Who sewed the wedding dress? Immediately after the decision on the wedding was made, the entire female half of the bride's family was in a hurry to help her finish the wedding dress. In Russian tradition, it was considered normal to sew a wedding dress for herself. Moreover, it is the outfit made with his own hands.

Knitted wedding dress Openwork knitted wedding dresses look beautiful and original, but many brides reject them. There is a widespread opinion: supposedly it is impossible to wear a dress with holes at a wedding, because through them the bride can be hurt by negative influences,

Does a wedding dress have to be one piece? Today one can often hear the opinion that the bride's attire should be a one-piece dress, and separately the skirt and corset promise a separation in the family. According to the Russian tradition, only the bottom should be full-cut.

Wedding Dress- this dress for happiness It is best to be yourself, behave naturally and not try to impress anyone. This is true in life, but it is not entirely reasonable in some cases, including when getting married. Pretty girls, the wedding is your first

Our distant ancestors were in awe of the forest, which they looked at only as a living creature. Villages were built next to the forests, temples were located in them, and they were inhabited by benevolent (and not so) undead. The forest provided food, shelter and shelter. It is no coincidence that it was the tree that became the symbol that unites the Rule, Reality and Nav: the roots leading from the underworld gave a trunk - the reality in which we live, and the branches, the crown - the abode of the gods.

Thanks to this, the tree began to be considered a ladder along which one can travel around the worlds. Many Slavic peoples have preserved beliefs according to which the soul of a deceased person moves into a tree. Most likely, they arose after the baptism of Rus, since most of them contain references either to the Bible or to Christian cemeteries. However, this is also part of our history. According to these legends, the squeaky tree became the abode of a restless soul; the ban on the collection of any raw materials from cemeteries also originates from here. A tree was planted on the grave in which the soul could find peace. That is why it was forbidden to break branches and pick fruits from cemetery trees. A very vivid example is given in the "Divine Comedy": without knowing it, Dante embodied on paper the echoes of Slavic beliefs: in his Hell, on the fifth circle, the souls of suicides, who languish in the guise of trees, are kept. If you break off a branch or pluck a leaf from such a tree, blood flows, and you can hear moaning and crying.

Life is also inextricably linked with a tree. Not only the Slavs, but also many other peoples believed that at the birth of a baby, a tree should be planted near the house. He was selected especially: for boys "men" (oak, maple, ash), for girls "women" (birch, linden). There is even a special horoscope for this case, calculated by the druids: according to the position of the Sun twice a year (winter and summer solstice, spring and autumn equinox) they determined the fate and character of a person. Each sign of their horoscope had two periods: for example, people born from December 23 to January 1, or from June 25 to July 4, belonged to the Apple sign. There are also signs of Fir, Elm, Pine, Linden and others. If you are going to plant a tree next to your house in honor of the birth of a child in the near future, then first familiarize yourself with its properties: there is a category of vampire trees that will not be beneficial, but will only take away your vitality. The tree must also die "humanly" - by its own death.

No less than with man, the tree is inextricably linked with gods and spirits. My great-grandmother told me that it is impossible to hide under a tree during a thunderstorm. She did not mean the possibility of a fire from lightning - in her village they believed that in a thunderstorm, evil spirits hide from God's wrath in trees, preferring lonely standing trunks. Accordingly, in addition to evil spirits, one could also receive from a deity, which inadvertently misses and instead of an evil spirit throws lightning at a man. By the way, this belief came precisely from the Slavs: Perun chased devils with lightning (or at whom he was aiming there - don’t consider it sacrilege, God just had enough enemies), and then Christians brazenly plagiarized his image, replacing Perun with Ilya the prophet.

