The custom of presenting newlyweds at a wedding with festive bread appeared in ancient Egypt, and then in ancient Rome. However, it was in Rus' that this tradition received a more interesting and serious development. Among the ancient Slavs, not a single celebration was complete without special baking - a loaf, which had to be round, that is, to symbolize the sun. In pagan times, the god of the sun - Yarilo - was considered the main patron of the family, so the young couple was obliged to try the bread, thereby earning his favor. With the advent of Orthodoxy on Russian soil, the loaf acquired a new meaning. Wedding bread became the personification of well-being, and the relatives of the newlyweds even took the slices presented from him as a talisman on the road.

Where did the Russian loaf come from

The tradition of baking a loaf for a wedding is rooted in the depths of centuries. Back in the era of the appearance of Rus', when all the Slavs were pagans, they baked this symbolic bread for a solemn feast. From there, various rituals began, which had to be observed when preparing the loaf.

Previously, for this wedding baking, they took water from seven wells and flour from seven bags. The dough was kneaded by a relative of the lovers, who was happily married and had children. It was believed that in this way she conveys her well-being to the newlyweds. Before cooking, the woman washed her face, washed her hands and tied her head with a scarf. A married man was supposed to “plant” the dough in the oven. All this symbolized the conception and birth of a child, which promised the bride and groom to become good parents.

With the baptism of the Slavic peoples, many rules have changed. For example, the dough for baking began to be placed in a large bowl with the image of a cross. Also, the godmother of one of the future spouses was engaged in the preparation, prayers were read during the kneading. But until now, the main thing remains unchanged - the wedding loaf was baked the day before the celebration, so that the bread was fresh during the festival.

Why a loaf at a modern wedding?

The loaf is primarily needed for solemn meeting newlyweds by parents. Previously, this ceremony was performed on the threshold of the groom's house, but today the bride and groom are treated to bread at the entrance to the restaurant. This tradition is always popular: every month in Krasnodar more than 100 young couples try this festive bread.

It usually goes like this. Guests line up in a "corridor" and throw rice, petals or coins, as a sign of material wealth in a new family. And the mother-in-law gives a loaf on a painted towel. Spouses break off chunks, salt and feed each other. By the way, right there, relatives are guessing at the firstborn. If the groom got a larger piece, then it will be a boy, and if the bride - then a girl. Or, as an option, the newlyweds bite off the loaf. Whose piece is larger, he will be the main one in the family.

Another important role of the loaf is that it serves traditional treat for guests. Wedding bread is shared at the end of the feast. The role of the donor of the treasured slice is not clearly defined: it can be the bride and groom themselves, the godmother of one of the young, the mother-in-law and other relatives. Also, instead of loaf pieces, guests can be given baked "bumps".

The loaf is still important for a wedding, especially if the newlyweds decide to observe folk customs or arrange a Russian national wedding. In addition, this traditional pastry is very tasty and very beautiful, as it is made from sweet dough and decorated with intricate patterns!

There is a loaf for the taste!

The solemn loaf inside has always been multi-layered. Most often it consisted of 3 "floors". Moreover, this wedding treat should be wide and lush. Enough for all the guests! Real wedding bread is baked from yeast sweet dough. As experts told us, the list of necessary ingredients for it looks like this:

• 7-8 cups flour
• 20 g dry yeast
• 100 g butter or vegetable oil
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk or warm water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6-7 tablespoons of sugar

In addition, lemon zest, raisins and cinnamon can be added to the dough for a more pronounced taste. During baking, it is recommended to lubricate it with water with diluted sugar or honey, which will give the surface an appetizing shine and sweetness.

Original decorations on the loaf are very popular among Krasnodar brides and grooms. For example, they decorate pastries on customer orders with edible figurines made of marzipan and dough. Berries and fruits are also used here both for decoration and for filling. This makes the loaf especially appetizing.

In Krasnodar, loaves of any shape and with any design are made to order, even for themed weddings. If the celebration emphasizes the season (autumn, winter), then suitable patterns are used in the decoration: spikelets, leaves, cones, fir branches. To give the bread a rich color, the masters specially tint the dough with cocoa, powdered sugar and other natural dyes. They give unusual shapes: up to the look of chamomile, when wedding bread consists of individual buns that can simply be broken off.

