Wedding
For Estonians, the wedding was not simply an important family occasion, it was the greatest celebration of all. A proper wedding lasted 2-3 days, in more prosperous families often even a week. The majority of festive garments were made for a wedding party. The bridal costume had to have magical and protective functions, because according to old beliefs a bride was especially vulnerable to the influence of impure creatures and evil forces. A bride's ornaments and the covering of her face during the wedding ceremony had a direct magical function. The abundance of the bride's ornaments and decorations was supposed to bring luck to the newlyweds and, first of all, to protect the bride from all evil. For the same reason the bride's face and head were covered with a plaid when she travelled to her groom's home.
Bride and groom from Karja parish in Saaremaa (1895)Numerous old-fashioned items survived in the bridal costume. The ancient married woman's head-wear — a white linen scarf — was still used as bridal head-wear in Karja parish in the 19th century. |
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Bridal chapletUntil she had the right to wear a cap, a bride on the islands and in northwestern Estonia wore a special bridal chaplet. |
The bride's presents to the wedding guestsIn her new home, the bride distributed presents to the groom's parents and closest relatives, mostly small bundles, containing gloves, stockings, socks, belts, tied together with garters; also a shirt for closer relatives. It was usual for the bride to hand out several dozen pairs of stockings and gloves. |
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