A beautiful white dress rather evokes bright associations: after all, we most often imagine a bride dressed in a new outfit. However, the wedding dress is not only worn by future wives; it is also intended for girls who are no longer destined to marry. Why is a white wedding dress traditionally the outfit for the young deceased?
The roots of such rituals go far into the past. People used to believe that if a guy or girl passed away before being united in marriage, their souls were destined to wander restless forever, between the afterlife and the world of the living. Such souls, like the souls of suicides or unbaptized people, could cause serious harm to the living. And in order to prevent this from happening, the Slavs stylized the funeral as a wedding.
Is it possible to bury in jewelry?
Can't be buried
the deceased in round
jewelry
- they can create a kind of magical obstacle and will not allow the deceased to leave this world. Funerals cause fear and anxiety for many. People are afraid of doing something wrong, of “falling out of favor” with the deceased, because of which he will frighten and disturb the living.
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Why do people bury themselves in a wedding dress?
Over the centuries, Orthodox rituals, including funerals, have undergone some changes. For example, the funeral of unmarried young girls is similar to a ritual that in some way repeats a wedding ceremony.
According to legend, if young boys and girls died before getting married or finding a partner, then their souls are doomed to eternal wandering between the world of the dead and the living. Many believed that such souls were a danger to the living. That is why the Slavs performed special rituals that were very reminiscent of the Slavic wedding ceremony.
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Why are girls buried in wedding dresses? There are several explanations for this behavior:
- If young people die before marriage, then they should also be buried in their wedding suits. This is usually done so that they are constantly together and inseparable in the next world.
- White color is considered to be the color of innocence. Girls who have never known true love are usually buried in white outfits. They are considered brides of Christ.
- Another explanation is that by dressing a girl in a white dress, relatives fulfill her dream of becoming a bride.
Who gets buried in a wedding dress?
There is such a belief that if a girl dies before she gets married, then her soul will not know peace in the next world and will wander. Therefore, the relatives of the deceased girl purchase not only a dress, but also other wedding attributes (shoes and veil).
In cities, they still adhere to the choice of what clothes women wear when they are buried and the outfit for the deceased girl. But in rural areas they conduct an almost full-fledged “wedding” ceremony. Not only is this a wedding dress, veil and shoes, it is also special “wedding” loaves. They are baked specially and shared among everyone present.
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Burial of Orthodox women
When buying clothes for the deceased, there is one basic requirement - it must be beautiful, but discreet at the same time. The most common outfit for women is a dress in light colors. It is important that there are no bright elements on it, no lace, deep neckline or decorations.
It should also be taken into account that it is best to buy new clothing - the deceased should not have worn it during his lifetime. This rule arose from ancient times, when it was assumed that after burial a person begins a new existence in the afterlife. In this regard, there should not be any memories from the previous life of worldly existence. If there is no opportunity to purchase something new, you can use used clothes, wash them thoroughly and iron them.
When choosing a color for an outfit, you should give preference to materials in light, pastel colors. Combinations of various elements are not prohibited - replace the dress with a light shirt or blouse and a black/brown skirt.
Light colors symbolize the purity of the deceased soul and the bright image of the deceased. You should not put trousers on a woman: according to Orthodox customs, this is strictly prohibited. A woman can only be buried in a dress or skirt - this is an important point in Orthodoxy.
In addition to the dress itself, the burial outfit includes underwear, socks, slippers with padded soles and a white headscarf or scarf.
Other explanations
Of course, the belief about restless souls was far from the only reason why an unmarried woman was seen off on her last journey in a wedding dress.
- It was believed that if the newlyweds were supposed to get married, but did not have time because they died, the funeral in wedding dresses was supposed to unite their souls in heaven.
- White color has always been a symbol of purity and purity. And since before the wedding it was believed that the girl did not know true love, she became the bride of Christ.
- Every girl dreamed of getting married. And, dressing the young woman in a wedding dress, the parents seemed to embody the unfulfilled dream of their daughter.
This is the most common explanation for this tradition. Of course, today people at the funeral of an unmarried girl do not choose a groom and do not dance in circles, but they still dress the young woman in a wedding dress.
"Dead Wedding"
To make the funeral really look like a wedding, a guy was chosen who took on the role of the groom: he was dressed in formal attire and in the procession he took a place near the coffin of the young girl. If there was no such guy, then to organize such a funeral people used an ordinary stone or a fruit tree on which they put a hat.
The girl herself was dressed in a white dress and light boots. The girls specially wove wreaths for the farewell ceremony. One wreath was intended for the deceased (nowadays a veil or veil is used), and the second - for the young groom. As soon as the coffin was lowered into the grave, the “groom’s” wreath was thrown on it or hung on the cross.
Often at the funeral of a young girl, not mournful, but cheerful music was played, people danced in circles and baked a loaf of bread, treating everyone present to it.
Features of the funeral ceremony
Our ancestors adhered to one important tradition when burying unmarried girls. Among the young people who came to the funeral, a guy was chosen as the groom of the deceased. The young man had to walk behind the coffin during the ceremony. Today, the role of the groom of a deceased girl can be assigned to a fruit tree or stone. In this case, a man’s hat or a wedding wreath (the same as the bride’s) is placed on the stone/tree. After burying the body, the wreath is thrown into the grave or hung on a cross.
Then those present go to the house of the deceased, where the wake takes place. To make the funeral ceremony reminiscent of a wedding, solemn songs are often sung and even dances are performed. Especially on the occasion of the funeral, a wedding loaf is baked and treated to those present. The loss is truly difficult and incommensurable, but always remember that you should not cry and grieve a lot. Thus, you can bring about a new misfortune and cause suffering to the soul of the deceased.