Among the revered, old trees with large hollows, standing separately from the rest, stood out. They were asked for treatment: the sufferer tied to a branch, hid a small gift in a hollow or roots; it was believed that such a "sacrifice" allowed a person to be nourished with woody life force and accelerated recovery from illness. They went to these trees to celebrate wedding ceremonies and other important rituals: God's judgment was held at their roots, and the crown was a silent witness of oaths and solemn promises. After baptism, the veneration of trees was transformed, but the essence remained almost unchanged: they did not give oaths near the old oak tree, but they confessed to him in the absence of a confessor in the vicinity. Cutting down old large trees like oaks or elms was strictly forbidden: the Slavs believed that if the Tsar-tree was cut down, then there would be trouble - such an offense promised pestilence, drought, famine or war.

It is known that the Slavs built their huts from wood. However, not all wood could be cut for this purpose. The following were considered forbidden:

• old trunks that have survived more than one generation;
• giants passed by lightning and hurricanes;
• young trees;
• crooked, unusually fused trees, or trunks with abnormally large hollows;
• dead wood (here the woody "mask of death" can be traced: it was impossible to bring home a "dead" tree);
• some peoples did not cut trees in the winter;
• what is planted by a person keeps his memory - such plantings were also protected from the prospect of turning into a log house.

The following trees stood out among the Slavs:

1. Oak is a sacred tree of Perun, a truly masculine breed, the embodiment of strength, courage and wisdom. In oak groves, temples and divine courts were arranged. It is the oak that is considered the prototype of the World Tree, growing through three worlds at once from the very moment of Creation.
2. Birch is a female tree with a twofold interpretation. On the one hand, birch was revered as a protector from evil forces, they were placed in the house and laid out in the attics of its branches, brooms were knitted for the bath. The girls washed themselves with birch sap, and for pregnant women and women in labor, the birch was a strong talisman. At the same time, lightning often struck it, the place where the birch grew attracted evil spirits, and restless souls settled in the lonely crooked trees.
3. Hazel is a universal shrub, the fruits of which were eaten (especially during rituals and ceremonies), and baskets were woven from the branches. In the days of the memory of the dead, nuts were scattered on the floor - in this way they lured the spirits of deceased relatives. Lightning did not hit the hazel, therefore, protective amulets were made from it both for people and for the house.
4. Elder, spruce, aspen, maple are trees that carry a negative load. It is believed that evil spirits like to settle in them, therefore they were not used in construction, but they were successfully used as amulets against evil forces. According to legend, the maple is a man turned into a tree; his wood was not used for kindling and making coffins.
5. Spruce is still used today to create cemetery wreaths - its "funeral" meaning has stretched through the centuries. The tree is considered "feminine", it cannot be planted next to a house in which there are many men - it can bring trouble.
6. The role of thorny bushes is to drive all kinds of evil spirits. It was already in Christian beliefs that plants with thorns were attributed to the devil - they say, people will cling to them and swear at them. And before the baptism of Russia, they were used as a talisman, and for all sorts of love spells. It is not for nothing that thorns are associated with Polel - the wreath on the young man's head is woven from this particular plant, strewn with flowers.

Wedding celebrations are always accompanied by a wide variety of traditions. Moreover, most of the customs are, to one degree or another, the same for different peoples. One of these traditions (or rather, attributes) can be considered a wedding tree. It can be choose, plant or make do it yourself. So what kind of tree is this, and what is the meaning for newlyweds does it carry in itself?

What is a wedding tree?

The wedding tree has several other names. It is also called family, money and even the tree of life. There is also a wedding tradition of wishes, and for this, a special structure or a small living tree is installed at the holiday. His guests hang cards with wishes to the newlyweds on the branches. Finally, it is worth mentioning the fingerprint tree - this is how newlyweds celebrate the beginning of their living together... Sometimes on such a tree, you can put the same imprint on every wedding guest. And the newlyweds planting a tree symbolizes laying the foundation for a new family.

Photo of a tree with fingerprints

Researchers believe that the image of the wedding tree did not arise by chance. After all, a young tree clings to the soil with its roots, matures, takes root more and more firmly and from year to year stretches towards the sky. So the family (however, like any person) develops and becomes more and more reliable and strong over time. It is this image that people have long used so that family ties are not destroyed.