Wedding loaves are also baked in Krasnodar restaurants and cafes. For example, it gives newlyweds a unique opportunity to receive pastries made to an exclusive order. Confectioners will make bread in the shape, height and decorations that the client chooses. In addition to the loaf, other traditional treats are prepared here for the wedding: cones and gingerbread, which are distributed to guests according to folk custom at the end of the feast, and diven - pastries in the form of a sprig with berries in dough.

Loaf is not just a classic wedding pastry, but also a delicious table decoration and an important ritual dish. This symbolic treat is the main "guest" at a folk wedding. Therefore, if a couple in love decided to arrange a celebration according to Russian customs, then for them one of the main points is the traditional “order a loaf”.

Text: Daria Bezinskaya

Traditions must be observed: this is our distinguishing feature from other countries. Perhaps that is why the wedding loaf is still one of our most popular products: in one month, about 30 couples in love order it from us for their celebration. Of course, most often this solemn bread is taken along with the cake. However, it is in no way inferior to confectionery in terms of sweetness and beauty!

For example, in our confectionery, each loaf is made individually, according to the wishes of customers. We create various shapes, up to square. By the way, the sizes are different: from small (a little more than a kilogram) to very large (8 kilograms). It all depends on how many people will share it. Traditionally, the loaf is decorated with interesting figures: these are daisies, roses, rings, ears of corn. They are usually molded from dough, but our craftsmen also create patterns from marzipan. In addition, the loaf can be made sweeter: add dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots), nuts to its dough. Some customers ask to bake coins for luck in bread.

Since ancient times, there have been a lot of signs and customs associated with bread on the territory of our country. Our ancestors cherished it like the apple of their eye, cherished and worshiped it ... It was from such a cult that the wedding loaf was born, as well as a number of traditions directly related to it.

In those distant times, bread was considered a gift, and a generous one, which was awarded by Mother Earth for work, diligence and patience. Loaf as a symbol of the highest fertility and wealth was present at various Slavic holidays, it was given great importance. But at weddings, no matter what - rich, poor - a large and round loaf must have been present.

The round wedding loaf symbolized the Sun, it came from paganism, where the Sun-god had to have mercy and take under his protection and blessing the spouses. By the very presence of a loaf at a wedding, the young people were called for a long and prosperous life.

For the preparation of the loaf, loaf women were determined - all already married women, but by no means widows or childless. There could be 3, 5 or 7 loaves, among them the main or senior loaf was determined, who led the processes of dissolving and kneading the dough, baking the loaf. A woman living with her husband in goodness and harmony, love and happiness, who had hardworking and sympathetic children .. There was a belief that in this way a harmonious and happy family life would be transmitted from the loaf woman and the bride and groom. Sometimes this role was taken on by the godmother from one side.

During the preparation of the loaf, women sang songs: this was the sentence songs left over from pagan times: “You bake and fight the loaf, thicker than a brick stove, higher than an oak column,” and also read prayers, as if asking for God's blessing for the young.

Since the loaf, as it were, reflected the status of the future married couple, they tried to make it not only tasty, but also bigger, thicker taller - so, sometimes, it was baked the size of a wedding table. There were cases when the loaf rose so high and baked so thick that it was impossible to pull it out of the oven and it was necessary to take out several rows of bricks from the oven. After the loaf was ready, it was decorated with viburnum, wheat spikelets. It was a traditional decoration: firstly, in those days, weddings were more often held in the fall at the time of the harvest, just when the viburnum ripened and the wheat stood in golden spikelets; secondly, viburnum was a symbol of strong and strong love, and wheat - prosperity and prosperity.

After that, the loaf was covered with a towel and kept away from prying human eyes.

On the eve of the wedding, small “loaves” were also baked, they were distributed instead of invitations to the celebration.

At merchant and royal weddings, loaves were of unprecedented sizes. In addition to loaves, loaves were also hired, who, on stretchers upholstered in rich fabrics, often velvet, delivered the loaf to the table.

