Lent 2021 - is it possible to have a wedding?

Wedding in Lent: pros and cons

The question of whether it is possible to get married during the fast before Easter especially worries people who try to adhere to all church traditions. However, it often happens that lovers who are far from all the nuances of the church already set a wedding date, send out invitations, but something goes wrong.

There is always a grandmother or some other relative who declares that the celebration should be postponed. After all, you can’t get married during Lent. Because of this, many weddings are postponed, which is not surprising. After all, a wedding is a serious step. I want everything to be perfect.

Note! Lent in 2021 begins on Monday, March 2 and ends on Saturday, April 18.

If you ask the priests about the wedding theme, you won’t be able to get an exact answer. Some claim that a celebration during Lent is possible, but certain rules must be followed, while others are convinced that weddings are prohibited on these days. It is unknown who to believe. However, you definitely can’t get married during Lent.

As for the painting in the registry office, the question here is rather in the choice of the person himself. If the bride and groom are not against this, then a wedding in Lent before Easter is not a bad idea. However, it is still worth convincing those relatives who may not agree to attend the celebration because of their beliefs.

Is it possible to get married during Lent and on Easter?

Wedding events should be divided into two parts - a formal wedding and a church wedding. After all, it is one thing to simply sign at the registry office, which many couples do, and quite another to unite their destinies before God. If you have noticed, as the weather warms up, the wedding season begins. Many couples decide to get married in the spring, and easily get married during the fast before Easter. And at the same time they celebrate the event with their loved ones and friends, organizing a fun and noisy feast.

The Church has its own clear opinion about weddings and weddings. During Lent and Easter, it is worth abandoning large celebrations. After all, fasting is a time of repentance and prayer. But what to do if the wedding day is scheduled for Easter week? In this case, the best solution would be to postpone the wedding and hold it after Easter. And on the appointed day, the bride and groom can simply sign at the registry office.

The same applies to weddings on Easter. Even though the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a big and joyful day, it is best to avoid wedding events. The church also prohibits young people from getting married on Easter and during Lent. And this applies not only to the fast before Easter, but also to other fasts. Therefore, if you ask a priest with such a question, you will definitely receive a negative answer.

Weddings in churches during Lent or on major church holidays are strictly prohibited. The ritual can be performed only in extreme cases, for example, if a man goes to war.

What a wedding should be like

If you nevertheless decided to get married on Easter, then you should follow several rules that will help the newlyweds and guests observe church traditions.

What you need to know:

there should be no alcoholic beverages on the table;
dishes - only simple ones;
It is advisable to fast.

Fact!

Lenten dishes must be present on the table so that fasting relatives feel as comfortable as possible.

If you don’t want to organize a celebration in compliance with these traditions, then it is better to move the holiday to another date outside of Lent.

Why you can't get married before Easter

Many newlyweds who face criticism from relatives sincerely do not understand why they cannot get married during Lent before Easter. The reason is very simple. It lies in strict church traditions and customs. In this case, there is a ban on holding and attending entertainment events.

The second is the main one; it is believed that during fasting before the wedding it is necessary to refuse to show love. Of course, this is not possible for people who have just gotten married. Especially if it concerns a young couple.

Even for couples who have been in a relationship for a long time, the church recommends that they refrain from displays of tender feelings and intimacy. This abstinence is supposed to be a great test of the relationship. The priests are also convinced that observing all traditions is a tribute to God.

Obviously ! When deciding whether it is possible to get married during Lent before Easter in 2021, you should listen only to yourself and your partner.

Marriage in Lent

Those who claim that the church prohibits weddings during Lent are wrong. She can't do it. The Church simply does not conduct the ritual of the sacrament of marriage - wedding. You cannot be led to God by the hand and forced to believe. Each person comes to the Lord on his own. Faith is a need of the soul. If this is not the case, then no one can force a person.

Nowadays, there is such a thing as marriage registration. It can be performed at any time appointed by the registry office employee, including on fasting days. This concept is enshrined in law. We live in a secular society, where religion is separated from the state, therefore, when it is better to have a wedding, everyone decides for themselves. Many young people generally prefer civil marriages. And the older generation, for whom a stamp in the passport has always been mandatory, has resigned itself and does not mind.

Society is changing, relationships between people are being transformed. Religion remains unshakable - the spiritual repository of humanity. Orthodoxy, like Islam, is strong because it does not succumb to external influence and sacredly preserves its traditions and rituals.

On what days does the Church prohibit getting married?

The ban on holding celebrations applies to Lent, Nativity, Dormition and Peter the Great. These days are considered the most important in the church.

Weddings are also prohibited during major church holidays. This should be taken into account in advance. If you are wondering whether it is possible to have a wedding in Lent before Easter 2021, it is recommended to buy a special church calendar.

It marks not only the dates of the nearest church holidays, but also favorable days for marriage and weddings. This will help newlyweds understand when to tie the knot.

Believers should refrain from holding celebrations these days. After all, you can always reschedule this wonderful event for another time. And the relationship between the spouses will not change because of this.

How to know when to post

To be sure that the wedding does not fall on fasting days, you need to look at the fasting calendar, which you can get from the church or find on the Internet. For 2021 they fall on the following dates:

27.02 – 15.04 – Great.
12.06 – 11.07 – Petrov.
14 – 27.08 – Uspensky.
27.11– 6.01 – Rozhdestvensky.

Weeks are short fasts lasting seven days during which weddings cannot be held:

11 – 16.04 – Bright Easter.
07 – 19.01 – Christmastide.
06 – 12.02 – Publican.
20 – 26.02 – Cheese.
05 – 11.06 – Trinity.

