For centuries, young people wishing to marry have asked their parents to bless the union. What is the blessing of the parents before the wedding all about? Is it worth keeping this old tradition alive? What does the ceremony look like? What should be said during it? Here are the most important things to know about the prosperity ritual.
What does the blessing of the parents before the wedding symbolise?
The blessing is the parents' consent to the relationship the bride and groom are forming. But not only. According to tradition, the words are spoken by the parents, but the blessing is given to the bride and groom by God. It is his support. It is supposed to bring the future couple prosperity, love, a long and happy life. In other words, everything they need spiritually and materially.
The blessing of the parents before the wedding is a sign of their favour to get married. In the past, many times nuptials did not take place because the parents did not give the blessing. If weddings took place without the blessing being given, this was done against the wishes of the parents. Often secretly. So this was a very important part of the wedding ceremony, which is increasingly omitted these days.
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Is it worth organising a parental blessing before the wedding?
Whether the bride and groom choose to organise a traditional parental blessing depends largely on their approach to this part of the wedding day. This custom is happily practised in more religious families. It is slowly being abandoned among circles that are not close to the Church on a daily basis. For some, the blessing before the wedding is an archaic and meaningless custom, while for others it is an important tradition. There are also those who see this ritual as an opportunity to say goodbye to the family home and a moment to exchange warm words with parents or other household members. The blessing of the parents before the wedding is thus a pleasant start to the wedding ceremony.
How to prepare for the blessing?
The blessing traditionally takes place in the bride's family home. If this is not possible, then in the home where she lives, or in the groom's home. On a table covered with a white tablecloth should stand a paschal, holy water and a sprinkle. Duties of a witness at a wedding begin even before the ceremony. According to tradition, the groom goes with his witness and immediate family to the bride's home.
Polish wedding traditions used to assume that even before the blessing, the bride and groom would say goodbye to their previous maiden life. She would walk around the family home and apologise for everything to the household members and the furnishings and rooms. She was saying goodbye not only to her family, but to the whole house.
What does the parental blessing before the wedding look like?
The bride dressed in a wedding dress and the groom in a suit kneel before their parents. In doing so, they ask them to bless the union. The bride's mother gives the blessing first, followed by her father. Secondly, the groom's parents. After saying the usual solemn and solemn words, the parents take a sprinkler and bless their children with holy water.
If either of the future spouses does not have a parent, the blessing is given by the other parent for their part. If both parents are deceased, the blessing may be given by the grandparents, or by immediate family members. It can also be just the parents of one of the Bride and Groom. It all depends on how close the relationship is with the rest of the family.
What to say during the blessing?
Many may be embarrassed by the fact that they will have to speak in public during the blessing. They do not really know what they could say or how to behave during the blessing. What should it look like?
The bride and groom may ask their parents for a blessing together with the words: "Dear parents please bless our union" or by addressing each of them separately. You can simply say "Mum, bless us", or "Dad, please give us your blessing.".
The parents can also say a pre-learned rule or say something from themselves. "God bless you!" or "I bless you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" are the most commonly spoken words by the parents of the bride and groom.
Those closest to the newlyweds can also say something more personal. Something especially for the newlyweds. In addition, some make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the bride and groom. After the words of blessing, a parent takes a sprinkler and sprinkles holy water on each of the children. Only after this do they all set off together to the church or registry and then to the wedding hall.
One thing is certain. The blessing of the parents before the wedding is a very touching moment. An opportunity for parents to say goodbye to their children. This is why this moment is often accompanied by tears of emotion. It is also the moment when the parents show their son-in-law or daughter-in-law that they welcome this person into the family. The person thus becomes another child.
The blessing of the parents before the wedding is a very old tradition. It began as early as slavic wedding. The brides and grooms asked the house for forgiveness and a blessing for their new life. The blessing to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was also given by God. Hence, this tradition is archaic for many. For others, it is an important moment on the wedding day. The bride and groom's approach to this tradition influences whether it is worthwhile to organise a parental blessing before the wedding. If the newlyweds decide to organise the blessing, it will certainly be remembered for a long time by both the couple and their parents.