And so the young were met with a loaf, and more often they had to taste the wedding bread from the middle, which meant the birth of a new life. In itself, the division of the wedding loaf symbolized the loss of the bride's virginity. After the young people were blessed with a loaf, he was assigned a direct role in the gifting ceremony, they even said about it like this: “put on a loaf”. That is, a relative, a guest was offered to taste, accept a loaf, and in return give something, give gifts to the young. The godparents cut and divided the loaf, and the children carried the pieces. It was unsuitable for guests to leave the wedding home without a piece of the wedding loaf, and already at home in the family it was divided between all the family, even those who did not attend the wedding. It was believed that the one who tasted the wedding loaf would be lucky, especially if there was some new business or road ahead.

Jewelry from the loaf was distributed to the unmarried girls present, as if a wish also to find happiness in family life and soon feel for yourself what a wedding is.

This tradition has become so firmly embedded in our Slavic culture, it flows in our blood, that we still meet, already married, young loaves with traditional ornaments, blessing for a rich family life in love and harmony.

Many rituals are associated with the wedding day: the bride's garter for single guests, redeeming the betrothed at the doorstep of the house, cutting the birthday cake at the end of the banquet, and many others. Some of them came to us from the West, but there are also rituals that have primordially Russian roots. For example, the tradition of baking a wedding loaf.

What symbolizes

There are several reasons why a loaf must have been present.

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1. Bread has long been considered a kind of sacred product. Even in difficult times, a wedding loaf was present on the festive table. The tradition of baking bread from sweet pastry dates back to pagan times. Then he was associated with the cult of the sun god Yarilo. That is why bread began to be made in the shape of a circle.
2. Parents passed the loaf to the young, and this symbolized that the newly-made family is now under the protection of the ancient Slavic deity.
3. Today, loaf is also not just a treat for a wedding feast. It symbolizes the life of the young in prosperity and prosperity.
4. The surface of the wedding bread is decorated with dough patterns, which have a special meaning. Pigeons symbolize the fidelity of the spouses, braids - the readiness of the newlywed for family life, spikelets - prosperity and fertility, viburnum twigs - beauty, and the vine - procreation.

Who bakes and how

Nowadays, few people pay tribute to traditions. The heroes of the occasion order a loaf in a pastry shop, without thinking about who is baking and with what thoughts. However, some still believe in the magical power of wedding bread and cook it according to all the rules that existed in Ancient Rus'.

Cooking loaf was trusted only to women who are satisfied with family life and have healthy children. Singles and widows were not allowed to this action. It was believed that their presence would harm the well-being of the young. Several women often participated in the preparation, and the godmother of the groom led the process. If she was not suitable for this role, another relative of the newlywed was assigned to control the process of making the loaf.

The ingredients for baking the wedding loaf were special. Flour was taken from seven bags, and water was brought from the same number of sources. They baked bread in the groom's house on the eve or on the day of the wedding. Before the ritual, they put things in order in the dwelling, lit candles. In the process of cooking, women put on scarves, read special prayers and conspiracies.

People believed that the richer the bread, the richer life awaits future spouses. Sometimes the size of the wedding bread was so large that the oven had to be partially dismantled to get it out. The mass of baking reached 18 kilograms.

A man put a loaf in the oven. And this is not only because the dough was so heavy that it was difficult for women to lift it. Sending bread to the oven was a kind of symbol of conception. There was a belief that in order to soon have children, it was the man who had to perform the ceremony. A wedding loaf was not put in the oven by women.

Meeting of the young

If only a few observe the process of preparing ritual bread today, then they present a loaf, as a rule, according to. After the betrothal, the groom's parents meet the newlyweds with bread and salt - a loaf and a filled salt shaker. For convenience, bread is baked with a small depression in the center, where salt is poured. The loaf holds the mother of the newlywed, and the father holds the icon. This applies to Orthodox couples entering into marriage.

