A wedding is an important event in the life of two lovers who decide to connect their lives with each other. To make the holiday a success, many still try to follow the traditions that appeared centuries ago. If you also believe in signs and honor the covenants of ancestors, you should pay attention to everything, including individual attributes. And such important components as a wedding loaf and a rushnyk under it can not be missed and forgotten at all.
The origins of tradition
Most folk traditions give in to the study of folklorists and ethnographers with great difficulty, because all this was transmitted from person to person and was rarely recorded until the 18th century. Many traditions were the so-called unwritten rules, and it was implied that they must be followed, and to know the original meaning is not necessary. Therefore, many such traditions are overgrown with speculation and fantasy.
The Slavs associated bread with fertility and vitality. This was the main food along with cereals, vegetables and meat, sayings were made about bread (for example, “Bread is the head of everything”). So it is not surprising that such an important event as a wedding was not without this attribute. At the same time, the sun god was very revered among the Slavs, so ceremonial bread received its round shape.
What is a rushnyk?
Toward the general Slavic, ancient and extensive traditions is the rushnyk (or “handbrake”). This is a long, narrow towel designed to wipe hands and face after washing. Initially, it differed from the “towel”, which was a large woven fabric, but now the differences remain only in the Ukrainian and Belarusian languages. They survived in many respects because these peoples still observe traditions associated with the rushnyk.
The ancient Slavs form rushnika steadily associated with the road, so it became a symbol of the path, as well as the connection. In children's fairy tales, even now you can find references to how the main character receives a towel as a gift, which then turns into a road or river.
Another sacred purpose of a rushnyk is to bind the bride and groom with the marital ties. There was a custom when a matchmaker, giving them a loaf, bandaged his hands with a loaf of towel, thereby showing the continuity of the bonds.
Traditional patterns
This attribute is not only wedding. A towel is usually used at almost all holidays, and in each case there are special rules for its use, as well as certain patterns. The bride herself had to embroider them, like bedding, and much more - this was part of the dowry.
Loaf when serving the bride and groom is always located strictly in the middle of a rushnyk. Therefore, the central part of the canvas remains empty and is not embroidered. But the edges of the hospitable rushnik are decorated with all splendor - of all the wedding rushnyks, it should be the most elegant.
Since the wedding loaf is associated with the solar god, the embroidery depicted solar patterns, birds, flowers and leaves. This is all that was associated with spring and the beginning of life. The custom is connected not only with the creation of the family, but also with the annual cycle - the Slavs traditionally managed weddings in the fall, after the growing season. And all the rites were designed to survive the winter and accelerate the arrival of spring.
The length and width of the towel should be divided by seven, and embroidery occupy half of the total length, located at the edges. The central part of the canvas remains completely white - it was believed that it is connected with the heavenly and divine, connecting the newlyweds with them.
Most often, birds are the main patterns in the towel. You cannot embroider cuckoos and nightingales - these are symbols of lonely people. And all other birds must be depicted in pairs, with their wings down, and look at each other. If they turn out to be turned in different directions, this promises disagreement in the family, and wings raised upward are a sign of a fighting stance, which will be out of place where it is time to show humility and accept fate.
Most often, the following birds are chosen for embroidery:
- roosters - symbols of wealth and prosperity;
- swallows and peacocks - promise family happiness;
- pigeons - symbolize fidelity and harmony.
Oak is often depicted as a symbol of wisdom, leaves of viburnum, hops or grapes - as a symbol of youth, fertility and wealth. Also popular is the pattern in which viburnum is interwoven with acorns - this is a sign of marital fidelity and a strong family.
Another symbol of the connection of the female and male is the combination of the sun and eight-pointed stars. The sun, as the supreme deity, was represented by the ancient Slavs as the personification of masculine power, and the moon and stars - the feminine. Typically, this composition is complemented by spirals, waves or snakes that represent water. This element, according to legend, is the connecting link between a man and a woman.
Rules and Signs
When choosing a finished rushnyk, or engaging in its independent manufacture, it is worth remembering a number of rules that are part of the wedding ritual. The first and main rule - the length and width of the towel should be divided by seven. This is a sacred number for all Christians.
In no case do not take the rushnyk that was already used at the wedding. This is considered a very bad sign, so it’s better to take care of your own, new canvas. Moreover, you should not rent wedding attributes. It is also important that the canvas is solid, and not sewn from different parts, otherwise the connection between the groom and the bride will be weak and quickly fall apart.
If you do not want to waste time on trifles and decide to do with the purchase option, make sure that the towel does not smell like paint or other products of the textile industry. It is best if it is made from linen or cotton. Sometimes preference is given to silk, but this is a departure from tradition.
It is perfectly acceptable that patterns be printed, embroidered with threads (this is the most traditional version) or beads. In Belarus and Ukraine there are many masters who can be individually tailored with your wishes. But it is better to contact them in advance, especially during the wedding season, since the process is not fast, and there may be many orders.
The best option - do it yourselfsince the bride had embroidered a rushnik since ancient times, and sometimes relatives helped her. Remember that you can embroider a wedding towel only in a good mood - this way you will give him positive energy. You should not sit with your back to the window - a bad sign, because you are closing yourself and the product from the world.
About what wedding towels are, see the video below.
