The ritual of lighting the family hearth at a wedding. Transfer of the family hearth at a wedding: modern ceremony and rituality Scenario for lighting the family hearth

Modern newlyweds can organize a wedding to their taste without following, however, some customs are still observed unchanged. These include the ritual of lighting a family hearth - it requires a text and a good script. After all, this is one of the touching wedding rituals that you need to try to carry out impeccably so that they are remembered as warm memories.

The role of traditions at the celebration

In every culture associated with the process of marriage. They began to emerge from the moment when humanity just began its history, that is, during the Ancient World.

Gradually, traditions changed as they adapted to modern realities, but the basis always remained the same.

Many customs were forgotten over time because they lost their relevance. Previously, they were called upon to attract the blessing of higher powers to a married couple, since from an early age children were instilled with a belief in the supernatural. Some traditions protected newlyweds from evil spirits, others attracted good luck, happiness, strong and healthy offspring.

Gradually, traditions became a kind of canons - immutable rules that must be followed in order to be considered a pious person. Now these are simply symbolic actions that are performed as a tribute to the past.

Most newlyweds don't even think about the fact that couples did the same thing at weddings hundreds and thousands of years ago. Most often, traditions are followed because it is customary, but usually no one is interested in how and why such orders were established.

In other cases, customs are observed at stylized weddings. If the bride and groom organize a celebration in the spirit of a certain country, they can complement the surroundings with its traditions to make it more harmonious and effective. There is nothing wrong with this - young people have simply become more practical and less superstitious, as the modern world demands.

Peculiarities

There are rituals that have survived to this day, practically unchanged. It is noteworthy that In different variations, the ritual of lighting the family hearth at a wedding originated in several cultures. Even in some African tribes there was a similar tradition, which is still revered.

During this custom, the families of the newlyweds bring fire from their homes to theirs to unite and help their children create a family nest.

It is believed to symbolize the warmth, prosperity and happiness that arises in the marital home. Parents pass on their own wisdom to their children so that the fire in their lives never goes out.

Among the ancient Slavs, the family hearth was lit on the wedding day, and the wife’s task was to maintain the fire throughout her married life. This is no less important attribute of a wedding celebration, like a kiss after the official wedding ceremony. Parents give their children parting words and advice on how to make relationships strong and warm.

Previously, this tradition was carried out literally, but now not every home even has a fireplace, so it is difficult to bring fire. Most often it is replaced with candles - regular, decorative or even scented. They can be installed on a table, in a special stand with holders located at different levels, or in a fake stylized fireplace.

Interesting!, which was used during this ritual, is carefully kept in the house throughout the entire married life.

It is lit when the fire of a relationship cools down, or one of the spouses ceases to fully trust the other. Some even advise walking around your home with this lit candle on every wedding anniversary to protect your family from harm.

Wedding planner

When lighting the family hearth of their children, parents should use only matches, but not gasoline or gas lighters, much less decorative lighters. The very mystery of this tradition suggests naturalness and comfort.

Elena Sokolova

Leading

The lighting of the family hearth at a wedding can be accompanied by a text from witnesses or the toastmaster. It is better to draw it up in advance and adjust it if necessary.

Alexei

Scenario options

Usually the ceremony is held at the very end of the wedding banquet.. Scenario The lighting of the family hearth at a wedding is thought out in advance. And on it and this can only be followed by festive fireworks, if provided. It is important to decide in advance who exactly will light the family hearth.

There are the following options for the rite of lighting a family hearth.

After the impromptu family hearth is lit, the newlyweds walk around with it to everyone present. If you wish, you can distribute your own candles to all guests, which will be lit from the family hearth. If it is assumed that this ritual will be filmed or videoed, then you need to select interesting candlesticks or stands for each.

How to choose candles

For parents, ordinary thin and long candles (not church candles) are most often selected, since with this shape it will be convenient to light the newlyweds’ family hearth with them. In this case, it is better to refuse figured and flavored options, since they will attract unnecessary attention and at the same time create problems during the performance of the ritual. The ceremony will be even more touching and symbolic if the parents still have candles from their own wedding.

