What Are Latvian Weddings Like: Reveal Interesting & Amazing Latvia Customs
Weddings in Latvia are special events where people try to impress guests with various activities and unusual customs. Like in many cultural traditions of different nations, Latvian customs are a combination of modern and conventional rituals, which make these ceremonies worth your attention. Indeed, Latvia is a unique place to witness various ceremonies. Even Latvian engagement rings of various decorative shapes are also of conventional style. Traditional Latvian weddings are composed of several stages, starting from the formal ceremony.
The formal ceremonies can be held in churches. Here everything is known to you, as the groom is dressed in a black tuxedo and the bride is in white. During the process, they’ll vow to each other and similar stuff. But the party will continue later. Interestingly, in some regions of Latvia, the ceremony, not the formal one, may last more than 1 day. Having fun is one of the most known traditions. So, it’s time to reveal what to expect at a Latvian wedding.
About traditional Latvian weddings
After the formal ceremony held at the church, the wedding gets another level. So, now it’s important to mention why you’ll see different Latvian customs. First of all, much depends on where they live, or in other words, some traditions in Riga may differ from those of Ventspils. What’s more, the financial status also contributes to the luxury of the wedding including more traditional events. In general, you’ll witness the following customs:
- Doing the farm work: one of the most unusual traditions at Latvian weddings is farm work activities like digging potato or feeding animals.
- Budget holder: a coin is inside the pie, and who gets it faster becomes a family bank or budget holder of the family.
- Crossing the bridge: the groom is expected to carry his bride over the bridge at least 6 times to prove his love.
- Passing the gates: 3 gates symbolize childhood, youth, and marriage, and a married couple is expected to pass through these gates.
- Micosana: it’s a midnight tradition, one of the oldest one, when couple becomes a family, and it’s known as Micosana.
- Dressing: after the formal ceremony, couple is expected to wear traditional clothes.
- Throwing a key in the water: this tradition comes from Russia, when a padlock is locked and key is thrown away, which symbolizes unbreakable love.
Conclusion
Latvian wedding traditions are amazing and becoming a family is something special in their culture. So, if you’re interested in such wedding traditions, why not find a pretty Latvian girl for marriage and become a part of such traditions?
