When studying foreign language it is important to know not only the language structures, but it is also important to know the culture and traditions of the country. The purpose of the article is the study of wedding traditions of England and Russia.
Wedding is not only a secular ceremony and dry legal formality, but it is a real, ancient sacrament, which is always bright and memorable event, the beginning of new stage in life of every person.
One of the most original and funny traditions on the territory of Great Britain is called “tied in a knot”. The guy and the girl, dressed, connected one rope and left for the night. If in the morning the rope was not untied, couple declared affianced. If young people didn't wish to marry, they simply untied the knot at night.
The traditional color of love and hope in England is blue, that’s why wedding jewelry are always including blue ribbons. It is very important for English people to choose the right date and the right month of wedding. The most unlucky periods for marriage considered to be May and the time of Lent. The most suitable day of a week for wedding is Wednesday.
The symbol of the happiness which has reached up to now are boots. In 1860 at one wedding in Leicestershire, the brother of the bride during following home from church threw an old boot on the road from wedding crew. That bridesmaid who the first will grab the boot, will marry the first.
After a feast the bride went to the new house. If she stumbled about a threshold, it was considered as a bad sign. Therefore the groom took her on hands and carried by over a threshold.
In Scotland it is considered a bad sign to come back home for newlyweds after a wedding the same road that they arrived to church.
It is impossible for young couple in Russia to go on a banquet a direct road to mislead evil spirit. When newlyweds drive up to a place of celebration of a wedding, the car has to signal loudly. In wedding palace, the groom and the bride have to go surely in different cars. In Russia the groom has to put a coin in the right boot not to need in money.
The set of the signs is connected with the wedding day, some of them completely coincide with the superstitions existing in our culture, others coincide partially, the third are characteristics for English-speaking culture.
Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. Traditions allocate the nation from lump.
List of references:
1. alldayplus.ru
2. paradnevest.3dn.ru
3. uti-puti.com.ua
4. Russian-English dictionary, Boyanus, Muller.