 Source of image: www.nbrb.by
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| Vyaselle
A vyaselle (wedding) is an intricate mix of rites, customs, songs, folk melodies, beliefs, good wishes, and games which accompanied the conclusion of a marriage and formation of a new family characteristic of all Slavic peoples. It took place in accordance with the existing law as well as traditions and moral, ethic, and religious views of every nation. However, the longing to create a reliable, close-knit, large, and well-off family brought about the emergence of numerous common features in the wedding ceremony.
Wedding rites sanctified wedlock, made the young couple’s feeling of love deeper, and facilitated their happy family living in the future and producing children, as well as establishing the ties of kinship between the two families. The entire set of wedding customs and rites was comprised of a number of successive stages, i.e. pre-wedding, wedding proper, and post-wedding.
The purpose of the pre-wedding stage which included such rites as matchmaking, bride-show, and engagement was to obtain consent from both families to the marriage. It could be as short as one month and as long as three months. An important rite at this stage was a bridal shower.
The wedding stage proper involved sending out invitations to the guests and preparations of the fiancé and fiancée for the marriage, the rite of karavai (a wedding cake) baking, a church wedding ceremony, the rite of pasad (blessing), the bride’s farewell to the parental home and departure of her husband’s place, putting a married woman’s headdress on the head of the young wife, and entry into a new family.
The rites and customs of the post-wedding stage cemented relationships by marriage between the families; established a new social status of the newlyweds; familiarized them with the rights, responsibilities, and rules of behavior that were new to them; and helped make the young woman’s separation from her immediate family less painful.
Thus, a traditional wedding was an important event in familial and social life of the Belarusians, the Russians, and the Poles making a big emotional, psychological, and educational impact on the young people who were beginning a new marital life.
Family celebration of the 25th wedding anniversary is known as a silver wedding, whereas that of 50 years’ living in conjugal bliss is a golden wedding. By Orthodox tradition, before the jubilee day the heroes of the anniversary or their children ask the church to hold a prayer service of thanksgiving for a happy matrimonial life of the spouses and their health. In the Roman-Catholic church, the heroes of the jubilee together with their children, grandchildren, and other guests go to Mass at the end of which the priest congratulates them on a great family celebration and places new gold or silver wedding rings on the husband’s and wife’s fingers. A wedding feast attended by the relatives, friends, and relations through wedlock is aimed at bestowing honors on the couple celebrating their jubilee and showing respect and reverence for their fidelity, love, spiritual and moral purity, and setting a good example to their children and grandchildren.
T.I. Kukharonak
Ph.D. (History)
Text from the official flyer “Vyaselle” of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus | |
| Date : 15.08.2006 |
| Metal : Ag 925 |
| Diameter, mm : 38.61 |
| Weight, g : 31.10 |
| Mintage, St. : 25000 |
Minted by :
The Mint of Poland PLC., Warsaw, Poland |
Design :
S.Nekrasova |
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Ebay-Statistic
(Prices in Euro):
| Year |
Count |
Ave
rage |
Min. |
Max. |
| 2006 |
16 |
29,80 |
23,36 |
42,42 |
| 2007 |
13 |
35,90 |
23,54 |
66,05 |
| 2008 |
12 |
38,02 |
21,09 |
59,14 |
| 2009 |
7 |
36,66 |
25,15 |
49,00 |
| 2010 |
3 |
48,33 |
41,00 |
52,00 |
| 2011 |
2 |
39,35 |
38,69 |
40,00 |
|
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