The loaf is laid out on a towel - a special towel with a symbolic ornament. Previously, the best craftswomen were engaged in its manufacture. The towel had to be very bright and beautiful. It was embroidered in a special way - in three rows. Plant motifs were depicted on the first strip, on the second cockerel as a symbol of the onset of a new life, and on the third - a crown.

wedding planner

Now they try to use a beautiful towel with an intricate ornament as a towel. After all, it will be kept by future spouses for life.

Elena Sokolova

soothsayer

Nowadays, a tradition is popular when newlyweds break off a piece of loaf or bite off without helping with their hands, trying to get a bigger part. The belief says that the one whose piece is larger will be the main one in the family.

Tamara Solntseva

Previously, the bride, after marriage, moved into the house of the groom. It was there that the young were met by parents with a loaf. Today it is passed at the venue, immediately before the start of the feast. At the same time, parents give a pre-prepared parting speech. And the guests line up in a semicircle and add their wishes. After the ritual, the celebration begins.

There were different traditions of dividing bread. According to the first, the upper part of the baking was intended for the newlyweds, the middle - for the guests of the holiday, and the bottom - for the musicians. Decorations were given to unmarried girls who were present at the celebration.

Interesting! Some were convinced that it was not good. They believed that in this way the newlyweds give their family happiness and well-being to the guests. Such families preferred to take the whole loaf into their home.

Sometimes the loaf was shared by one of the older relatives. He gave a piece of festive bread to the parents of the bride and groom, then they treated the guests of the holiday . For each piece, those present contributed a symbolic fee to the piggy bank of the young. The rest of the bread was distributed to the poor. The loaf was so big that there was enough for everyone.

Now, few people know about the tradition of sharing wedding ritual bread. As a rule, the newly-made spouses keep the loaf for themselves and keep it in a towel or simply use it at the festive table as bread. Some take it to the church as a donation.

customs

Although such wedding ceremonies as the meeting of the newlyweds with the loaf are gradually becoming a thing of the past, many people still observe the tradition and at the same time perform the rituals listed below.

• In the old days, single boys and girls knew the exact time of laying the loaf in the oven. At this moment, the guys, who wanted to quickly find their betrothed, jumped up three times, and the young ladies carried a tub of water from the house to the yard.
• If pieces of dough remained after the preparation of ritual bread, various figures were baked from them, where coins were laid. They were distributed to the poor.
• After baking the loaf, the future of the young is judged by its appearance. According to popular beliefs, a ruddy beautiful top promises a happy life, a crack is considered a bad sign. A bad omen and a burnt crust.
• Before handing over to the bride and groom, the wedding loaf is carefully protected from prying eyes, stored in a towel in a secluded place.
• Parents offer the newlyweds to dip the broken pieces of loaf in salt and eat. It was believed that in this way the young “eat up” all their tears.
• Decorations from the top of the wedding bread were taken apart by unmarried girls. They were put under the pillow in the hope of seeing the betrothed in a dream. Some believed that pieces of the loaf would help them get married as soon as possible.
• Refusing loaf was not accepted. This was a sign of disrespect for the young spouse. Now this tradition is also followed.
• The young people kept the wedding loaf after the wedding: the tradition of drying and carrying a piece with them as an amulet had a special meaning. Soldiers took such amulets with them to the war. It was believed that they would save the defenders from danger.

Summary

Everyone decides for himself whether to follow the traditions of his ancestors. Nevertheless, many believe that wedding ceremonies actually promise a happy family life. In addition, all kinds of rituals bring excitement to the celebration and make the wedding day really special.

Bread has always had a special meaning in Rus'. It is with large round bread - a loaf, which was often baked for holidays and important events, that many ceremonies and rituals are associated. Dear guests were met and seen off with a loaf, and the most magnificent and skillfully decorated loaves were the main treat at weddings.

The history of the origin of the loaf in Rus'

The custom of serving special pastries at weddings dates back to the ancient Slavs. In ancient Rus', bread was considered the great gift of the nurse of the earth, and the sun was the main patron. Therefore, the predecessor of the festive loaf was round like the sun and symbolized fertility, abundance and prosperity.

Origin of the word "Karavai"

There are several assumptions about the origin of the name of ritual bread in Rus'. The most common of them boils down to the fact that the word "loaf" comes from the word "cow", which in Slavic dialects means "bride". And the suffix "ay" in the word acts as a symbol of a bull, that is, a man. Thus, the loaf personified fertility, the unity of the feminine and masculine principles.

