Many Polish wedding traditions date centuries back and were created around involving the family, being respectful of etiquette and celebrating as much as possible. Most Polish wedding superstitions revolve around luck, wealth and prosperity in the marriage.
Polish Wedding Traditions From The Old Country
Brides will wear their hair with a wreath of fresh flowers and rosemary. Rosemary signifies remembrance and fidelity.
If during the festivities the bride can drink from her wine glass and not spill a drop on her dress, then she is considered a lucky woman.
In the old days, the bride and groom would ride in a horse drawn carriage while the wedding guests walked behind the carriage to the reception.
Polish weddings often include a large number of people because in certain areas of Poland, customs forbade excluding anyone in the village from being invited to the wedding.
As the bride and groom arrive at the reception, the parents greet the couple for the Bread and Salt Blessing. This tradition includes offering bread, lightly sprinkled with salt and a goblet of wine to the couple. The bread offering shows the parents hope that the couples children will never hunger or be in need.
The salt is used to remind the couple of the difficult and bitter times ahead that they must work through together. The wine is a symbol that the couple will never go thirsty and that their lives will be filled with health and happiness. The parents now kiss the couple to show a symbol of welcome, unity and love.
After the first toast, the couple break the glasses by throwing them behind them. The second toast is often a champagne shot glass toast, which is raised in the name of the couple by the wedding attendants.
A popular tradition is the oczepiny ceremony when the bride’s veil, the symbol of her maidenhood, is taken off and an apron with children’s faces sewn onto it is placed around her waist to symbolize her that she gives up her innocence and accepts her duties as a wife, a hostess and a mother. All single women will walk in a circle around the bride and she will throw her veil. The woman who catches the veil is the next to marry. The groom will also remove his tie and toss it toward single men at the reception. The man who catches the tie will be the next to wed.
At the reception, tables cannot run out of alcohol, most often vodka, so a chosen family member walks around with a basket making sure that no one has an empty glass.
A common Polish wedding custom is that the money dance. While this custom usually applies to the bride, people will pay a dollar to dance with either the bride or the groom. When dancing with the bride money can either be placed in the apron or pinned to it. When the couple leaves at the end of the party, they are given the money, often to be used toward their honeymoon.
Polish Wedding Superstitions
Whether it’s having something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue or not seeing your betrothed before you meet at the alter, everyone has their superstitions about wedding days. Here are a few to keep in mind for couples with a Polish heritage.
It is good luck to marry in a month with the letter “R” and marrying in the month of May is bad luck.
The bride should put her shoes on the window sill the night before the wedding to ensure good weather the next day.
The bride should not include roses in her bouquet as the thorns symbolize a cut in the heart.
If the bride wants to rule in the marriage, as she kisses her groom at the alter, she gently throws the skirt of her dress on the grooms shoe. This symbolizes gaining the power of deciding in the marriage.
The bride is expected to cry at her wedding ceremony. If she does not, then it is believed she will cry throughout her entire marriage.
References
- Polish Women. “What does a Polish wedding reception look like?” (accessed June 2, 2010).
- Polish Forum. “Superstitions in Poland.” (accessed June 2, 2010).
- The Knot. “Cultural wedding customs: Polish wedding traditions?” (accessed June 2, 2010).
- World Wedding Traditions. “Polish Wedding Traditions.” (accessed June 2, 2010).
- Chicago Bride Magazine. “Polish Wedding Customs and Traditions.” (accessed June 2, 2010).
Meghan Fahy - Meghan Fahy is a Chicago native trying to find her niche in the world of publishing. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Creative ...
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