When can you get married?

Today, such a ceremony as a wedding is gaining popularity again. Getting married has become a fashionable trend, but only a few couples realize the full responsibility of this church sacrament. A wedding is a church ceremony, the union of spouses by God. Since this is not only a beautiful ritual, but also a responsibility to each other and in the face of the church, it will be useful to know some of its subtleties and nuances.

The tradition of getting married in the church dates back to antiquity. Previously, only a marriage that was concluded in the temple of God was considered legal, because in the old days they were very sensitive to the observance of all the rules. Many traditions are outdated, and are no longer used, but most of them still come down to us.

All couples where the bride is 16 years old and the groom is 18 years old can get married in the church. Of course, a girl who has not reached the age of majority can carry out this sacrament only with the permission of her parents. In order for a couple to get married, you also need to provide a marriage certificate. This requirement is that one must mature spiritually for family life. In addition, the certificate becomes a kind of guarantor that none of the newlyweds is in another marriage on the side.

The deadline for a couple to enter into a church marriage is 60 years for a woman and 70 for a man. This is due to the termination of the procreation function. Nevertheless, today many clergymen are meeting halfway and marrying couples older than the indicated age. At the same time, the prayer for childbirth is omitted.

If in the old days marriages were fashionable where the groom is twice or more older than the bride, then today, if the couple has a significant age difference, the priest may try to dissuade the couple from a rash step. However, if the couple is confident in their feelings, there will be no refusal of the church.

Couples can get married both on the wedding day and after an indefinite period of time after it. The main thing is for the sacrament to take place. You need to make an appointment for the wedding in advance, a month or two weeks in advance. At the same time, it is recommended to discuss all the subtleties with the clergyman, prepare the necessary attributes, and learn the rules of conduct in the church.

There is no significant difference between large beautiful temples and small churches. Everywhere the ceremony is carried out in the same way. Today this is a paid sacrament, and it is better to agree on its cost in advance.

Unfortunately, there are several prohibitions on weddings, so not everyone will be able to carry out this sacrament. The church will refuse:

• couples who are currently in a divorced or common-law marriage;
• clergy who wish to conduct a ceremony after entering the dignity;
• couples who have already had the pleasure of getting married three times;
• young people, if they are not baptized or have a different religion;
• couples related to the fourth generation.

As you know, in the old days there was no place for civil marriage, and only the union consecrated by the church was recognized. Today, many couples have a question about whether it is possible to become married without going through the registration of marriage at the registry office. In the modern world, the church considers marriage certificates to be the primary form of creating a family. Of course, these canons were recommended by the state, but the church does not seek to abandon them.

It is worth noting that if you ask a priest to marry you without a marriage registration document, you will most likely be refused. There are only some exceptions to the rules that allow weddings without registration, but only for a good reason, and with the permission of the bishop. These cases are very rare.

For example, in a church without a document, religious parishioners can get married, whom the clergy has known for many years and is confident in their feelings.

Turning to the Orthodox calendar, you can see that the most favorable days for this sacrament will last throughout the fall: 14 days in September, 17 in October and 15 in November. In December, couples will not be able to get married, as this time falls on the Nativity Fast.

In no case should the ceremony be held on September 11 and 27 in any year. And in October, it is better to get married after the 14th. Successful days in September for such a sacrament will be 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 28, 30. And the favorable days of October are 1, 3, 13, 21, 22, 25, 29, 31.

Even in the old days, it was customary to enter into church marriage in spring or autumn. The number of auspicious days during this period has been preserved in modern times. The most successful time for the sacrament is considered to be the period from Epiphany to Maslenitsa.

The best days for the ceremony are:

• Sunday;
• Monday;
• Wednesday;
• Friday.

Most people who want to get married in church after the wedding fall on Sunday. This is due to the fact that Saturday is the best day for registering a marriage, and on the second wedding day, that is, Sunday, is the time for the wedding. And the emotional load is less for the couple, and the invitees are all in place. You can get married on such days only if your chosen Sunday does not fall on a significant church holiday.

