Hungarian Weddings
Engaged Hungarians wear their ring on their left hand while those married ones have it on their right hand.
Apart form the bride and groom the most important person at every Hungarian wedding is the best man. In the past he personally invited guest by sort of reciting the invitation. Today the couple often personally invites people to their wedding.
Nowadays Hungarian brides wear a white wedding dress. In the past traditional wedding dresses were very colourful and included lot of embroidery.
A wedding procession with bride and groom leaves the bride's home and goes to the groom's home. On their way there they have to be careful as some groups of people may kidnap the bride and request a ransom. The groom pays it but as everything is just a prank the money is returned back to him.
At the groom's home bride is welcomed by the groom's parents. She traditionally gets a glass of wine and a candle. She often also gets an egg. She has to thow it on the floor. The egg should break as this means having healthy healthy children.
A civil wedding in the state office is a must before an optional religious one.
According to a local tradition at the wedding ceremony bride gives groom three or seven handkerchiefs. She gets a present too. He gives her a bag filled with coins.
When performing the first dance the couple is surrouned by a group of dancers.
One of dances performed at the wedding reception is so called "money dance". Bride's father or her best man start the dance shouting that "the bride is for sale". From that moment all men can pay some money and dance with the bride. Usually each dance lasts for few moments.
The money collected during this dance is often kept in the shoe placed on the dancefloor. In the past people used a bucket or a hat for the same purpose. Sometimes banknotes are attached to the bride's dress.
After the "money dance" or soon after midnight a bride gets dressed in a red dress. This dress symbolizes her new life as wife.
Sometime during the wedding reception bride's shoes are stolen. To get them back a groom has to drink champagne from the bride's shoe.
In parts of Hungary the couple traditionally breaks a plate by throwing it on the floor. People believe it is for good luck. But there are also those who think that the number of broken pieces means the number of children the newlyweds will have.
Like weddings receptions all over the world that Hungarian includes lot of various dishes like for example paprikash and goulash. The couple serves the wedding cake to the guests.
The couple makes a guestbook. It "moves" from table to table at the wedding reception. Each guest should write couple of nice words.
In the late hours organizers traditionally serve so called "midnight breakfast".
When the guests leave the wedding reception they suppose to give presents to the newlyweds. An envelope with some money is also an option.
Organizers prepare more than enough cakes for the wedding reception. When leaving the party each guest gets a small box with cakes.
In the past couple was allowed to leave the wedding reception only after a bride performed sweeping of the coins that were thrown on the floor by guests.
References Some Traditional Hungarian Wedding Customs http://www.eldrbarry.net/marriage/htradwed.htm Hungarian Wedding Traditions http://www.best-country.com/europe/hungary/wedding Hungarian Wedding Traditions http://sophiejason.com/wedding-posts/hungarian-wedding-traditions Good old Wedding Traditions in Hungary http://www.ebusinessrevolution.com/zjp/wedding/traditions.shtml