Finnish wedding customs
Handshake represents engagement. In Finland, the legal age for marriage is over 18 years old for both men and women. In the early days, Finns had to obtain the approval of both parents for getting engaged and getting married. Parents of a man and a woman shake hands to indicate engagement, and holding a wedding represents the formal marriage between the two families. The formation of Finnish wedding customs is not only influenced by folk traditions, but also influenced by some religious regulations of churches and churches.
Since BC, people have formed the custom of exchanging weddings. In 1686 AD, canon law stipulated that betrothal was equivalent to a legally binding marriage agreement. In the 16th century, engagement rings became popular among some aristocrats, but in most areas, the ceremony of shaking hands to signify engagement was still preserved. The Marriage Law was revised in 1988 to eliminate the legal effect of betrothal, but the tradition of betrothal has not disappeared.
Bride's pre-wedding sauna party At the pre-wedding bride's carnival party, the bride and maid of honor generally have dancing, eating, drinking and sauna as the main activities. That night, bridesmaids can ask the bride to do many things, sometimes including kissing strangers and singing opera in the square. The purpose of this is only one, to let the bride relax and enjoy the last happiness of being single. After the game ended, I was not in a hurry to eat. The group of girls rushed to Finland's most famous sauna for their last intimate carnival before marriage.
Sauna is the quintessence of Finland and one of the country's characteristic cultures. Therefore, if the bride carefully cleans her body before getting married, it also means that she will start a new life as a new person. In addition to the basic components (dressing room, bathroom, steam room), authentic Finnish baths also have some special equipment, such as ice sinks and other necessary equipment. In order to replenish the salt lost by sweating, girls can have a "sauna meal" after taking a sauna. The "sauna meal" usually consists of various local specialties of fish, including noodles, soups and red wine.
If you visit Finland in early summer, you may see the following incredible sight: a group of young boys or girls dragging a man on a rope and strolling around a public place. The man dragged by the rope was wearing a mask and his clothes were disheveled. You might not have imagined that this person was the one who was about to become the groom. These young people are actually saying goodbye to their soon-to-be-married friends, ending their single life and starting to move into married life.
This custom was initially only understood by people in some urban areas in Finland, but suddenly became popular in various places in the 1980s. Since the 1970s, Finns began to abandon many traditional rituals and customs. After this practice lasted for some time, Finns began to pursue the fun that traditional customs brought to people. Therefore, after the 1980s, people added more traditional elements to weddings and other family events.
Midsummer Charm weddings In Finnish tradition, Midsummer Eve has always retained its mysterious character. Late June is the time with the longest days and the shortest nights every year. They designated the Saturday between June 20 and 26 as Midsummer Day. People make various items related to charms and magic, many of which are related to love life.
On the prestigious Companion Island, in an ancient church built in the 16th century, a grand wedding ceremony is held every Midsummer Day for a couple. Accompanied by the best man, bridesmaid and parents, the bride in a white wedding dress and the groom in a black dress came to the church to attend the wedding ceremony specially arranged for them.
Later, the couple came to the big stage in the center of the island amid applause from people lining the street. The wedding waltz sounded and the bride and groom danced. The blonde bride looked particularly beautiful holding a bouquet of roses. The handsome and handsome groom also looked excited. Accompanied by the beautiful music and the brisk dance steps, the beautiful couple kept spinning, immersed in the joy of incomparable happiness.
uses a sieve to place wedding gifts. Unlike other European countries, Finns have specific rituals and methods to collect gifts. In addition to the newlyweds making a list of the items they need in advance, which guests can purchase based on their financial ability, they also have an ancient ritual that has been passed down. Before the wedding reception, the bride and groom sat in the VIP seats at the wedding reception. The bride holds a sieve covered with a silk shawl. When guests stuff money into the sieve, the best man will announce the name of the guest who deposited the money and the amount of the gift to the guests present. The amount doesn't matter how much it is, it's just a blessing for the new couple's better life.
The world-famous "Crown Wedding" of the bride wearing the crown is interpreted here. The reason why it is called a "crown wedding" is because the bride must wear a beautiful crown on her wedding day. The wedding procession passed through an arch to the wedding venue, where the bride and groom announced their vows of love under a canopy. When the wedding reached its climax, people began to party, dance, and sing until they were exhausted.
Of course, not everyone can afford such a luxurious wedding. More and more people are starting to choose to hold a simple wedding at the priest's residence, which has a taste of returning to nature. And more and more young people are even choosing to get married abroad. For example, Finland's new recruits will go to Rome, the center of ancient civilization in Europe, to enjoy the most authentic cultural experience.
corolla dance replaces the last step of the wedding ceremony-throwing the bouquet. It often makes unmarried girls unhappy because they throw it too close or too far, or lose their aim. Therefore, the Finns changed this tradition and changed the bouquet to the corolla dance. The bridesmaid first put a crown on the bride's head, while covering her eyes and making her turn around. Bridesmaids and single girlfriends gathered around her. Then the bride stopped and put the crown on the head of the girl in front of her. This person is considered to be the next person to get married!
Bonfires at midnight to drive away evil. It is said that in the past, people lit bonfires on Midsummer Day to drive away evil and bring light and warmth to the world. This beautiful blessing still sounds very poetic to this day. Today, this has become a symbol of celebrating a happy marriage. I saw that the main bonfire made of more than a dozen old wooden boats and branches on the rocks in the center of the lake was more than ten meters high, surrounded by many small bonfires with local characteristics. At 10 o'clock in the evening, people lit piles of small bonfires first. Soon, the newlyweds who had just held a wedding ceremony took an ancient long wooden boat to the bonfire on the rocks in the center of the lake. They took the torch from the couple who married here last year and lit a huge main bonfire. At this time, the band on the shore played warm and cheerful folk music. The beautiful scenery and spectacular scene brought the Midsummer Day wedding celebrations to their climax.