One of the most interesting countries in the world, Italy is full of contradictions. It was once a huge, influential empire whose dominions spanned half the world. Having lost its political position, this country has preserved in its cultural heritage a bizarre mixture of beliefs and customs of various countries and tribes. The Catholic Church had a huge influence on the development of Italy.
Passionate, temperamental Italians, carrying the heat of the southern sun in their blood, for centuries followed the strict canons dictated by the Vatican. The free spirit and heroism of ancient times intertwined with Christian tenets, giving rise to one of the most amazing cultures. An Italian wedding is full of enchanting romance, strict adherence to time-honored traditions and unbridled fun.
Wedding traditions in Italy
An Italian style wedding is not something that stays the same. Different regions of the country celebrate differently. The differences in traditions between the north and south of the country are especially strong. For example, a girl from Tuscany might wear a black dress with a white lace veil. And the Corsican will prefer green tones.
The newlyweds at the wedding are congratulated very actively, toasts sound, the further, the more frivolous. The best gift is a lot of money. Richer people present jewelry, real estate or a cruise. The dances open with the traditional entrance of the young bride and her father. Italians' love of singing and dancing is in their blood.
Description of Italian style
The heyday of the Italian style occurred during the Renaissance, the 16th-17th centuries. It is also known as Mediterranean and has several directions - Venetian and Tuscan. It is characterized by naturalness, elegance, consistency, and slight negligence.
This theme was influenced by famous figures of science and art - Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Stradivari, Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo Buonarroti.
The bride and groom should remember that Italy (Sicily, in particular) is the homeland of numerous gangsters, so it will be interesting to take their images as a basis. It is also important not to lose sight of the play "Romeo and Juliet" only after taking care of the happy ending.
Long courtship process
In Italy, it is common to have a long-term courtship with a special someone who has struck a man right in the heart. Everything is used: romantic small gifts, messages full of love and, of course, serenades under the balcony, on which the unforgettable donna sighs languidly. Even a hundred years ago, entire song competitions took place between rivals. If the girl agrees to reciprocate such fiery feelings, she throws a flower at the feet of her chosen one. This beautiful ritual has not lost its relevance to this day.
Another way to completely attract the attention of the girl you love is to kidnap her. Until the end of the 19th century, this method was quite popular, especially among not very wealthy citizens - the ritual of kidnapping the bride made it possible to avoid quite significant expenses for a wedding feast according to all traditions.
Groom clothes
If a girl wears a white dress, then her chosen one should choose a black classic suit (pants with arrows + jacket). To complement it you will need a bow tie and a snow-white shirt with cufflinks. More modern young people should pay attention to the vest; it is especially convenient in the warm season.
As for shoes, the ideal option is patent leather shoes with a pointed toe and a lock, without laces. The main thing is that they do not blend in color with the suit; it is best to choose them one tone lighter.
Accessories include a neck scarf in blue, dark red or brown. In this case, the right decision would be to abandon the tie.
The boutonniere can be made from a white rose and cornflowers. It can be decorated with several feathers and beads.
Images of the groom and his friends
Matchmaking and engagement
In Italy, they approach the choice of life partners with all responsibility. The Church severely condemns divorce, and when raising children, respect for the very concept of “family” is put into their heads. Perhaps this is why divorces are extremely rare here and are not welcomed by society.
If a girl accepts a ring from her lover, she agrees to marriage. And the happy groom can begin the matchmaking ritual. There are no clear restrictions in this tradition: the guy himself can ask the chosen one’s hand in marriage from her mother, or involve his relatives or matchmakers. It is the matchmakers who are the stewards of future celebrations and ensure that the ceremony and traditions are observed. They organize the famous bride price, when the groom is tested for strength, financial well-being and love for his chosen one.
Engagement is a whole ritual that precedes the wedding. The bride's parents throw a big reception where they officially announce the engagement. Guests congratulate the newlyweds until the night. After this, long preparations for the actual wedding celebration begin.
Why Italians are unhappy with their sex lives
A study conducted several years ago by the pharmaceutical company Doxapharma found that despite the high sexual activity of Italian men (approximately 108 sexual acts per year), approximately 70% of them remain dissatisfied with their sex life - including due to the problem of premature ejaculation : Sex lasts no longer than two minutes for 4 million men in Italy.
Geography again plays an important role: the further south a man is, the more often (at least according to him) he has intimate intimacy - and the shorter it is. Residents of Sicily are considered the most sexually active, but at the same time the most dissatisfied.
Unscientific observations: many Italians sing the praises of the sexual looseness of foreign women and admit that it is psychologically easier for them to relax and be more open and active with a girl from whom one should not a priori expect Catholic condemnation and requests to first turn off the lights and curtain the windows. So, perhaps many Italian couples simply do not have good sexual communication.
In Italian (as well as in Russian) there are no neutral names for genital organs. You can use either medical terms, or profanity, or designations for children like “pea pod” or “potato”.
In ten years of living in Italy, not a single local resident has been able to clearly answer the question of why female genitals are similar to a potato.
Many foreign girls immediately after the move expressed their disappointment: the vaunted Italian lovers were not at all up to par in comparison with their compatriots.
Preparation for wedding celebrations
A bizarre mixture of beliefs in Italy determined the most favorable day for marriage - Sunday. There are good reasons for this. A wedding celebrated on other days promises innumerable troubles.
- The patron of battles and warriors, Mars, whose day is Tuesday, will not bring harmony to the family. Married life will become a constant battlefield.