It is no coincidence that there is another example of the connection between a tree and a family. He is usually involved in genealogy. Everyone knows the expression “ family tree". The connection between ancestors and descendants was often graphically depicted as a spreading tree. Each new marriage and the children that appeared in it appeared on a similar scheme in the form of a separate branch.

Thus, the tree is a vivid symbol of family happiness and the strength of the union. Traditions one way or another associated with wood are present in wedding ceremonies of many nations.

A tree in wedding traditions

Trees have been incorporated into wedding rituals since pagan times. Christianity did not destroy them, since they did not contradict the concept of this religion in any way. V different countries traditions, if they differed, were not much different.

Photo of a wedding tree - viburnum

So, in Russia, a wedding tree was considered a viburnum bush... Our ancestors played weddings, as a rule, in the fall, when the harvest had already been harvested, and all summer jobs connected to the ground ended. By this time, the viburnum was covered with bunches of bright berries, which were able to decorate the wedding. Viburnum was used very actively as a decoration. Berries served complement for wedding table , twigs of this tree were laid on wedding loaves. The newlyweds always exchanged gifts, and the bride had to present the groom with a towel. As a rule, the towel was embroidered with patterns depicting viburnum. At the wedding itself, the newlyweds, according to custom, carried out the guests with refreshments - viburnum bunches always lay on such a dish.

Photo of a wedding tree - rowan

but viburnum is far from the only plant, which acted as a family tree. There were other trees involved in wedding ceremonies... If you want to arrange a holiday according to ancient customs, you can still benefit from the experience of your ancestors today. After all, any tree in the old days symbolized something. Including:

• mountain ash (family happiness);
• linden (mutual understanding, tenderness, trust);
• spruce (fertility);
• oak (fidelity, strength of marriage);
• pine (longevity of the family union).

The hawthorn was also revered, which was considered the tree of love and fidelity in marriage. Branches and fruits of all these plants were used to decorate wedding dresses and wedding tables.

There were also peculiar signs and ceremonies associated with plants. During pagan times, the bride and groom had to walk three times around the tree, which was considered sacred. Why does a tree break at a wedding? The ancestors claimed that this bad sign- the family will be fragile, and there will be no prosperity in the house.

Wedding tree: do it yourself

Modern weddings rarely go without tradition. In many ways, they adopted the age-old rituals, slightly modifying them. These include the customs of establishing money tree at the wedding and a tree of happiness, consisting of wishes for the newlyweds.

Photo of a wedding tree - bonsai

You can make such decorative elements with your own hands or do it easier. You can purchase a bonsai (miniature potted tree) for this purpose, or use a small tree or shrub growing in your garden. The latter option is ideal for offsite wedding ceremony, weddings taking place on fresh air... Attach wish cards directly to the branches of such a tree and decorate it with bright ribbons.

How to make a tree of life for newlyweds

There are two possibilities here. The first of them is to draw such a tree on fabric, paper, or directly on the wall. Sometimes you can also find embroidery. Depict a sprawling tree on the material or apply the applique. Your task is to create a complete drawing or template on which further decor will be applied.

Such a tree for a wedding should be made in such a way that either guest cards or the guests' palm prints play the role of its leaves. Then on these "pieces of paper" each invitee will write a wish for the newlyweds. It is worth considering in advance where you will attach the drawn image in the future.

DIY wedding tree photo

The second option is to create a three-dimensional tree. To do this, you will have to stock up on styrofoam, wire, real wood twigs, decoration materials. An important design element is the base. A ceramic pot can play its role, the main thing is that it is stable. Fill pot with earth, plasticine, clay... The filler should give the tree additional stability and firmly hold the structure itself.

The next step is to install the barrel. They can become a metal rod, a tube or even a thick branch of a real tree. Such a trunk does not have to be straight. The more interesting you make your family tree, the better. Cover the future barrel with glue, and on top apply layered paper or tape.

Twigs are attached to the trunk (for example, from wire). If you want to see the tree as bright as possible, use beads or beads to decorate them. By the way, the twigs themselves can be made of beads, for which it is neatly strung on a fishing line or thread, and then fixed with loops. It is to these loops that you will further attach wish sheets.

