Why are young unmarried girls buried in wedding dresses?

Other explanations

Of course, the belief about restless souls is far from the only reason why young girls are seen off on their last journey in a wedding dress.

White color is a symbol of purity and purity. Girls who have not known true love before marriage become brides of Christ.
Almost every girl dreams of getting married. By dressing her in a wedding dress, the parents seem to embody the unfulfilled dream of their deceased daughter.
A funeral in wedding attire should help unite in heaven the souls of young people who planned, but did not have time to get married.

The listed explanations are the most common why young girls are buried in a wedding dress.

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.

Other funeral paraphernalia for unmarried girls

The funeral is held in a wedding dress using other elements. Boots or shoes are put on your feet. They are always light in color. If there are no wedding shoes, then use the option that is as close as possible to the festive one. It is prohibited to use artificial or natural leather.

In the Orthodox tradition, unmarried girls are buried in a dress and with a wedding ring. It is worn on the ring finger of the right hand.

Hair is not left loose, regardless of the age of the unmarried deceased. The head of the deceased is covered with a wreath or veil. A number of ceremonial attributes that are used only in rural areas:

on the day of the funeral, they set the table in the house of the deceased and covered it with a white tablecloth;
they prepared a lot of dishes - it is impossible to imagine an authentic wedding without a generous table;
they invited relatives, friends and neighbors to an impromptu wedding - the more guests come, the higher the likelihood for the soul of a young unmarried lady in a dress to find happiness in the world of spirits;
a large wedding loaf is the main element of the table;
the mother of a young girl prepared pies with 3-4 fillings;
from alcoholic drinks, products of natural origin were placed on the table - mead and berry wines;
you cannot use vodka, champagne, etc.;
a young man with whom the unmarried deceased was close was invited to an impromptu wedding;
if this was not the case, then custom prescribed that any young resident of the village act as a fake groom. He occupied one of the central places at the table and at the coffin.

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The deceased's parents wove three wreaths with their own hands. They personified the trinity in Orthodoxy. Symbol of forgiveness. The first was worn by an unmarried lady, the second was intended for the groom. The last wreath was thrown on the coffin as it was lowered into the grave.

What else is put in the coffin?

The deceased does not need ordinary things, but some items are usually placed in the coffin according to Christian rites.

The deceased person is always left with a handkerchief. It is believed that a person will use it to wipe sweat from his forehead at the Last Judgment.
If you bought extra clothes for the deceased, this also happens; it is better to put them in the coffin.
A believer is put on a pectoral cross; it should not be silver.
A crown is placed on the forehead, the body is covered with a church veil (veil), and a pillow is placed under the head.
Some people collect their favorite things, talismans, and glasses for their relatives on their last journey.
Children are often left with toys.
Along with the deceased, they put the comb that was used to comb his hair, and the ropes that held his legs and arms. This is not prohibited by religious canons, but it is not very welcome either. The Church views this as prejudice.
The deceased's awards, if any, are carried at the front of the ritual procession on special pillows. But you shouldn’t put them in a coffin for safety reasons. The grave can be plundered by looters who want to profit. The same goes for expensive items and jewelry.
Before the coffin is nailed up, relatives take away the icon that is in the hands of the deceased. It is customary to display it on the funeral table, and the rest of the time to keep it on the iconostasis.

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.

What is it customary to bury men in?

Traditionally, men who wore a military uniform during their lifetime are usually buried in their ceremonial uniform. In this case, the clothes should be put in order, cleaned and ironed. The body of a civilian is dressed in a suit and a light shirt. It is not customary to wear ties and belts according to Christian canons; this is a rather secular custom. However, if the family feels that a tie is necessary, they can add it to the deceased's outfit. As for the color scheme, it is customary for older people to be buried in dark-colored clothing. These are blue, brown, black. Younger men can wear light-colored clothing: beige or light gray.

The rules strictly determine what clothes men are buried in, according to Christian rites. For the deceased you need to select:

underwear (panties and cotton T-shirt),
shirt,
trousers and jacket,
socks,
tie.

Shoes for the deceased deserve a separate discussion. It should be comfortable and a couple of sizes larger so that swollen limbs can easily fit into the shoes. Lace-up shoes are not worn for dead people. It would be better if the model has elastic side inserts.

