The Jewish wedding is one of the pillars of the life image of the Jews, and as in every religion - an occasion for a great celebration. Earlier, weddings in Jewish families were arranged by parents with the help of a “matchmaker,” and in some communities this tradition is still being observed. Even if, the conclusion of the marriage has already been agreed, the man should not abandon the custom - and ask the bride’s father for her hand, and be sure to pay a ransom.
The ritual associated with the wedding of the Jews begins with an engagement ceremony called tenaim. During this ceremony, the plate should be broken, which is a symbol of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem, and recalls that the Jews have a feeling of sadness from some loss, even in the midst of the holiday. This is repeated during the marriage ceremony.
A Jewish wedding can be scheduled for any day, the only exception is the Shabbat, which begins on Friday at sunset and ends at sunset on Saturday, as well as the holidays of the Jewish people, for example, the New Year (Jews do not work at this time). In England, Sunday is the most popular day for weddings with Jews, and in the United States, Jewish weddings are often held on Saturday after the Sabbath, with winter being considered the best time of the year. Very often couples get married in the middle of the week - on weekdays.
A Jewish wedding, the traditions of which have been revered since ancient times, has no special prohibitions on marriage at any time of the year, but most couples do not want to do this between Passover and Shavuot, a period of sadness in the Jewish calendar. During it, most citizens try not to attend a variety of parties with dancing and music. The week that precedes the wedding is the most wonderful time. Ufruf - this is the name of the ceremony, which is specially arranged for the groom. He must go to the synagogue, where his participation in the service is manifested in the most active way, and then his congregation is announced about the upcoming celebration. Very often, during the service, many candies are thrown at him. After the end of the service of the entire congregation, a small table with refreshments is arranged where wine, drinks and food are offered.
At this time, the bride is waiting for a visit to the ritual pool, mikvah, where she cleans herself from the spiritual side, so that complete purity comes from her at the time of the marriage. Sometimes, mikvah is visited by men before the wedding day , but separately from the female half. In order to properly observe all the charters of mikvah, a woman before visiting the pool should be without decorations, and even without nail polish. She, when reciting a special prayer, must do a complete immersion in water. During the ritual, they control it, provide all possible assistance in the correct execution of the mikvah. Some wedding ceremonies of the peoples of the world, Jewish ones are no exception, require that the bride and groom should not see each other for a week before the wedding day.
The Jewish wedding for the bride and groom is held under a special structure - a canopy called a chuppah. Symbolically, the chuppah represents the house where the bride and groom will live in the future. In the past, the venue for this beautiful ceremony was open air, but recently it was moved to the premises so as not to be dependent on weather conditions. The most popular place where the wedding ceremony is held is the synagogue, but no strict rules have been established in this regard. If there is a rabbi and a chuppah - a Jewish wedding is held anywhere, and now even in hotels. A Jewish couple who is about to get married does not have traditional wedding clothes. Usually women wear a white dress, and men wear a black suit and the same tie.