The most beautiful and richly decorated candle is selected for the newlyweds. It can be decorative or flavored. Some wedding salons offer to decorate a candle for a fee in accordance with the general concept of the celebration, but newlyweds can do this themselves. In this case, the decor of an impromptu family hearth will be individual and symbolic.

For guests, you can choose both long and thin candles and small round ones that can be held in your palms. After the ceremony, friends and relatives can do with the candles at their own discretion - some throw them away when they have burned out, while others leave them as souvenirs. Looks beautiful and romantic lighting the family hearth at a wedding on video. Therefore, the ceremony is definitely worth filming.

What words do they say

The toastmaster who leads the wedding should accompany the lighting of the family hearth with poetry or prose. You can tell a parable about a family hearth. An example is below.

“One day happiness decided to leave one house. Nobody knew why this happened, but there was no other way out. However, before such a responsible decision, happiness decided to fulfill one dream of each family member. The wife asked for a warm fur coat, the daughter wanted to marry a wealthy man, and the son lacked a faithful horse. Happiness easily fulfilled all wishes and, just before leaving, asked what the owner of the house wanted. The man thought and replied that he wished that the fire in the family hearth, warming his loved ones, would never go out. Happiness appreciated the care and foresight of the owner of the house, fulfilled his wish and remained in the family, since true happiness can only live where the protected family hearth does not fade away.”

Parents should also choose words for lighting a family hearth at a wedding. They say parting words for your children. There is no need to repeat the words of congratulations that were heard during the main part of the banquet– it’s better to stock up on several versions of texts for different stages of the celebration.

Moms and dads give the bride and groom valuable advice based on their own experience so that the newly-made spouses can maintain their happiness and carry it through many years.

The newlyweds themselves, as a rule, are silent most of the time, and only occasionally, and at the end of the speech, do the parents insert words of gratitude.

At this stage, the bride and groom are expected to memorize valuable tips so that they can later apply them in their married life if necessary.

What music to perform the ritual to?

To emphasize the significance and warmth of the moment at a wedding, it must be chosen correctly. The composition should be calm, lyrical, with or without words. The main thing is that the text does not contradict the tradition and concept of the wedding as a whole. M The music for lighting the family hearth can be chosen from the following options:

Destination point – “In plain sight”;
Soso Pavliashvili – “To please”;
Irina Allegrova - “The Two of Us”;
Igor Krutoy - “When I close my eyes”;
Vasily Perebikovsky - “There are difficult moments in life”;
Soso Pavliashvili - “The sky in the palm of your hand”;
Sting – “Shape Of My Heart”;
Paul Mauriat – “Love is blue”;
Libera – “Ave Maria”;
Howard Shore - "Wedding Plans";
Hans Zimmer - "Tennessee".

The bride and groom, together with their parents, can choose a composition that has symbolic meaning in their lives. In this case, it will mark another important stage in the life of the newlyweds.

Before performing the tradition, it is necessary to check with the administration of the establishment where the banquet will be held whether it is possible to use an open fire in the room, since sometimes fire safety regulations prohibit this. In this case, the tradition is either replaced or transferred to the open air.

If it is expected that there will be a lighting ceremony for the family hearth at a wedding, then you need to tell him about this in advance so that he has time to prepare the necessary equipment for high-quality shooting in a dark room.

Each couple decides for themselves whether they will observe this or that tradition at their wedding. At the same time, lighting the family hearth is one of those customs that are used at almost every wedding celebration. In addition to the fact that such a ceremony looks beautiful and is memorable for both the newlyweds and the guests, it also makes the wedding more comfortable and natural.

What do parents say?