The most budget option would be special slippers intended for burial. Contrary to popular belief, they do not necessarily have to be white; black or brown is acceptable. From the point of view of the Christian religion and the Orthodox faith, it is precisely such shoes, light and with thin soles, that are most suitable for a person to set off on his final journey to meet the Lord.

To dress a deceased man in the morgue, you may need a towel, soap, a pack of cotton wool, cologne, and a razor. If the deceased person used dentures, they must also be provided to the employees of the institution. This must be done immediately, before the body is embalmed. After treatment, it will be impossible to insert an artificial jaw. The deceased's mouth is sewn up so that the face does not become deformed.

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.

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.

Other explanations

In addition to the belief about a restless soul, there were several other reasons for the straining of an unmarried girl into a wedding dress when she was sent on her last journey:

If life circumstances were such that young people were unable to carry out their plans for marriage due to their unexpected death, then the bodies of the deceased were dressed up in wedding attire so that their souls could unite when they met in heaven.
White color has always been associated with purity and purity. And when a girl passed into another world who did not have time to know true love, and therefore did not marry, she was considered the bride of Christ.
Almost every girl dreams of marriage, and when the realization of this dream became impossible due to sudden death, the parents of the deceased at least in this way tried to make the dream of the deceased come true.

We have described only the most common explanations for observing this tradition. Of course, modern funerals are not accompanied by cheerful music and dancing, but young girls today are often buried in wedding dresses.

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.

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!

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"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.

What are women buried in?

According to long-established tradition, many elderly men and women prepare their clothes before death, freeing loved ones from unnecessary troubles. And rightly so, relatives will have more time to take care of the soul of the deceased. However, not everyone thinks about death in advance, especially if the person has not yet reached a certain age. In this case, those involved in burying the body are faced with the question of what kind of clothing to choose for the deceased.

There are certain rules regarding what clothes women are buried in, but they are not as strict as for men.

A lady can buy a dress or suit. The main thing is that the model is sufficiently closed, and the skirt reaches the middle of the calves.
The head of the deceased is covered with a scarf, a scarf or a special shroud. The latter looks like a cape with a hood. It is usually sewn from white fabric, decorated with lace.
Outerwear is traditionally chosen in light, soft shades. It can be pink, lilac, blue, white, peach, turquoise. Decoration with embroidery, lace, contrasting collars and cuffs is allowed. The model should have a front closure and long sleeves.
The woman wears simple underwear, a shirt, and cotton stockings without elastic bands.
Choose comfortable shoes, without heels, with soft soles. It should not have buckles or other decorations.

If a young unmarried girl dies, believers say that she will become the bride of God. The Christian tradition of young ladies who died early in wedding dresses echoes the rituals of the ancient Slavs. The priests add that for such an outfit the girl must be innocent. However, it is a personal matter for parents to decide what outfit they should choose for their beloved daughter who has passed away untimely. The deceased's jewelry and veil are not worn, the hair is left loose, and is not covered with a scarf. The style of the dress is discreet, with long sleeves and a closed collar. Underwear should be modest; stockings and flat shoes remain a mandatory element of the outfit.

Why are unmarried people buried in a wedding dress?

Death has always been shrouded in many mysteries and rituals associated with it. We are unable to find out why this or that person died, and the death of young people who, it would seem, still have everything ahead, seems especially bitter.

The funerals of young girls, in particular, are accompanied by distinctive rituals: they are usually buried in white sundresses or wedding dresses. Where did this custom come from, what does it mean and is it necessary to bury unmarried girls in wedding dresses?

History of “wedding” customs at funerals

Our ancestors also adhered to the custom of burying unmarried women in wedding attire. According to pagan beliefs, the soul of a deceased person who did not have time to marry her chosen one will remain homeless if the deceased is not buried in a wedding dress.

However, there are other explanations for this phenomenon:

The color white in Rus' has traditionally been considered a symbol of moral purity. An unmarried girl was also considered “pure”, and her soul, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, was supposed to go to a mountainous place. That is why she was dressed in white elegant clothes - according to anthropologists and archaeologists, not necessarily wedding clothes.
Girls who passed away before their own wedding were considered especially unfortunate, so their relatives dressed them in wedding attire before burial, as if embodying an unfulfilled event.

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.