The document summarizes 5 traditions seen at Ukrainian weddings: 1. Korovai is a large braided bread given to the bride and groom that is decorated with symbols and figurines as a blessing. 2. In western Ukraine, the bride-to-be visits houses with friends in national dress, inviting people and requesting blessings while singing folk songs. 3. The night before the wedding, friends of the bride work through the night to create an elaborate headdress decorated with plants and flowers to represent eternity and beauty. 4. At the wedding ceremony, the couple steps on an embroidered cloth called a rushnyk, with tradition holding that whoever steps on it first will "

1. Korolkova
Julianna
5 TRADITIONS YOU WILL
ONLY SEE AT A
UKRAINIAN WEDDING

2. Korovai is the Ukrainian
alternative to wedding cake.
It’s a large round braided
bread baked from wheat flour
often decorated with various
symbols and figurines that’s
given to the bride and groom
as a blessing.
While the couple may try
pieces of it during the
wedding, it is much more likely
for it to be consumed in
week(s) after the wedding.
KOROVAI WEDDING CAKE

3. In western Ukraine, a bride-to-be will travel from house to house
with her friends all in national dress, inviting people to the wedding,
singing folk songs and requesting blessings and good wishes from
everyone in the village.
INVITING EVERYONE

4. The bride-to-be’s friends would
gather at fiancee’s house the day
before the wedding ceremony.
Impressively, the devoted friends
would work through the night to
ensure the headdress was
complete.
As the weddings tend to take
place in the autumn, the
headdresses would be full of
plant life and perhaps artificial
flowers made from paper, cloth or
shells.
As a ‘SYMBOL OF ETERNITY
AND BEAUTY’, we can see why
this is so appropriate in the
marital headdress.
WEDDING HEADDRESS

5. Almost every Ukrainian wedding
ceremony will see the couple step
on a traditional embroidered cloth
(referred to as rushnyk) before
they take their vows.
Traditionally, the person that
steps on the cloth first, will wear
the pants in the family, so to say,
and have the final say throughout
the marriage.
It seems that the groom almost
always lets the bride step on the
cloth first, a gesture that is both
respectful and endearing.
STEPPING ON THE EMBROIDERED CLOTH
(RUSHNYK)

6. Ukrainians sing at all celebrations, especially happy
ones. Throughout the entire time of the reception,
guests will get up, raise an toast and begin singing
"Mnohaya Lita.", which means "many years."
THE SINGING OF MNOHAYA LITA

7. Thank you for your attention!