The death of young unmarried girls coincided in earthly life with marriageable age, with a turning point in earthly life - marriage. This served as the basis for comparing and combining the funeral with the wedding.
Not only Russians, but many peoples had the custom of dressing a girl who died in the prime of her youth in a wedding dress, preparing her for burial, like a bride for a wedding. At the funeral of the deceased girl, they even imitated the wedding ceremony and sang wedding and wedding songs. Both the girl and the guy were given a wedding ring on the ring finger of their right hand, while a married man and a married woman were not given a ring.
Nowadays, there is also a custom of burying young girls in, and drinking champagne at their wake, simulating a failed wedding. It was as if the clothes were not real, but only a replacement, not sewn, but only basted. It was necessarily sewn by hand, and not on a machine, the thread was secured, the needle was held forward; otherwise the deceased will again come for someone to his family. The shoes of the deceased were also an imitation: leather shoes, as a rule, were not buried, but were replaced with cloth ones. In cases where boots were put on, the iron nails were pulled out of them.
Currently, in the custom of burying people in new, unworn clothes, there is an echo of the belief that the newness of the clothes of the dead is synonymous with purity, sinlessness of the soul, which should appear pure in the next world.
Over the course of many centuries, the procedure for conducting Orthodox funerals has acquired a large number of traditions that are strongly recommended to be followed. Some of them raise questions. For example, why is a young girl buried in a wedding dress? Where did the tradition of dressing unmarried women in white outfits come from?
A beautiful white dress evokes bright associations, because it is in this outfit that the bride is presented. However, from time immemorial, a tradition arose of dressing in wedding dresses not only girls who were to become wives, but also those who would never be able to get married.
In ancient times, it was believed that if a girl leaves the earthly world without experiencing marriage, then her soul is doomed to wander forever, torn between the world of the living and the Kingdom of Heaven.
People believed in the ability of such souls to cause serious harm to relatives who remained alive. They were equated with the souls of the unbaptized and suicides. And to avoid this, the young girl’s funeral was held like a wedding.
What to dress an unmarried deceased woman in?
Ideally, the deceased should be buried in a wedding dress. But if there is none, you can choose an outfit that resembles a formal dress. The vestments should be light colors and have a festive look. According to Orthodox traditions, the seams of the outfit cannot be sewn together; you just need to baste the dress. It is important to baste by hand. When fastening the thread, hold the needle forward from you. This ritual is explained so that the deceased does not return for any of the family members.
Light-colored shoes or boots should also be imitation: as a rule, shoes for the bride of Christ are made of fabric, not leather. A wedding ring is placed on the ring finger of the right hand. It is customary to leave hair loose, and a veil or wreath is placed on the head of the deceased.
Groom for a dead bride
They also previously chose a “groom” for the deceased girl. He was dressed smartly and followed the coffin. If there was no suitable one, then it could be a stone or a fruit tree on which the hat was placed. Instead of a veil, girls wore a wreath on their heads, and a second one - on the guy’s head. After the coffin was lowered into the ground, the second wreath was thrown into the grave. At such events, cheerful music was played and round dances were danced.
This tradition has also changed over time. But the fact still remains that unmarried people are buried in wedding dresses. Whether to adhere to this or not is a personal decision for the relatives of the deceased. The same applies to the age at which a girl should wear a wedding dress. Some believe that this should only apply to virgins and young unmarried girls, and if the girl is older, but also unmarried, then you can wear just a white outfit.
Only the relatives of the deceased should resolve this issue or follow the last will.
The Lord is always with you!
Girls who died before they could get married are placed in a coffin in wedding dresses. This is a custom that came to us from the ancient Slavs. Otherwise, according to beliefs, their souls are doomed to eternal wandering. It was believed that then they were dangerous to the living. Therefore, they escorted the girls in wedding attire.
There was another explanation: the deceased girl becomes Christ's bride. Therefore, she should look appropriate.
The ancient wedding ceremony and its connection with the funeral ceremony are described in the “Slavic Encyclopedia” by V.V. Artemova. Thus, it was believed that before the wedding a girl dies and is reborn into a married lady. Historians do not rule out that the roots of the ritual of burying unmarried girls in a wedding dress may be connected precisely with this.
In addition to the dress, they also chose shoes and sometimes jewelry. The hair was not tied up. Often a wreath was placed on the head (nowadays it is often replaced by a veil). But the ceremony was not limited to attire.
Girlfriends
In some villages in Rus' there was a tradition of completely imitating the wedding ceremony. So, there was a matchmaker. She always had a candle and a sword in her hands.
The deceased's friends had black ribbons tied to their heads. The deceased herself was given a ring made of gilded wax.
According to historian A.A. Nosov, such a ritual, first of all, was associated with an understanding of the essence of death in Rus'. Thus, death at a young age was perceived as a transition to another entity, where the course of life would also continue. And she will get married in the next world.
Why are young girls seen off on their last journey in a white dress?
If a young girl dies, it is customary to bury her in a wedding dress.
Find out where this tradition came from and why our ancestors dressed unmarried women in white outfits. A beautiful white dress rather evokes bright associations: after all, we most often imagine a bride dressed in a new outfit. However, the wedding dress is not only worn by future wives; it is also intended for girls who are no longer destined to marry. Why is a white wedding dress traditionally the outfit for the young deceased?
The roots of such rituals go far into the past. People used to believe that if a guy or girl passed away before being united in marriage, their souls were destined to wander restless forever, between the afterlife and the world of the living. Such souls, like the souls of suicides or unbaptized people, could cause serious harm to the living. And in order to prevent this from happening, the Slavs stylized the funeral as a wedding.
