Although many women in the world may not anymore fuss about marriage, many women in Ukraine are still keen on getting married. They even make it one of the top priorities in their lives. As it is, with a history that is rich and dates far back.



Since marriage for Ukrainian ladies is one of the biggest and most outstanding events of their lives, they also tend to keep both more contemporary, religious and historical Ukrainian marriage traditions. Now Ukraine official marriage is effective only in State Registry offices and no notary or church priest has the legal power to register the marriage.

The procedure of registering with the State Registry was handed down from Soviet times. During that time many new traditions and rules were forced on the Ukrainians. These days, however, most Ukrainians are returning to national traditions as well as religious ones.

Thus, when you get married in Ukraine, you have no choice but to get married at a State Registry office. But you do have the option to keep some of the traditions and choose the kind of wedding celebration you are going to have in consonance with the official State Registry wedding. You can go through the motions of a separate church or secular wedding and pick up a mix of folk and religious wedding traditions along the way.

In general, some Ukrainian marriage traditions are held during the official marriage rites at the State Registry Office. Apart from exchanging wedding rings and downing champagne, the newlyweds are presented with a round white bread loaf and salt. The couple is required to piece the bread, dip it on the salt, eat the piece and then crush the test of the loaf on the floor. The more broken the bread is, the better, since the tradition represents a happy married life.

On their way out of the ceremony hall, the newlyweds are also presented with a towel that has been nicely decorated. This they have to step on. It is believed that whoever steps on the towel first heads the household.

At secular marriage celebrations, it is customary to invite many guests and gather them around a big table with a big load of food and drinks. Inviting many guests ensures that the marriage celebrations conform to the Ukrainian rule of holding a crowded and loud wedding. The most common of the wedding traditions is to have the bride or her shoe stolen. The groom and his best man have to pay the ransom, which can either be in money, accomplishing hilarious tasks, or by guzzling vodka or champagne from the bride's shoe.

These are just a few and the most of common of Ukraine's wedding traditions. If you are keen on marrying a Ukrainian lady, join in the fun by keeping up with tradition. You honor your wife's relatives that way. That some people in the Ukraine take their traditions very seriously is one more reason to go with tradition.