The wedding must necessarily be carried out only in a church, in no case in nature or in a monastery. The newlyweds or their parents must agree on the time of the wedding. At the same time, it is prohibited to involve unmarried men and unmarried women in the organization of the sacrament.

It is desirable that the ceremony is performed only for one couple, and not for several at the same time. It will be very good if the bells ring after the sacrament. This is not only a beautiful tradition, it is believed that the ringing of the bells brings happiness in family life.

For couples who want to get married, the question arises as to what time of the day the ceremony should be performed: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening or at night. It is not customary to carry out this ritual at night in the temple. The optimal time is from 13.00 to 17.00, but sometimes the church makes concessions and crowns right after the morning service.

After the day and time of the wedding has been chosen, it is necessary to prepare for this ceremony. To do this, you need to stock up on a bottle of "Cahors", a small loaf, candles and towels, icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, and, of course, rings. For photography and video filming, you should ask the priest for permission.

In the Orthodox Church, the wedding ceremony begins directly with the betrothal itself. At first, the young, under the direction of the priest, carry out manipulations with the rings. Next, the wedding ceremony itself takes place, during which prayers are pronounced. Before the sacrament, it is recommended to conduct a three-day fast, and then confess.

We should not forget that a wedding is a sacrament for two, a blessing of two hearts for a long and happy life, the birth and upbringing of children according to the canons of the Orthodox religion. Therefore, you should not flaunt this event with excessive pomp and luxury, as well as a large number of guests. As they say, happiness loves silence.

No matter how much the bride and those invited to the wedding would like to look stylish, one must not forget about modesty and repentance in the church. Therefore, you need to behave and dress appropriately.

It is not superfluous to consider some of the signs and superstitions that are associated with the wedding ceremony. These superstitions have come down to us from ancient times, and to believe in them or not, each couple decides on their own.

If you trust old rumors, then May is considered the most inappropriate month for this sacrament. People compare the word "may" with the meaning "toil." That is, based on belief, all couples who got married in May will toil all their lives.

In a leap year, only a few couples decide to get married. Such a year is considered unsuccessful for entering into both a civil and a church marriage. According to legend, all marriages that are concluded in a leap year will not be lasting. The leap year is followed by the Black Widow year, followed by the Black Widow year. It was believed that in these years it is impossible to enter into a marriage union. In the Orthodox Church, weddings in a leap year have never been prohibited, clergy consider all superstitions to be a sin.

Folk signs say that:

• if a married couple takes an oath of allegiance over the rings, then their union will be unbreakable;
• if after the wedding the young people look in one mirror, then their union will also be strong;
• a bride who wears her wedding dress before the wedding will jeopardize the marriage.

Previously, it was believed that the couple should bring a gold and silver ring to the ceremony. These were symbols of the feminine principle and masculine power, the sun and the moon. At the same time, the bride should never put the ring on her gloves.

The witnesses play a very important role in the ordinance. These should be best friends, Orthodox Christians, people with an open mind. It is best to choose a married couple who are happily married.

The crown during the wedding procedure should always be on the heads of those who perform the ceremony. If you remove it, then the marriage before God will be invalid.The candles that the young couple held at prayer should be preserved by them. They will become irreplaceable guardians of marriage, facilitate difficult childbirth.

People who are bound by the sacrament of a wedding cannot part, because God has united them. If the young people part, they will never find their happiness apart.

Dissolution of a church-sealed marriage is considered a great sin. It is difficult for someone who became the culprit of a divorce to receive a blessing for the next marriage. Today, the church makes concessions, performs a dethronement ceremony and blesses the next marriage. There must be serious reasons for the dissolution of a marriage by the church and must be explained. Only in the case of weighty arguments will the dissolution of the marriage be allowed.

Before entering into a church marriage, one must remember that a wedding is a special sacrament and must be taken seriously. If the couple's feelings are strong, then not a single superstition or omen will destroy it.

For information on when you can get married, see the next video.