What do the brides of the world wear?

The 21st century has taken the sacred meaning of the bride's headdress, which once protected the girl from the views of ill-wishers and the evil eye of envious and rivals, into the distant past. And yet, when the wedding day comes, the centuries-old memory “includes” some traditional rituals in the family holiday, one of which is to cover the bride’s head.

(Total 21 photos)

Source: moya-planeta.ru

Norway: crown

1. A bride in Norway often wears a crown instead of a veil, the base of which is made of silver or copper and decorated with chains and bells that gently jingle when walking. It is believed that the sound of bells drives away evil spirits and all evil spirits from the bride, who are afraid of the overflowing of the bell ringing.

Paying tribute to traditions is now easy, as a newlywed family can rent a hat from a local church or a wealthy family, where they have been kept for decades. Moreover, the crown, borrowed from the church, symbolizes virginity.

2. There are many options for a wedding crown in Norway - almost as many as there are provinces (fylke), and they can differ in size, shape, and additional decorations.

South Africa: trapeze hat

3. Zulu brides (South Africa) traditionally bare their breasts on their wedding day. What remains of the clothes is a skirt, beads and a headdress - an isicholo, which has undergone an amazing transformation over the past century.

4. Once upon a time, Zulu women wore a special hairstyle: they shaved their hair, leaving it only in the center of the head - the remaining shred was covered with fat and ocher and given it a trapezoid shape. Over time, the Zulus began to make hats of a similar shape from human hair mixed with dried herbs and woolen threads, on a dense fabric frame. But rather quickly, the hair was replaced with yarn, and then special fabrics appeared. For example, a fabric woven from young raffia (palm) leaves. But always for girls, and even more so for brides, the decoration of the hat remained unchanged - it was embroidered with beads. Zulu embroidery "speaks": various beads carry symbolic meanings - from a declaration of love to a warning "do not come near".

Germany: wreath

5. Until the end of the 19th century, the head of a bride from Germany was decorated with green crowns of various styles. And on the suits and hats of the groom, friends and guests, bouquets of myrtle flaunted. Over time, girls began to weave a wreath from myrtle, which gradually replaced the wedding crown. The closed myrtle wreath on the bride's head emphasizes her innocence and purity. Until now, in many German lands, this tradition is alive. The Germans believe in the power of myrtle: it personifies the chastity of the bride, and keeping the sprigs at home will provide young people with peace and love.

Kazakhstan: cap

6. The most beautiful and elegant in the costume of Kazakh brides is considered saukele - a national headdress, sometimes reaching 70 cm in height. According to the height of the saukele, they used to judge the upbringing of the bride, her attitude to traditions.

7. In the old days, it was considered a lucky sign if the feathers on the top of the cap touched the hearth of the yurt. In the current century (in Kazakhstan, interest in national clothes has noticeably increased recently), this is the jamb of the front doors in the husband's house.

8. In past centuries, the rigid base of the saukele was covered with velvet, silk, and satin. The dress was certainly embroidered with jewels. For example, turquoise in jewelry promised happiness to the bride, carnelian - health. They tried to make pendants from silver, less often from gold. The top of the saukele was crowned with uky - a fluffy bunch of owl feathers, and the bottom was decorated with expensive fur.

The most skilled craftsmen used to take part in the manufacture of the dress, and it took at least a year to complete their work. The cost of a saukele was always estimated at a high price: in not so distant times, it was about the same as a herd of 100 good horses.

Families less wealthy and the poor sewed clothes from cloth or satin, decorated with glass beads, beads. But in any case, the saukele in the minds of the Kazakhs was perceived as a guardian of the girl from black forces and the evil eye. He was worn only once and never passed on to others, so as not to give away his happiness with him.

Bulgaria: red veil

9. The wedding of the Muslim Bulgarians (the Pomaks ethnic group) living in the western part of the Rhodope Mountains is famous for its amazing ceremonies. Pomaks play weddings exclusively in winter. The climax of the holiday comes when a carefully dressed bride, gelina, appears before the locals, and now before the tourists who come to an unusual performance. She is slowly taken out to the bride, showing people like a jewel: the girl's face looks like a colorfully painted mask. It is covered with a dense white layer of clay, painted with bright patterns, decorated with sparkles.

10. On the head is a picturesque wreath of paper flowers, from under which silver and multi-colored threads hang, and on top of it is a red veil - a symbol of fidelity to the only man.

11. Gelina will not open her eyes until the mullah blesses the young.

Yemen: headband with pendants

12. A Yemeni bride has as much silver in the form of jewelry, trimmings of a dress and a headdress as she can withstand, so as not to fall under its weight and not to bend. Because it is believed: the more silver a girl has, the more successful her marriage will be. The total weight of the metal can reach several kilograms.

13. Naturally, the bulk of silver is represented by necklaces in several rows, large and small pendants of various shapes, amulets with text from the evil eye, massive bracelets made of red corals and amber.

14. The headdress consists of a taj cape and a festive decoration of a gargush, which resembles a headband with pendants (pendants are a charm of a girl). The cape is made of rich fabric with silver or gold threads. Gargush is richly decorated. Ancient coins are hung from it, and the bandage is embroidered with pearls or beads.

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Turkmenistan: dough helmet

17. In the outfit of a bride from Turkmenistan, the most colorful element is the khasab headdress, which reaches a height of 30 or more centimeters. In ancient times, rituals dedicated to the goddess of fertility were performed in such a dress.

The frame was made of several layers of fabric glued together with a thick dough. The upper part of the dress was laid out with rings of grass twisted into a bundle. Further, the khasaba was certainly wrapped in red silk. The red color among the Turkmens was and remains a symbol of the life-giving power of nature, people believed in its magical properties to protect a person. Strips of plush or velvet were sewn over the silk, which were decorated with silver and gold items, coins and pendants that hung on the forehead and temples (pendants among the Turkmens are most often not associated with jewelry, but play the role of amulets and amulets).

18. The top of khasabs was sometimes decorated with an iron or silver tip. Wearing such a "veil" was a difficult test for the bride. She could not be removed both during the wedding and after, until the married daughter visited her parents' house.

In the current century, the khasaba still remains an important part of the wedding attire, but the dress was somewhat modified and made lighter so that on such a solemn day the bride would not have a headache from wearing it.

Russia: veil

19. A veil is the most traditional element of a bride's attire in many countries of the world. She symbolizes the purity and innocence of the girl, protects her from the evil eye and the views of envious and rivals.

20. Often after the wedding, the veil became a talisman for a young family: they could cover a sick baby with it in order to speed up recovery.

21. Previously, in Rus', a headdress was given sacred significance and it was inherited, became a family heirloom.