Wedding traditions are interesting and diverse. Why is this done, and for what reason should the couple be kissing at this moment? There is no definite answer to this question, and in order to get closer to the answer, it is necessary to consider ancient traditions. They contain a lot of wisdom.

Shouting "Bitter!" taken after a toast, then the bride and groom should kiss. The tradition went from Ancient Russia, today it is followed not only by Russians, but also by Ukrainians, Belarusians, Moldavians, Bulgarians.

Versions - Why Shout “Bitter!”

There is no single version explaining this custom to this day. However, several options are still available. So, in the past it was a tradition to say “Wine in a glass is weedy” at the wedding, these words were pronounced after the young people wished happiness. After their utterance, the young kissed, because it was believed that a sincere kiss cleanses the wine and makes it sweeter. Further, these words were transformed into a cry of “Bitter!” When instead of wine, vodka often appeared on tables.

There is also another version, which says that in the past the bride had to go around each of the guests personally and offer everyone alcoholic drinks from the tray. The guest should have responded by putting money or another gift on the tray. Drinking vodka from the tray, the guest said: “Bitter!”, And the bride symbolically kissed him. This tradition can be seen today, it is practiced in the villages.

Interesting fact: there is a third version, according to which the cry "Bitter!" symbolizes the sadness that the maiden or bachelor life ends, and guests regret it.

"Bitterly!" - so as not to jinx the young

People have been thinking about the fact that one cannot share joy for a long time, it has grown into some customs. So, it is not recommended to talk about your successes, to brag about your wealth. A wedding is also not a reason for boasting, because someone can envy the bride or groom, bring grief to their subsequent life. Someone thinks the cry is "Bitter!" came precisely from these beliefs. This cry was supposed to inform envious people and an evil spirit that not everyone is happy here, and therefore it makes no sense to envy or harm. If, however, to demonstrate at the ceremony that everyone is happy, it will certainly activate evil spirits and envious people - people in the past thought so. Hence the tradition of shouting "Bitterly!"

Cross out past negativity

There is a version that when shouting "Bitter!" it is possible to throw out all the past negativity, which could accumulate both in the past of the bride and groom separately, and as part of their premarital relationship. Also, this cry was to throw out the subsequent negative, which will manifest itself after the wedding. After all, the moment of marriage is an important milestone in life, after which the bride was supposed to move to the groom's house, everyone had to abandon some past habits, get used to the new state of affairs. Having thrown out bitterness at the wedding, young people could more easily go through the difficult moment of the formation of their new life together - this is another explanation of this tradition.

Interesting fact: with a kiss after shouting "Bitter!" it is considered to be up to a hundred.It is believed that the longer the couple lasts in a kiss, the longer people live together.

The tradition of shouting "Bitter!" at weddings these days

This tradition has existed for more than a century; today it is difficult to say in which particular era it originated. And today, not all people know why they are doing this, but the tradition has turned out to be so strong that it is rarely abandoned. Someone says that in the past, guests praised the vodka poured in this way, or vice versa, scolded the wine provided to the table. Understanding the details today will be extremely difficult.

Some newlyweds refuse this tradition, not considering the public demonstration of feelings appropriate. Someone believes that this is just one of the entertainment for the guests, or the call to fill the glasses. Kissing or not in front of the guests shouting "Bitter!" - This is a personal matter for each couple. However, in case of refusal of such a ceremony, it is customary today to discuss this point with the invitees in advance. After all, tipsy guests will probably start shouting “Bitterly!”, This tradition has very strong roots.

Thus, today it is difficult to find out in detail where this wedding cry came from and why it gained such wide distribution. But we can say with accuracy that this is a very ancient tradition, characteristic of many peoples with Slavic roots. You can consider a lot of assumptions why this word is screaming, but in any case, this tradition has remained relevant today. She can be seen at many modern weddings, and she is happy, as is the sight of a kissing couple in love who is taking a step into their bright future together.