The Rites of Marriage in Bulgaria - Part II
The groom and the bride are taken out of the house by the bride's brother (if any) or by the bride's maid. Each held an end of a long hand-woven cloth.
At the front door, there was to be another set of protection rituals. The bride threw a dish (a new one and especially brought by the groom) filled with wheat, coins and a raw egg. She threw the dish behind and over her head and she was not allowed to look back at it. It was a good sign if the dish broke into many small pieces.
Then the bride had to knock over a copper cauldron with water. People guessed about future crops, by the way the water had spilled.
At the front gates, just before the bride and the groom left the house, the mother threw a bucket of water on the road, wishing them a smooth and happy life. The guests threw coins, wheat and candy all over.
An essential part of the wedding ceremony were the sad songs that were sung because of the separation of the mother and the daughter or the bride's separation with the girl's life. Singing was very important and that is why the guests sing almost all the time! The songs are full of symbols and are sometimes impossible to translate correctly... An example of some lines of a song is:
"A fir tree is being twisted; a lass says good-bye to her kin."
Usually in front of the bride's house the groom and the guests dance the "horo". This is a very popular dance, which persist in every celembration. There are different types of "hora" ( the plural ) and one of the best are those arranged by Diko Illiev.
The Wedding Procession
On the way to the church, the wedding procession was cheerful and noisy. There had to be someone to beat the drum, the guests had to shout and shoot in the air. Occasionally, they would stop on the way to dance and anyone who passed by was invited.
The bride was never to look back at her house. It was not a good sign. Another terrible sign was if two brides ( unmarried ) met on the street. It was believed that they would steal
Latest Articles