Photo homemade wood from foam and wire

How to make a money tree with your own hands?

This wedding accessory is created in the same way as a wish tree. The most popular version is attaching a styrofoam ball to the barrel. In such a ball, you can stick banknotes on brackets or pins.

Photo of a do-it-yourself money tree

Try to arrange banknotes beautifully. Most often, each of them is rolled up into a cone and then inflorescences are formed. The more lush there will be a money tree, the richer the future family will become. You can also use a living plant - a bastard, which in everyday life is called just a money tree. Gently attach the bills to its branches. And remember - the tree present at the wedding will definitely bring good luck to the newlyweds!

Old Slavic word viburnum denotes a bright red, like a red-hot color of its berries. And, perhaps, in ancient times, viburnum meant "red-hot." And the generic name of the plant "viburnum" comes from the Latin word meaning "to twist, to weave." One of the types of maple was also called, and Kalina got this name due to the similarity of the shape of the leaves.

Viburnum ordinary - Viburnum opulus- a small tree or branchy shrub from the honeysuckle family up to 4 m high. The viburnum trunk is covered with cracking grayish-green or brownish-gray bark. Leaves are dark green, three-five-lobed with teeth, glabrous above, pubescent below. White flowers are collected in the inflorescences of umbrellas at the tops of the branches. Blooms in May.

Viburnum fruits - juicy bright red drupes in the form of flattened balls with a flat bone inside, ripen in August-September. But they are harvested after the first frost.

Viburnum grows in almost the entire European part of Russia, in Siberia, in the Far East, in the Caucasus. It is planted for beauty on the streets of cities, grown in gardens and front gardens.

For medical purposes use the bark and berries of viburnum, less often flowers. The bark and berries of viburnum contain: vitamins - A, P, E, K, C, tannins, trace elements - selenium, potassium and iron ...

Kalina lowers blood cholesterol levels, has a beneficial effect on the blood vessels of the heart, improves digestion, stimulates the production of bile, is used for diseases of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract, relieves edema of cardiac and renal origin, increases the tone of the muscles of the uterus, helps with colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchial asthma.

- Infusion of viburnum berries
6-8 st. pound tablespoons of viburnum berries and pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave in a thermos for 4-6 hours. Strain, take on an empty stomach, between meals for ½ cup and at night.

- Viburnum infusion with honey for cough
2 tbsp. pound the viburnum spoons, pour in ½ glass of honey, let it brew and take 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day.

Juice from viburnum berries should not be consumed orally with coronary heart disease, as well as after strokes and heart attacks, with kidney disease and gout!

How cosmetic product, viburnum is shown to everyone.

Viburnum juice itself is an excellent whitening, refreshing and cleanser.

- Whitening lotion for oily skin
2 tbsp. tablespoons of viburnum juice mixed with 2 tbsp. spoons of boiled water and 1 teaspoon of vodka. Keep refrigerated. Wipe the skin in the morning and evening. Dry and normal skin wipe with vodka-free lotion. After a few days, the result becomes visible to the naked eye.

- For smoothing wrinkles
1 tbsp. Mix a spoonful of viburnum juice with 1 beaten egg white and ½ teaspoon of honey, mix everything, apply on the skin for 20 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.

- Viburnum mask to make the skin smooth and silky
Take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of fresh or frozen viburnum berries, chop, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of starch and 1 drop of rose oil. Apply for 15 minutes on the face, rinse with boiled water at room temperature.

- Nourishing mask from viburnum for tired skin
2 tbsp. scald spoons of viburnum, knead, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soft cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sour cream and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply to face, skin and décolleté for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm green tea leaves. After 5 minutes, wash your face with cool water.

- Rejuvenating viburnum leaf mask
Grind a handful of viburnum leaves, scald with a drop of boiling water, put between layers of gauze and apply on the face, previously oiled with olive oil for 10-15 minutes. Wash with a decoction of chamomile pharmacy or warm water. Lubricate the skin with a nourishing cream.