Instructions or congratulations from parents are not required during the ceremony., sometimes the lighting of candles occurs accompanied by the words of only the leader or simply by music. If the parents (mothers) of the bride and groom wish to contribute to the ceremony, time is allocated in advance for parting words or congratulations.

When parents (mothers) address the newlyweds, they must include words about mutual care, about maintaining the warmth of the family fire, about transferring the responsibility to keep its light from the older generation to the younger. The musical theme is for parents' farewell and is selected individually.

Convenient ceremony design option:

mother of the bride lights the first, gives parting words to his daughter, giving her to another family;
The groom's mother lights her candle next, greets his daughter-in-law, accepting her into his family;
The presenter adds a few phrases about uniting the lights of two families and mothers light the newlyweds' candle at the same time.

We offer several text options for conveying fire:

only from the newlywed's mother;
from the parents of both newlyweds(verse stanzas are spoken one by one, preliminary preparation is required);
the parents of both newlyweds and the host participate.

Several options for speeches from parents:

“Dear children, I ask you to be wise and ask you to sacredly preserve the warmth of your hearth, just as your dad and I did. It won't always be easy, but you must be able to show patience, love and mutual respect. We love you very much and will always worry and worry about you, as if you were still little, as if you were still 5, 7 or 12 years old. Live happily together! Love each other and cherish your family hearth.”

“It is at the same time sad, responsible and very reverent - to convey to you a symbol of family warmth and comfort (to convey the flame of the family hearth). Let it warm you, your children, your loved ones and relatives.”

And these poems are something advice to a young bride from her mom:

And this is a poem "Admonition to son-in-law"(Author - Tatiana Rosenthal. .)

Advice! Any speech (no matter in poetic form or in prose) try to learn by heart. Peering at a postcard or piece of paper looks inappropriate in such a ritual. It will seem like you are giving a speech for the sake of speaking. If, for some reason, it is difficult to speak to a large audience, say briefly, but from the bottom of your heart, with a smile, looking into the happy eyes of the young people.

After the family hearth is lit, the parents of the newlyweds can once again congratulate them together. The main motive of congratulations is advice to carry love, fidelity, and understanding through the years of married life.

How to choose music?

Exists several important criteria, when choosing a musical background for the ceremony:

the music should be without words, otherwise they may confuse the leader of the ceremony (even if the song sounds quiet);
there should be no differences in volume, the track should sound evenly;
the music should sound in the background, complement the speech, but not interrupt it in volume.

The best option would be compositions featuring solo violin, piano, flute.

Also, it’s worth preparing the audience 5-10 minutes before lighting the “family hearth”: from fast compositions (if there were dances before) you should delicately switch to more moderate ones, and immediately before the ceremony you should turn on a slow song.

Thus, the transition to the substrate for the ceremony itself will be smooth. After completing the ritual, it is also worth maintaining a slow tempo in the music for some time.

The most spectacular and touching moment of the wedding ceremony is considered to be the beautiful ceremony of lighting a candle at the family hearth.

According to an ancient tradition that goes deep into the history of mankind, a candle flame serves as a symbol of home warmth, family comfort and well-being. Therefore, with this ritual, parents pass on a piece of their family hearth to the bride and groom, so that love, comfort and prosperity will always reign in the young family.

The real decoration of the celebration can be called a spectacular and touching ritual called “Lighting the Family Hearth.”

At a wedding, the script for this wonderful ceremony necessarily includes the lighting of candles. Therefore, you need to stock up on three candles in advance.

Two thin candles are needed for a symbolic parental hearth, and one of the most beautiful and voluminous ones is needed for a unique home for young spouses.

This beautiful ritual can be performed in various forms.

In one of the most common options, the action takes place in the following order.

