A RUSSIAN WEDDING.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3070, 17 March 1914, Page 2

A RUSSIAN WEDDING.

A Russian wedding is described by a traveller who was one of the inviteu guests. It was to take place at 8 p.m., but the bride, of course, was late. Instead of arriving at eight o'clock, it was nearly nine before she made her appearance. She was preceded by her nephew, a little boy five years old, holding an imago of "Our Lord." The child gave this to the priest, and then the service began N either organ nor any musical instrument is allowed iu the Russian Church, so the choir, consisting ot five men chained. The priest alternately reading and the choir chanting went on for about half an hour.

Tho priest then addressed several words to the bride and bridegroom. T«< gentlemen, "garcons d'honneur," or groomsmen, stepped forward and were each given a crown, which they were to hold over the bride and bridegroom * head until the end of the service. Tho priest then put a wedding ring on the third finger of the right hand of each, and the chanting went on as before. Then, with the priest leading, they walked three times rcund the read-ing-desk in the centre of the church. Untii this was done they were not married.

Tho now married couple were next lon to ki>6 the steps leading to the Holy of Holies, within which no woman is evei allowed to enter. Their friends crowded rouHd to congratulate them. Meanwhile the bride's sister and brother-in-law made their escape and went to await the bride and bridegroom at the house, and give them bread and salt. a:, a symbol of hospitality. There was a reception after the wedding, and tho bride cut up her veil and gave it, together with a piece of orange-blossom, to those of the guests who wished for a piece of it.

Two or fchreo days after, all the guests, myself among the number, iereived handsome satin bags of sweets t:ed up with orange-blossoms and richly nnbroidered in gold, and with the initials of tho bride on one side and those if tho bridegroom on the other.