- On Friday the Jews crucified their Savior. This day promises tears and misfortune.
Winter is considered the best time of the year, because it brings tenderness and an immense ocean of feelings. May is one of the worst months to get married. But October will bring harmony and mutual understanding, but will doom you to eternal financial problems. July, August and September are months of wealth and romantic wanderings.
Wedding robes of newlyweds
Modern traditions have made adjustments to age-old foundations. Nowadays, young people are choosing classic outfits that are familiar to everyone. However, there is a twist here: if a couple is limited to administrative decoration, it is not customary to show off luxurious outfits. In this case, a light dress and a regular suit for the groom are enough.
The most popular hairstyle for girls is a smooth bun, into which luxurious combs were previously stuck.
Financial questions
All financial issues are decided by the heads of families or their most respected members. In this case, traditionally, the bride’s family pays for the following.
- Wedding invitations and small bonbonniere bags with sweets that are given to guests after the wedding.
- Buying an outfit for the bride and her bridesmaids.
- A prerequisite is the purchase or independent production of a bride's dowry.
- Expenses for wedding, videographers and photographers.
- Furnishings for the bedroom, and the bed should not have a mattress.
Meanwhile, the groom's relatives pay for the following.
- Buying a home for a new family.
- All other furnishings for the house and a good mattress for the marital bed.
- Rings and bridal bouquet.
- Travel of the newlyweds on their honeymoon.
This is the division of roles in Italy.
Carrying out a wedding in Italy
A modern wedding in Italy consists of two parts: marriage registration in the local city hall and a traditional wedding in a church. At the same time, an important nuance is taken into account: if one of the parties has already been married and divorced, he is not allowed to attend the wedding.
Marriage of young people under 21 years of age is possible only at the will of their parents.
After the wedding sacrament, the newlyweds and guests head to the wedding feast.
Usually in cities, a favorite restaurant with familiar staff is chosen for this. Richer weddings are celebrated outdoors, renting a luxuriously furnished mansion for this purpose. Or a feast is organized in the courtyard of your own home.
Number of guests
Residents of the Apennine Peninsula are very welcoming and hospitable. It’s a rare wedding that gets by with small gatherings at home for fifty people. Usually the number of invited guests and relatives is well over a hundred. Of course, not every banquet hall is suitable for such a large number of people.
Therefore, the Italians do it simpler: they set up elegant tents, decorating them with flowers. An indispensable attribute of an Italian wedding is live music and dancing. If the guests are cheerful and the food is to their liking, then the marriage will be successful.
Festive table menu
The generosity of the inhabitants of sunny Italy is not limited to entertainment - guests need to be properly treated. Everyone should be full and satisfied. An extensive selection of snacks, hot dishes and drinks emphasizes respect for guests, bestows well-being on the young couple and symbolizes a future comfortable life. Each district and each house is free to choose its own delicacies.
Some dishes are common to each feast. These are snacks made from seafood and local cheeses; national pies with olives and cheese; local liqueurs, wines and liqueurs. And, of course, how can you do without traditional Italian pasta? The wedding feast ends with a huge, luxurious cake, which the newlyweds share among all the guests, serving them with their own hands. Departing guests are always given small memorable gifts.
Interesting customs of Italian wedding rituals
Italy is full of surprises, and wedding customs are no exception.
- From the day of engagement until the day of marriage, the bride is forbidden to cross the threshold of the groom's house or be alone with him.
- The night before the wedding, the groom, with a support group consisting of relatives, friends and an orchestra, must sing a serenade under the bride's balcony. If there is no hearing, at least try. As a reward for their efforts, everyone will receive a plentiful treat from grateful listeners.
- Traditionally, on her wedding day, a girl puts on five things - something new, as a symbol of entering a new life; something old as a farewell to the past; something borrowed, symbolizing loyalty to friends; something given from loved ones as a sign of their love; something blue, as a symbol of purity and purity.
- The newlyweds should not see each other on the wedding day before church - a bad omen. Also, grief is promised by seeing a wedding dress before the deadline or returning home from halfway.
- The groom always carries a piece of iron in his pocket to ward off evil spirits, and the bride uses a veil and a gold ring as a talisman. The most interesting thing is that the girl should not wear any other gold jewelry on this day.
- If you plant an olive sapling on your wedding day, your marriage will be as strong and prosperous as this tree.
- It is advisable to break a vase or at least a glass for good luck.
- Since the time of Napoleon, an interesting custom has been preserved - walking around the “Tree of Liberty” three times.
- Since the times of Ancient Rome, there has been a custom to carry a young wife over the threshold of a new house in her arms - so as not to stumble, because this would mean the gods' dissatisfaction with the chosen one.
- In ancient times, the veil tightly covered the girl’s face until the final completion of the wedding sacrament - obviously, so that the groom would not suddenly change his mind, because it often happened that the newlyweds saw each other for the first time in church. In modern Italy, an interesting custom is also associated with a veil - it contains as many meters as the number of years the girl has worn her engagement ring with honor. They also try to accept a veil as a gift from a happily married woman.
- The bride's garter is considered a symbol of good luck. Since the 17th century, crowds of bachelors have been hunting for a girl’s garter. Now the groom throws a garter or shoe, certainly the right one, to the guests so as not to bother his beloved.
- Rice grains, which are sprinkled on young people leaving the church, signify a future rich and happy life. Therefore, the guests try their best.
Traditions, religiously observed from century to century, make an Italian wedding a very exciting performance. All participants and guests receive a lot of pleasure and positive emotions.