To begin the beautiful ceremony, the hosts invite the parents of the newlyweds. Since ancient times, the fire of the family hearth has been kept and supported by a woman. Therefore, the right to light and carry the parental candle is given to the mothers of the bride and groom.
Fathers of the newlyweds can also take part in the wedding ritual. To do this, they are invited to light two candles and give them to the mothers of the young spouses. This symbolic gesture emphasizes the man's responsibility for creating a strong family.
The groom's mothers bring two lights of burning candles to the large and beautiful candle of the newlyweds' family hearth.
The main wedding candle, symbolizing the family hearth of a young family, is in the hands of the future keeper - the young wife. The bride can place the candle on a special candlestick, which can be placed on a separate table.
Mothers bring their lighted candles and at the same time light the flame of a large wedding candle from both sides. With this gesture, they seem to convey their parental love and the warmth of their home to adult children in order to light up their family hearth.

All guests of the celebration can participate in the ceremony if they wish.

First, they receive unlit thin candles and stand in a circle or in one row. The newlywed comes up and lights their candles one by one.

With this action, the bride shares the warmth of her family hearth and opens her heart and home to her family and friends. For this option, select a convenient and reliable candle that will be convenient for lighting guests’ candles. The first dance of the bride and groom in a circle of guests with lit candles will look spectacular.

And if instead of a circle the guests form a figure in the shape of a heart, then the wedding dance of the newlyweds and the evening will be filled with the double meaning of beauty and harmony of married life. You can choose any time for this wonderful wedding ritual. Since it does not take much time to carry out the ceremony of the family hearth, it can be carried out both at the beginning and at the end of the wedding.

The only condition for holding this ceremony is the opportunity to effectively and spectacularly focus the attention of all participants in the celebration on the flame of three wedding candles. This is only possible in the twilight of evening light.

What items are needed for the ritual?

In the beautiful ritual of lighting the fire of the family hearth, wedding candles will be an obligatory attribute. Newlyweds can purchase them in wedding salons or in specialized departments of stores.

You can buy a beautiful candle with a special decorative design, or you can decorate a purchased ordinary wide candle with your own hands with various wedding symbols: rings, flowers, doves, a pair of swans.

If you manage to purchase a chameleon candle that flickers in different colors when lit, then such an attribute will look great in the dimness of the wedding hall and will shroud this touching ritual in mystery and enigma.

It is advisable that wedding candles meet the following requirements.

The main wedding candle should be the most beautiful, large and attractively decorated. The newlyweds select the shape and appearance in accordance with their preferences and wishes.
For a photo session of the newlyweds with a lit candle for the family hearth, it is recommended to use a beautiful stand or candlestick.
As candles for parents, it is best to purchase thin candles of short length, which will harmonize favorably with the large candle of the young ones. Since mothers will use the flame of parental candles to light the symbolic hearth of the newlyweds, it is not recommended to choose shaped candles for these purposes due to their inconvenience.
If possible, then you should abandon the purchased wedding main candle. It is advisable to decorate it yourself with your own hands and thus fill this wedding attribute with a piece of warmth from the hands and hearts of the newlyweds.
Wedding ceremony “The family hearth will be unusually romantic and symbolic if candles left by the parents after their wedding are used when lighting. It is recommended that newlyweds continue this wonderful tradition so that their future child can use the candle from their parents’ wedding hearth at their wedding.

According to popular belief, it is believed that a candle lit from a wedding family hearth can be used to make your deepest wish.

Therefore, it is best for guests to keep them as a memory of that bright and happy day of uniting two loving hearts into a strong family union. Newlyweds often ask the question: “What to do with lit small candles and can they be extinguished?”

There are several opinions on this matter: some believe that the candles must be extinguished, and this will be a symbol of the young people belonging to each other, while others want to leave the candles lit to emphasize their individuality.

In fact, it doesn’t matter at all whether you leave the candles burning or not. The newlyweds make this decision jointly and at their own request. Sometimes at wedding celebrations during the ceremony of transferring the fire of the family hearth, candles are replaced with aromatic lamps in the shape of hearts, small graceful houses, small fireplaces, and a beautiful flower. When holding a wedding hearth lighting ceremony, it is best to agree in advance with the administration of the wedding venue about the possibility of turning off the overhead electric lighting.

