Every country has its own tradition of wedding ceremonies, and Germany is no exception. The Germans sacredly honor and observe customs, but every year statistics show us that the number of marriages is declining. On average, 400,000 marriages were recorded per year in the country, and fifty years ago, statistics showed numbers several times higher. As for age, the average for women is 31 years, for men - 33. It can be concluded that both grooms and brides are getting older. It remains to figure out how weddings are held in Germany.
Preparing for the wedding
Of course, a marriage proposal should traditionally come from a man, but some modern women have taken on this responsibility and come up with a little traditional trick. A woman can propose to her man on February 29, but he has no right to refuse. Let such an opportunity fall only once every fouryears, but you can thoroughly prepare. But if the guy is still not ready for the wedding, he will have to pay off with a good gift.
Polterabend, or pre-holiday party
One of the most popular traditions is called Polterabend. This is such a kind of party that is held in the house of the bride. Many compare the event with a bachelorette or bachelorette party, but this is not entirely true. Guests are not invited to Polterabend, because everyone who knows about this party and considers it necessary to come comes just like that. The Germans call this day a rehearsal of the gala dinner, and the bride's parents prepare it in a buffet format. One of the features of the holiday is that any guest can contribute and bring some pastries, snacks or alcohol to the table. In general, the name Polterabend was formed from the word poltern, which means "to make noise", "to rumble". This is where the main highlight of the holiday lies: guests should bring vases, dishes, pots and, in general, everything that can be easily broken in front of the windows of the house. The noise of breaking dishes, according to legend, should disperse all evil and unfriendly spirits. But the bride and groom should not forget that it is on their shoulders that the responsibility falls to remove the fragments in order to prove their unity, and the more fragments, the better. After all, dishes are beaten for good luck, and such a tradition before a German wedding in Germany is very uplifting.
Bachelor Party and Bachelorette Party
Such a traditionexists in every country in the world, in Germany it is called Der Junggesellenabschied. However, although the event is traditional in many countries, the Germans still have their own traditions. For example, in some cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, it is customary to burn the groom's trousers as a sign of farewell to bachelorhood.
An ancient German tradition, according to which the bride's parents from her very childhood set aside one cent each (previously it was a pfennig - the minimum monetary unit), has survived to this day. But this money is not just set aside, according to tradition, the bride must buy wedding shoes for the collected coins. This will mean that the future wife will not only be an excellent hostess, but also a faithful life partner. And on the day of the wedding, one cent should be put in the bride's shoe. If you believe the traditions, this will provide the family with a comfortable existence. This custom honors the history of the wedding in Germany.
What should friends do before marriage?
Relatives and friends, in addition to helping in preparing for the celebration, create a wedding newspaper with their own hands. In it, they must describe the first meeting of the newlyweds, their love story, favorite activities. The newspaper itself consists of cheerful collages and funny photographs of the bride and groom and their relatives and friends. You can also interview newlyweds and paint funny stories about love and family. The newspaper is presented to guests at an evening dinner as a good souvenir, which allows those present to learn more about the bride and groom. wedding traditions inGermany is very entertaining.
The start of the wedding
Like any wedding, the German one also begins with a civil ceremony at the registry office. A religious wedding ceremony in a church is also equated to it. Not all guests are invited to it, but only the closest relatives and friends, and the ceremony should take place before noon. This is because traditionally this time is considered the most favorable for such a solemn event. According to customs, it is the first rays of the sun that contribute to happiness in marriage. And before, if for some reason it was not possible to hold a wedding at the right time, the clock in the church was turned back.
In Germany, it is traditional for the groom to pick up the bride from home, preferably on a horse-drawn carriage. And the bride on the way to church should in no case look back, such a sign means that a second marriage will be inevitable. The Germans call this custom Die Hochzeit. Yezidi weddings are not uncommon in Germany.
Wedding ceremony
The ceremony begins with the fact that the bride and groom enter the church and, hugging each other, slowly walk to the altar. Previously, the passage along which the young will go should be strewn with rose petals. It is traditionally believed that in this way you can attract the goddess of fertility, who will give the future husband and wife children.
