A veil is an indispensable attribute of the bride’s outfit. Now few people think about the meaning of wearing it. The tradition came to us from the depths of centuries, when wearing a veil at a wedding was mandatory and was important.
Why used to cover the face of the bride
The traditions of the peoples of different countries and different religions for many centuries converged on one thing - on the day of the wedding, the newlywed's face should be closed from strangers and serve as protection against curses, slander, slander, evil eye.
In Islam, this tradition is still preserved in its original form - the bride’s face is completely closed from outsiders and even the groom does not see him before the wedding. In the east, it is believed that the spiritual qualities of a young girl are more important than her appearance. And the groom can look at her only when she becomes her husband.
Now the wedding is a cheerful joyful holiday. Earlier in Russia, the wedding consisted of 2 parts: funeral and festive.
The first part was reminiscent of a funeral: the girl said goodbye to girlhood, her family and her stepfather. All relatives mourned her. The newlywed pretended to be inanimate, so that evil spirits would bypass her. The rite of mourning should not have been interrupted. Otherwise, family life will be miserable.
When the bride was brought into the groom's house, her face was covered with an impenetrable scarf in order to protect her from evil looks and witchcraft.
Only the groom had the right to remove the veil after the wedding ceremony. This rite meant that now the bride goes under the protection of her husband.
Veiled face: signs
Since the veil was important during the wedding ceremony and influenced the subsequent married life, rituals and traditions of dealing with it gradually developed:
- You could not wear a veil before the wedding when trying on a dress. The rule was strict. It was believed that his violation would lead to great misfortunes. Even today, out of superstition, they are afraid to try on a dress with a veil.
- Only the bride and her mother had the right to touch or take the veil in their hands.
- Only the mother has the right to wear a veil on the bride. This custom has been rigorous and compulsory and is often respected to this day.
- At the wedding, the mother of the bride carefully monitors so that no one, intentionally or accidentally, tears the veil from the bride. It was a bad sign.
- Only the groom has the right to throw the veil off his face first for the first kiss. This is considered the moment of entry into the rights of the spouse.
Important! The veil was carefully stored after the wedding and was taken out only after the birth of the firstborn. Then a veil was covered with a cradle, like a talisman from evil spirits.
Why now do not cover the face of the bride
Nowadays, a veil is not a mandatory attribute of a wedding dress. Young people believe in gender equality, their views on maintaining integrity before the wedding are liberal.
With the decreasing role of religion in society and the growth of general education, people less believe in evil spirits, slander and evil eye.
But if the wedding takes place with a wedding in the church, then wearing a veil during the ceremony will be mandatory.