Traditions to bake a loaf in Rus'

Baking a loaf was accompanied by a certain sequence of rituals. Loaf women were invited to make festive bread - women who are happily married and have healthy obedient children. Being engaged in the preparation of festive bread, loaf women passed on their experience to the young and shared family happiness. And a married man had to plant bread in the oven. During all these rituals, special songs and prayers sounded to receive God's blessing to the young.

The size of the loaf was also of great importance, as it personified the status of the nascent family. The desire to cook the largest and highest ceremonial bread often turned into the fact that several rows of bricks had to be taken out of the oven in order to get the baked loaf. The finished treat, in addition to various patterns of dough, was decorated with ears of wheat and clusters of viburnum. Such decor was symbolic and meant family well-being, harmony and love.

Traditionally, baking a loaf in Rus' was preceded by some event. This bread was baked only on special occasions, most often for weddings or to meet long-awaited guests. The hospitable hosts always greeted dear guests with bread and salt. Often it was a rye loaf with salt, which was presented on a towel.

- this is an established tradition that originated among the pagan Slavs and took root in the times of Rus'.

In those distant times, bread was considered a gift, and a generous one, which was awarded by Mother Earth for work, diligence and patience. Loaf as a symbol of the highest fertility and wealth was present at various Slavic holidays, it was given great importance. But at weddings, no matter what: rich, poor - a large and round loaf must have been present.

The round wedding loaf symbolized the Sun, it came from paganism, where the Sun-god had to have mercy and take under his protection and blessing the spouses. By the very presence of a loaf at a wedding, the young people were called for a long and prosperous life.

For the preparation of the loaf, loaf women were determined - all already married women, but by no means widows or childless. There could be 3, 5 or 7 loaves, among them the main or senior loaf was determined, who led the processes of dissolving and kneading the dough, baking the loaf. A woman living with her husband in goodness and harmony, love and happiness, who had hardworking and sympathetic children .. There was a belief that in this way a harmonious and happy family life would be transmitted from the loaf woman and the bride and groom. Sometimes this role was taken on by the godmother from one side.

During the preparation of the loaf, women sang songs: this was the song-sentences left over from pagan times: “You bake-fight the loaf, thicker than a brick stove, higher than an oak column,” and also read prayers, as if asking for God's blessing for the young.

Since the loaf, as it were, reflected the status of the future married couple, they tried to make it not only tasty, but also bigger, thicker taller - so sometimes it was baked the size of a wedding table. There were cases when the loaf rose so high and baked so thick that it was impossible to pull it out of the oven and it was necessary to take out several rows of bricks from the oven. After the loaf was ready, it was decorated with viburnum, wheat spikelets. It was a traditional decoration: firstly, in those days, weddings were more often held in the fall at the time of the harvest, just when the viburnum ripened and the wheat stood in golden spikelets; secondly, viburnum was a symbol of strong and strong love, and wheat - prosperity and prosperity.

After that, the loaf was covered with a towel and kept away from prying human eyes.

On the eve of the wedding, small “loaves” were also baked, they were distributed instead of invitations to the celebration.

At merchant and royal weddings, loaves were of unprecedented sizes. In addition to loaves, loaves were also hired, who, on stretchers upholstered in rich fabrics, often velvet, delivered the loaf to the table.

And so the young were met with a loaf, and more often they had to taste the loaf from the middle, which meant the birth of a new life. In itself, the division of the wedding loaf symbolized the loss of the bride's virginity. After the newlyweds were blessed with a loaf, he was given a direct role in the wedding loaf and in the gifting ceremony, they even said about it like this: “put on a loaf”. That is, a relative, a guest was offered to taste, accept a loaf, and in return give something, give gifts to the young. The godparents cut and divided the loaf, and the children carried the pieces. It was unsuitable for guests to leave the wedding home without a piece of the wedding loaf, and already at home in the family it was divided between all the family, even those who did not attend the wedding. It was believed that the one who tasted the wedding