What can you tell me about Serbian wedding customs?

Question

Serious answers would be appreciated.

Answer 1

There are various customs connected with the wedding,and they vary from region to region. We can only include the most common in this brief survey. For example, on the eve of the wedding, the bride's party gathers to make corsages of rosemary, a traditional herb. These are sold to the guest and the money is given to the bride and groom. This custom is well known in the Western part of the world. In fact, in America red roses are used instead of the herb. On the wedding day the bride is taken from her home by the "bride's guard", accompanied by a band or orchestra. They drink a toast to the bride and groom and the couple are allowed to see each other briefly, as the toast is drunk. They all leave for the church and the band plays a traditional song on the way. In the church the wedding party marches to the altar, accompanied by choir music, and there they go through a brief betrothal ceremony in which the bride and groom are given their rings. The wedding party then marshes to the center of the church, where there is a table bearing the Bible, a cross, a cup or wine and two crowns. The priest gives the instructive sermon, asking the participants specific questions pertaining to their free wills. Then, the priest ties the right hands or the participants together, symbolizing the one-ness or the marriage. Next, the crowns are placed on their heads, representing the coronation of glory with which the husband and wife hope to be blessed with in their future lives. After this, the formula of the wedding is pronounced as the priest says, three times, "Oh Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor." There is then a reading or the gospel and the bride and groom are given the cup of blessed wine symbolizing the mutual life in which they will accept the good with the bad, the bitter with the sweet, together in blessed love and understanding. Finally, the wedding party, preceded by the priest, walks three times around the table, signifying the eternal path of marriage. The newlyweds are congratulated by friends and, on the way out or the church, the best man (kum) throws small change in the couple's path, to wish them good luck and prosperity. Then, the wedding party goes to the bride's home, or some other suitable place to celebrate. There the guests dance the kolo, toast the bride and groom, and (instead of presents) give money to the honored couple. This is done to give the couple good start (financially) on their new life. Later on the bride is taken to the home or the groom to meet the small children, whom she kisses three times. This symbolizes the bride's desire for children of her own. The bride's mother-in-law' gives her wine and bread to symbolize the wish for harmony and happiness between them.

Nowdays most of the customs are forgotten:towel as a present,stealing of the bride,buying the bride from her brother,flags and towels on every car........
Modern weddings (http://blogs.fletcher.tufts.edu/reflections-archives/2006/06/serbian_wedding.html) are performed both in the church and at Municipality.

Presents are always for a couple: something they can both use.But never dinner-set(cutlery) or scissors-so "the couple will not cut their happines'
Only parents can give separate presents plus for the couple.

Answer 2

Serbian Wedding

Answer 3

Try the following link, it's got loads of Serbian wedding customs :
http://www.iarelative.com/wedding/serbian.htm

Answer 4

♥ I love Weddings and ethnic Cultures ♥

♥ Here's some information about the traditions of the Serbians and their unique and genuine diversity ♥

Customs

Serbian bagpiper in traditional attire wearing opanci and šajkača.The Serbs are a highly family-oriented society. A peek into a Serbian dictionary and the richness of their terminology related to kinship speaks volumes.

Of all Slavs and Orthodox Christians, only Serbs have the custom of slava. The custom could also be found among some Russians and Albanians of Serbian origin although it has often been lost in the last century. Slava is celebration of a saint; unlike most customs that are common for the whole people, each family separately celebrates its own saint (of course, there is a lot of overlap) who is considered its protector. A slava is inherited from father to son and each household may only have one celebration which means that the occasion brings all of the family together.

Though a lot of old customs are now no longer practised, many of the customs that surround Serbian wedding still are.

The traditional Serbian dance is a circle dance called kolo. It is a collective dance, where a group of people (usually several dozen, at the very least three) hold each other by the hands or around the waist dancing, forming a circle (hence the name), semicircle or spiral. The same dance, with the same name, is also traditional among the Croats. Similar circle dances also exist in other cultures of the region.

Serbs have their own customs regarding Christmas. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, so Christmas currently falls on January 7 of the Gregorian calendar. Early in the morning of Christmas Eve, the head of the family would go to a forest in order to cut badnjak, a young oak, the oaktree would then be brought into the church to be blessed by the priest. Then the oaktree would be stripped of its branches with combined with wheat and other grain products would be burned in the fireplace. The burning of the badnjak is a ritual which is most certainly of pagan origin and it is considered a sacrifice to God (or the old pagan gods) so that the coming year may bring plenty of food, happiness, love, luck and riches. Nowadays, with most Serbs living in towns, most simply go to their church service to be given a small parcel of oak, wheat and other branches tied together to be taken home and set afire. The house floor and church is covered with hay, reminding worshippers of the stable in which Jesus was born.

Christmas Day itself is celebrated with a feast, necessarily featuring roasted piglet as the main meal. Another Christmas meal is a deliciously sweet cake made of wheat, called koljivo whose consumption is more for ritual than nourishment. One crosses oneself first, then takes a spoonful of the cake and savours it. But the most important Christmas meal is česnica, a special kind of bread. The bread contains a coin; during the lunch, the family breaks up the bread and the one who finds the coin is said to be assured of an especially happy year.

Christmas is not associated with presents like in the West, although it is the day of St Nicolas, the protector saint of children, to whom presents are given. However, most Serbian families give presents on New Year's Day. Santa Claus (Deda Mraz (literally meaning grandpa frost)) and the Christmas tree (but rather associated with New Year's Day) are also used in Serbia as result of globalisation. Serbs also celebrate the Orthodox New Year (currently on January 14th of the Gregorian Calendar).

Religious Serbs also celebrate other religious holidays and even non-religious people often celebrate Easter (on the Orthodox date).




Want to learn more? Here's some links that can help you!

http://www.iarelative.com/wedding/serbian.htm

http://www.suc.org/culture/history/Hist_Serb_Culture/chi/Oral_Tradition.html

Answer 5

I can't tell you anything about Serbian wedding customs, seriously.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What can you tell me about Serbian wedding customs?
Serious answers would be appreciated.

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

I'm sure they drink Slivovich

Answer 9

This site will help you.

http://www.iarelative.com/wedding/serbian.htm

Answer 10

you have to take off your shoes and shave your head