Posts lasting one day. Preceding the great church holidays:

11.09 – John the Baptist.
27.09 – Exaltation.
January 18 – Epiphany Christmas Eve.

In addition, weddings are not held on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, before Lent and before the twelve, great and temple holidays.

What happens if you get married before Easter?

There are many myths about what will happen if the wedding is held in Lent before Easter. Sometimes it is already difficult to distinguish them from the truth.

It is assumed that the couple who got married in the fast before Easter will not be happy in this marriage, because they violated church rules and traditions, which require abstinence from such things. Whether to believe in this or not is up to those getting married to decide. However, it is still worth thinking and weighing all decisions before submitting an application to the registry office.

There is still one plus in this celebration - there will be less excitement. Still, few people decide to get married during Lent, which will be a plus for those newlyweds who are far from the church and all traditions. You can easily book a room in a restaurant or just a few tables, a photographer, decorations, as well as those attributes that are necessary for the celebration.

Girls who are worried about whether they can get married during the fast before Easter 2021 should probably understand that such a step may, according to some clergy, turn out to be unhappy. It is assumed that the husband will not be faithful in such a marriage, which will soon fall apart altogether. However, only the woman herself should decide what to do in this case.

It's your decision!

If you read numerous forums devoted to the topic of weddings in Lent, you can come across many of the same type of statements: “Mom (grandmother, mother-in-law) is categorically against weddings in Lent.” On the one hand, you pay tribute to your elders by agreeing to their terms. On the other hand, this is your life. If you don’t fast, don’t take communion, and don’t attend church regularly, what will a wedding during Lent change? We wrote above about respecting the interests of others during this period.

The main thing should be the faith that is inside your soul. Therefore, do as your heart tells you!

I’m very interested in what you think about the wedding in Lent!

Author: Svetlana Shigorina

Matchmaking during Lent before Easter

Some suggest that getting married on Easter is as prohibited as marriage itself. Matchmaking is a traditional rite. At this moment, a man proposes to his beloved woman. For believers, the opinion of the church on this matter is important, because the manifestation of love on such days is undesirable.

However, the church does not prohibit matchmaking before Easter or even during this holiday. There are only features that are worth considering. If, after a marriage proposal, it is planned to introduce two families to a feast and a noisy company, then you should refrain and postpone this until later.

If the couple plans to just sit quietly and chat, then this is welcome. The main thing is modesty and abstinence.

Marriage registration during Orthodox holidays

You can register a marriage at the registry office during any Orthodox holidays, unless they are designated as public holidays.
According to church rules, everything is different. Great Christian holidays cannot be combined with weddings. The days on which they fall have a different, special purpose.

Therefore, it is better not to schedule the ceremony for the period before and on the days of the twelve main holidays of Orthodoxy. Their dates can be found in any church calendar.

But there are several other holidays when weddings are not only not prohibited, but are even considered auspicious. Among them are the days of veneration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (21.07 and 4.11), the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God - 26.10 and St. Nicholas the Veshny (The World of Lycia) - 22.05.

Most of the Christian Church holidays fall on different dates every year. Before deciding on the day of the ceremony, you need to carefully study the calendar, which indicates fasting, continuous weeks and great holidays.

The task can be simplified - special wedding calendars are posted on Orthodox websites, which indicate the exact dates when the sacred Sacrament can be performed.

Wedding after Easter

Immediately after Easter, you can get married and invite guests on any day. You can, of course, submit an application to the registry office in advance and set a wedding date that will not fall on the fast. However, it is recommended to do even this after the celebration. After all, the submission of an application is often celebrated by having a feast with relatives.

The most successful period for a wedding is the weekend that falls after Easter. It is expected that a couple who gets married during this period will be happy in their marriage, and their children will be born healthy and happy. Whether this is true or not is unknown. However, many couples try to stick to traditions.

Features of wedding festivities post

The fact that some newlyweds do not plan a wedding on their wedding day (or at all in general) and organize a wedding celebration during Lent does not mean that they are far from the faith or are atheists. Circumstances may turn out differently, but nothing can stop true love. And if a wedding during Lent is inevitable, then you can take into account at least some of the nuances of this period:

Wedding menu. Compliance with fasting (including in terms of eating this or that food) is a personal matter for everyone. But if the newlyweds assume (or know for sure) that there will be believers among the guests, then Lenten dishes must be present on the wedding table. Moreover, they should be a full-fledged part of the entire wedding menu, and not placed only on the table of the person who is fasting. More fruits, vegetables and seafood will not spoil the feast. You also need to worry about drinks for fasting people, because alcohol is also prohibited for them.
Entertainment. Lent is a time of restraint and humility, but not mourning. No one forbids rejoicing and celebrating significant events during this period, but you need to have moderation in everything. Competitions, games and other entertainment can be fun and entertaining, but it’s better to avoid tasks with spicy overtones, which are especially popular at youth weddings. Preference should be given to tests aimed at demonstrating romantic feelings: compliments, affectionate names, remembering memorable dates of the newlyweds, etc. A good wedding does not have to be frivolous and very noisy.
Music. Another prohibition during fasting concerns festivities and dancing. If the wedding is planned to be small and in a narrow circle, then it is quite possible to do without entertainment on the dance floor. When it is not possible to completely give up dancing, you can try to get by with restrained, slow and quiet compositions. And also, one should not forget about the views and feelings of the guests, and one should not be offended by those who, for personal reasons, cannot attend the entire wedding until the morning.

READ ALSO: On which hand and which finger is the engagement ring worn, traditions and signs

A wedding is a special celebration that you want to be the only one in your life. Therefore, all newlyweds strive to make the most of it. If the restrictions of fasting prevent the couple from fully enjoying the holiday, then it is better to choose another date for the wedding.