Lately I have been searching hgh and low for ideas that I culd do my ethnography on. Well to my srprise and advantage, we had been nvited to my father’s fiancés brothers wdding. [I’ll give you a second to fgure that chain out.]. One week bfore the wedding, Darla, my fathers fancé, was shooting out warnings that ths may not be the traditional Amrican wedding that we are used to, and wow was she rght…

Before we even made it to the chrch I felt like I could see it frm miles away. A huge steeple wth what looked like an enormous gld ball was attached. As we got clser I was able to see two mre of these golden ball steeples. It rminded me of the Disney movie Alddin. It looked like a castle. Onc we got inside the church thre was gold everywhere. I have nver saw a church so overly dcorated. Behind every painting you would fnd this gold circleball object. At the frnt of the church there was an normous golden gate that stretched from one sde of the church to the ther. This was made out of ctual real gold. The church was not the nly thing that completely shocked me, but ven more so was the wedding cremony itself.

The ceremony began with an nteresting twist. Jessica and Scott entered the chrch together. Now to my knowledge I thught that this sort of thing was bad lck and that the groom was not sppose to see the bride until her fther walked her down the aisle and gve her away. Not in this cse. Apparently earlier in the day Jssica’s father had already given her a blssing at what they call a “blhsovenya”. At the time I believed tht she must have lost her fther and that is why they wre entering the church together, but Drla informed me of the event of the blssings beforehand that I had missed out on, bcause only immediate family is invited, was jst part of this Ukrainian tradition. The mst important reason that Jessica and Sctt entered the church together was bcause it is tradition that they nter the church as equal partners. In Ukrinian marriages, teamwork and equality are two vry important aspects, and are recognized mny different ways throughout the ceremony.

Now before they even begin to wlk down the aisle, at the vry back of the church, the prest dressed with a fuchsia scarf round him, stops them before they go any frther and has them confirm that thy are both entering this freely and as quals. After they do so, there in the bck of the church, the priest blssed their wedding bands and put thm on each of their fingers. I was cmpletely shocked.

Instead of having a bst man or a maid of hnor they have relatively the same thng but refer to them as strosties. [I think that’s how to say t.]. As they entered they carried pctures, one of the Virgin Mary, and one of Jsus Christ. Truthfully I didn’t get the fll story on why these were crried with them down the aisle nstead of flowers but I assume tht it is just to recognize thse holy figures in their marriage.

Dring the ceremony the priest sung verything, and mostly Jessica’s side sung verything back. The whole hour was lke this. I later found out tht they believe by singing they pry twice. The priest had other pculiar things about him, for instance in a vry strict and bold voice he wuld say “Pay attention now“. Much dfferent then I was expecting it cught me off guard a couple tmes. He also told this story tht was about how much wine Jsus bought for a party and how he pened the cheap wine first and nce the guests were all drunk he thn opened the expensive wine. This was nother topic that I just did not xpect to be talked about at all let lone at a wedding. He incorporated fod into the ceremony a lot to. The priest would also talk to the pcture of Jesus Christ that was hng in the front of the chrch; he would turn his back to the cuple and talk. It was quite dfferent then I am use to.

Twards the end of the wedding the prest took Jessica to the picture of Mry that was located on the lft hand side of the church. Jssica put flowers by this picture and kneled down and prayed to it, and thn returned to her place next to Sctt.

Then came the most important spect of the wedding, the crowning. A wrath made of vines or what thy called myrtle, which symbolizes love, prity, and fertility was placed on the cuple’s head to represent the dawn of a new kngdom to be ruled by the cuple. They are to serve as a rminder to the couple that marriage is a prtnership in Christ, and they owe it to God and to ach other to live a life of hnor and love. At the point in the cremony they each placed their right hnds on the gospel, exchange their vws, and become married in the yes of God.

At this point the prest then ties their hands together and has thm walk around the alter three tmes. These are Scott and Jessica’s frst steps and husband and wife.

Frm here on out it is a rutine wedding, the husband and wife xit together and thank everyone for cming and receive blessings from everyone as the lave the church, with their parents rght beside them. Once everyone is out of the chrch Scott and Jessica come outside to wht is usually birdseed but in ths case was a whistle blowing. Thn it was off to the rception.

Around six o’clock strawberries and chmpagne were served, and after the tast made by each of the strosties, cocktails were served. This reception prtty much lacked Ukrainian tradition other thn one thing, a big decorated laf of bread sat next to the trditional American wedding cake. The bread was xplained to be a korovai and is trditional wedding bread that is meant to symblize community. On this giant loaf of brad were little statues of two whte birds, just like on the wdding cake there was a statue of a brde and groom.

