popular ritual. If a suitable song is played during it, it will make an even greater impression on the participants of the ceremony and guests of the celebration.

It is worth thinking about the headdress that the bride will wear after removing the veil. Now there is no strict requirement that it be a simple scarf. It could be some kind of silk scarf or hat. This dress must be selected in advance so that it does not discord with the bride’s outfit. He must be smart. Changing a veil to another accessory should not make you think about the severity of marriage. It’s just the beginning of a new life stage for a woman.

This is a touching ceremony that often brings tears to guests. Corresponding verses are often selected for it. It must be carried out carefully so as not to overshadow the holiday. Usually they organize a ritual of removing the veil at the end of the celebration, just before the departure of the newlyweds. But under no circumstances should you leave the veil. It is usually taken by the bride to be kept as a family heirloom. Sometimes the veil is given to the mother as a symbol of her daughter’s past youth.

A wedding celebration is an event at which many traditional rituals that have a deep, to some extent sacred meaning are observed to this day. One of these rituals is removing the veil from the bride. This usually happens at the end of the feast, when the wedding celebration is already over. In such touching moments, the eyes of all the guests and, of course, the groom are focused on the newlywed, who at this moment enters a new stage in life, becoming the guardian woman of the family hearth.

How does the ceremony of removing the veil from the bride take place?

Traditionally, the veil is removed at the final stage of the wedding celebration. There are various options for how and by whom this will be carried out.

First option involves the participation of the mother-in-law in this ritual. It is she who removes the veil from the newlywed, accepting her into her family. This symbolizes that the girl is now a married woman who has certain responsibilities. From this moment on, she is a full-fledged mistress in the new house, and girlhood is a thing of the past.

Second way The implementation of such a tradition can take place in a playful and humorous form, when the newlywed’s mother removes the decoration from her head. According to custom, she invites her daughter to take off her veil three times, to which the bride must refuse. And the fourth time the girl agrees, and her mother takes off her veil and puts on a scarf instead. This means the transition of the bride to the groom's house, as well as the beginning of a new life with its burdens and joys.

Third, a fairly uncommon method of removing a veil, is carried out together with the groom. He takes off the newlywed's headdress and ties a scarf on her, thereby accepting her into his family.

Overall, this is a touching and exciting event, which is usually celebrated solemnly. Guests line up in a circle and pick up candles, turn off the lights. In the center of the circle, the newlywed sits on a chair and places his betrothed on his lap. The mother-in-law or mother begins to remove the veil from the bride, slowly pulling out one hairpin at a time. After each hairpin, the groom kisses his beloved. Next, the bride must dance in turn with all the single guests.

Symbolism of tradition

This ritual takes its roots from very ancient times. True, in the old days it was not the veil that was removed. Brides in those days covered their heads with a wreath and braided their hair in one braid. Therefore, at the wedding it was the wreath that was removed, and the braid was unraveled. Today, in most cases, girls buy a white veil, but there are a huge number of types of headdresses in wedding salons. Each person chooses according to her taste so that the decoration matches the wedding dress and overall style. The meaning of the ritual is that the newlywed moves to another family, leaving behind her childhood and carelessness. Now she is the mistress and assistant in the new house.

Words accompanying the ritual

This traditional moment of the wedding celebration is accompanied by music appropriate to the occasion. If the guests want to perform the songs themselves, it will be even more impressive. Well, during the ceremony, sincere wishes for happiness and love should be pronounced.

What to do after

This tradition is usually the final ceremonial part of a wedding celebration. After the bride's veil is removed, dances are held, during which the unmarried bridesmaids take turns trying on the newlywed's headdress. It is believed that this will help them soon become brides. After the dancing, the groom and his chosen one leave, and the guests continue the fun.