The bride wears a wreath of precious stones and beads, which she must wear until midnight. The Germans do not forget about the tradition of Queen Victoria, invented in the 19th century. She planted a smallsprig of myrtle, which she pulled out of her elder sister's wedding bouquet. The plant took root and grew well, so the queen inserted a sprig into the bouquet of her youngest daughter, and her granddaughters, and even great-granddaughters. Therefore, if the bride marries for the first time, she takes a bouquet of myrtle with her down the aisle.
During the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds hold candles decorated with beautiful flowers and ribbons. And if it is customary for us to decorate cars with balloons and various accessories, then in Germany each driver is given a white ribbon that is attached to the car's antenna. But the tradition of honking after marriage on the way to the banquet has also taken root among the Germans. Traditions and weddings in Germany are closely intertwined, and young people try to follow the most important rules.
What happens after marriage is registered?
After registering the marriage, according to the old German tradition, the newly-made husband and wife are supposed to saw the real log with the real saw. Such work is not the easiest, and not everyone can handle it, but the newlyweds must show the guests what they are capable of. And this is not only physical strength, it is also the ability to achieve goals. This tradition is quite old, but the Germans fell in love with it so much that they follow the custom to this day. Only now, sawing a log also means equality, because this goal can only be achieved if the right alignment of forces, the ability not only to hear, but also to listen to each other, to do everything together.
Regarding the famous bride kidnapping,we can say that such a tradition exists in some regions of Germany even to this day. But she has strange rules: the bridegroom's friend "steals" the bride in one of the local bars, where the second must find his beloved. The groom can walk around the establishments for a long time and have a lot of fun, because in every bar where the bride was not, the newly-made husband must drink an alcoholic drink, also treating his friends. And when the bride and her kidnapper are found, the groom must also pay their bill.
But instead of the usual tossing of a bouquet to unmarried girlfriends in Germany, there is a tradition called the “Veil Dance”. During one of the final dances, unmarried guests at the wedding must tear off a piece of the veil. This will mark the imminent marriage.
Dancing with a veil in some regions is a completely different tradition, which consists in the fact that those who want to dance with the bride or groom must put money in the veil.
Traditions after the celebration
When the main ceremony is over, the young couple again arrange dinner, already at home or at the house of the bride's parents. We call it the second day of celebration. Guests and newly-made husband and wife have fun, arrange competitions, eat up and drink what is left from the first day of the holiday. And for the newlyweds, it is a great sign if many children are present on the second day, and as many people as possible are invited to the event.
Some Germans on the second day of the celebration also try to distract their husband and take him awayfrom under the nose of the bride. If the friends succeed, then the husband's job is to use written clues to find his wife. And of course, you will have to pay a fine for losing sight of your love. The tradition is also accompanied by songs, dances and promises to fulfill all household duties and always help your wife.
Expenditure
A wedding in any country is an expensive event. According to statistics, the average amount that modern Germans spend on a celebration varies from 6,000 to 12,000 euros. And as practice shows, only 5% of spouses refuse their honeymoon trip. Statisticians even calculated what and how much money the average young couple spends on:
- Wedding dress - from 800 to 1500 euros.
- Hair and holiday makeup - from 200 to 400 euros.
- Festival suit of the groom - from 500 to 800 euros.
- Rent a banquet hall - from 500 to 700 euros.
- Decoration of the hall - from 500 to 700 euros.
- Wedding rings - from 500 to 2000 thousand euros.
- Festive table - from 50 to 110 euros per person.
- Cake - from 300 to 500 euros.
- The crew for the newlyweds (carriage or car) - from 300 to 600 euros.
- Invitations - approximately 500 euros.
- Musical accompaniment - from 1000 to 2500 thousand euros.
- Photographer - from 500 to 1500 euros.
- State duty - 100 euros.
Some couples have to take out a bank loan to organize a wedding, but traditionally they share the costsin half, the parents of the bride and groom, if the young are not yet ready to take on the expenses. The question remains open: what do they give for a wedding in Germany? Everything is extremely simple here: the bride and groom make a list of necessary things in advance, and if there is none, then sums of money are considered an ideal gift.
German wedding traditions are very ancient, they have evolved over several centuries and are sacredly revered to this day. The Germans are responsible for the organization of the holiday, and the wedding usually lasts three days. German traditions are also skillfully combined with Russian weddings in Germany.