- For splendid and silky hair
Brew a handful of viburnum flowers with 1 liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain, rinse hair after washing once a week.

Magicians say that if you put 12 viburnum berries in a vessel with honey, hold them there for 12 days, and then eat one a day, then fate will give sweet, sweet love.

Photo: Eduard Samoilenko / Rusmediabank.ru

Legends and beliefs

Where did the viburnum come from? There is such a legend in Ukraine. They say that once upon a time one village was attacked by enemies. The Basurmans seized the beautiful girl, and she broke free and fled. But suddenly her red beads broke and bright beads scattered on the ground, and after a while, viburnum bushes grew out of them.

Many beliefs are associated with viburnum. In the old days, it was believed that a boy would be born in a family where a viburnum pipe was kept.

From time immemorial, viburnum has been a symbol of girlish beauty, love, fidelity. In the fall, the girls went to the meadows "along the viburnum". About the first viburnum bush they found, they began to dance. Plucking berries, they said: "Help, Kalinochka, to be paired with a cute one." If they were hanging under the roof of a peasant dwelling, this meant that there was a maiden in the hut and that matchmakers could be sent. Kalina was woven into wreaths, wedding loaves were decorated with it ... The expression "to break the viburnum" meant that the girl had lost her innocence.

“Bitter, bitter! - shout to the young at the wedding feast. - Eh, to sweeten! " And just in the fall, when weddings are usually arranged in Russia, viburnum berries are made sweet from bitter ones. They taste especially good when the first autumn frosts come. The fruits then become tart, bittersweet ...

Red viburnum in the popular belief was associated with the image of a woman, her fate, her share, all the joys that were symbolized by the white flowering, and the sorrows that were expressed in bitter fruits. Viburnum in the cradle nurtured Slavic girls who were barely born into the world. In a Ukrainian song, a teenage girl dreams of becoming a "garnish maiden - yak kalyna" as soon as possible. In general, in the songs, the viburnum personified a mature young woman, a needlewoman and a worker: “Our young woman walked around the garden, broke a Kalinushka flower, pinched a bitter one, washed gold, sewed carpets, gave her husband a gift.” Kalina also protected the old age of the woman, rested her silver gray hair.

However, most often viburnum in folklore personifies a girl of marriageable age. This is also expressed in the songs: “Are you a meadow Kalinushka, are you a young girl!”, “A girl is sitting like a berry. Kalina is mine! My raspberries! "

For a man, the expressions "to break the viburnum" or "to walk on the viburnum" meant the ability to marry. This was noted by the well-known historian N.I. Kostomarov. Hence the prevalence of male names Kallinikos (in Greek "Winner"), Kalenik, Kalina ... They were associated with the idea of ​​male strength, motherhood, yari ... This name could also be a nickname for a strong peasant for male strength.

Kalinov color ...

The berries, so as not to damage them, are collected in dry weather along with the stalks and dried in the air, hanging under awnings, or in ovens at a temperature of 60-80 degrees. The heat of the stove ignites the viburnum, making it even more tasty and edible ... “The red-hot viburnum is melted, baked in a free spirit under a lid tightly smeared with dough,” writes V.I. Dahl. - Boil berries - yarn, cook in oil. " They also lose their bitter taste when cooked. "Sweet viburnum, how well it evaporates," says a popular saying.

Berries and bark for health

Viburnum bark is also useful for medicinal purposes. It is usually harvested in early spring. But it is impossible to collect bark from living plants, the branches must lie down for some time. The viburnum bark contains tannins, organic acids, a lot of calcium ... It has a hemostatic effect and is recommended as effective remedy with internal bleeding, especially in gynecology.

The broth is prepared like this. Take 10 grams of raw materials and pour two glasses of boiling water. Then close with a lid and heat for half an hour in a boiling water bath. Insist for another 10-15 minutes at room temperature and filter. Should take 1-2 tablespoons of the broth 3-4 times a day before meals. You can apply it externally for nosebleeds. For pustular skin diseases, it is recommended to use a decoction for wiping.