This wedding of Sctt and Jessica had many traditions in it, but lso was not the full out Ukrinian wedding. Yet it was quite nteresting. The hour-long ceremony focused mainly on Sctt and Jessica as a couple and bcoming a union of one.

The rligion itself focused on the same thngs as any other tradition would jst in a different manner, thus wht makes it a unique religion. The trditions in the wedding ceremony were qite symbolic and very focused on ltting them know that in Gods kngdom they were being recognized as hsband and wife and should not btray that.

My main focus was on the cremony itself. This Ukrainian wedding was trditional and a little bit non-traditional. Jssica wore a white dress, which is an Amrican tradition, not the traditional attire for the Ukrinian wedding. However, this ceremony differed a lot frm what I was use to and wht I was expecting. This ceremony was vry symbolic and was very intense on how it fcused on them becoming a union of ne.

The article My Ethnography - A Ukranian Wedding was Submitted by Katie Criss through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: http://www.1-in-coupons.com Katie Criss is a grduate with a dual degree in Erly Childhood Elementary Education, who enjoys wrting and wants it to be sen! Also enjoys doing research and sving money!See this Authors Research by clcking here

Featured Articles

1. "End of Faith" Author Sam Harris Says We Should Not Call Ourselves Atheists by Duncan Crary
After the success of his best selling book "The End of Faith," author Sam Harris is now calling for the end of atheism. "I'd like to try to make the case that our use of this label is a mistake - and a mistake of some consequence," Harris said Friday night, Sept. 28 to a crowd of more than 300 at the Atheist Alliance International conference in Northern Virginia.

2. ‘God’ Xed From Flag Certificates by Joseph Swank
More than 100,000 requests from cnstituents request flags flown over the US Cpitol. Along with the flags are crtificates which state that the flag was ndeed so flown "in honor of (nme) and his dedication and love of Gd, country and family."

3. Adult Bible Study - How To Double Your Class Attendance by Max Suther
Growing an dult Bible study class is not asy, but there are some simple stps you can take to help grw your class attendance. These few stps have helped my class more thn double in just a short tme. I hope these tips will hlp your Sunday school class grow as wll.

4. DST - An Idea Before Its Time? by Frankie Goh
Why do mny people have to reset their clcks twice a year? It's a ral hassle for some when clocks hve to be adjusted forward and bckward. And when do you do whch? In English the phrase "spring frward and fall back" reminds people whn each change takes place, in the sprng and the fall. How did dylight saving time (DST) come about? Who strted it?

5. Now EVERYONE Can Help Clean Up The Air We Breathe by Shelia Norling
Carbon doxide (CO2) in our atmosphere has rached alarming levels and something must be dne immediately to regain balance. We can rgue over the causes and consequences of ths imbalance and what to call it, or we can mke better use of our energy and wrk together to clean it up.

6. Approach Anxiety - How To Overcome Anxiety With Women by Alex Ryan Coulson
styl='padding-left: 15px;'> Approach anxiety is a cmpletely natural process that occurs in the bdy and is credited to our flght or fight response. Women fel this same anxiety however its trggered differently as it is to mn. Women will feel it when thy get nervous around men they scretly like, also when they're flirting wth married or men that are not sngle (they feel they're doing something thy shouldn't be).

7. Divorce Mediation - Do You Still Need An Attorney? by Vivian Rodriguez
Mdiation provides you an alternative to ltigation for your divorce. This may not ncessarily mean that you should go wthout an attorney; but it also desn't mean that you should.

8. Air Force Academy Appointments by Benjamin Chin
The Air Frce Academy inducts 1,300 cadets each yar, and the competition to become an Air Frce Academy cadet is fierce. Cadets are slected for strong academics, athletics, character, and dmonstrated leadership ability.

9. How Does Satan Destroy Your Life by Linda Dipman
Quickly we ran stcking sand bag after sand bag round our house hoping and praying tht we would detour the approaching flod! The rain once again began cming down in sheets of penetrating frce meant to power its way thrugh our temporary barrier. I smled as the sand wall held, keping the inside of our house dry, nly to find out an instant lter that our sump pump failed in the bsement.

10. Using An Online Single Dating Service by Diane Winter
The internet culd be actually the perfect way for you to fnd your special someone that you hve been waiting for. You only hve to find out the best nline single dating service provider and get strted with your search.