Then this beautiful, touching ritual will be more spectacular and effective.

Script with words from toastmaster

Before the ceremony of lighting the family hearth begins, the presenter places three candles on a special table and addresses those present:

“Dear newlyweds! Your marriage ended with the union of two halves into a single whole. Now you will receive a piece of the sun as a gift - a family home. How sunlight serves as the source of life for all

The earth and the family hearth serve as an inexhaustible source of vitality for a young family. Take care of such a priceless gift throughout your life together.

The fire of the family hearth should always burn and give the light and warmth of the fire to the family, so that no cold wind can blow out the unquenchable flame of home comfort.” After these words, the presenter can tell a parable about the wonderful and magical possibilities of the fire of the family hearth.

There are several stories on the theme of lighting a family hearth.

One of them reads: “A large Family lived in one house and they had Happiness. But then one day Happiness decided to leave this house. When leaving, it asked family members to say goodbye to their most cherished dreams and wishes.

The wife chose an expensive fashionable fur coat, the daughter asked for a wealthy groom to be her husband, the son’s dream was a new prestigious car, and only the father asked for a constant fire at home. Happiness, having heard such a wise answer, decided to stay in this house and fulfilled all the wishes of the family members. This is not surprising, because everyone knows that in a house where the hearth is burning, Happiness always lives.”

There is another version of the parable: “Once a sage asked his three disciples to fill a dark cave with warmth and light. One brought a lot of gold, but it didn’t make it any warmer or brighter. Another student thought about it and decided to bring silver. It slightly illuminated the cave arches, but did not warm the old sage at all. The third brought brushwood, took a splinter and lit a fire, the fire of which dispersed the pitch darkness of the cave and filled it with warmth and comfort. And, according to the ancient tradition of our ancestors, the candle of the young family’s hearth is lit as a sign of love and wisdom.” After these words, silence falls in the hall or a quiet, quiet melody begins to sound.

In the twilight, the flickering lights of two lit candles appear.

The mothers’ hands hold candles, and the toastmaster pronounces the following text:

The presenter continues: “Your mothers filled the lights of their candles with boundless love and reverent tenderness. Endless care, hope for a happy life for your grown children - in the name of these beautiful impulses, wedding candles are lit today.”

Such a touching and solemn speech evokes sentimental emotions among wedding guests.

According to the scenario, mothers approach the bride with lit candles, whose hand is holding a large wedding candle.

The candle lights ignite the flame of the main candle, which begins to flare up more and more brightly. The groom approaches the happy bride with a burning candle for the family hearth, takes her palms in his and exclaims: “Now we have our own family hearth!”

The guests begin to applaud the young couple beaming with happiness and wish them a happy family life. During the lighting ceremony, the toastmaster may invite guests participating in the ceremony to stand around the newlyweds and their parents.

In this case, a relaxed, cozy atmosphere of love and respect is created.

At the conclusion of the ritual, the toastmaster says the words:

The young family will have to carefully preserve the candle of the wedding hearth until their grown children find their betrothed and find their happiness. And when a disagreement or quarrel occurs in the family life of the young, it is recommended to light a candle in your home, remember together the brightest day of your wedding, and then peace and harmony will reign in the young family for a long time.

In this video you will hear a lot of useful tips on how to light up a family hearth:

In addition to memorable wedding dates, the family hearth can be lit at the birth of your children.

The key ceremony “Lighting the Family Hearth” will be remembered for a long time by guests and newlyweds for its touchingness and significance.

During its existence, such an ancient rite as a wedding has acquired many different interesting customs and traditions carried out during the celebration. Unfortunately, not all weddings are held in compliance with ancient traditions, which is often due to ignorance of them. But there are rituals that newlyweds remember and continue to practice. Such traditions include bride ransom, throwing the bride's bouquet and many others. No less famous is the ritual of the family hearth.

This ancient custom is considered an alternative to the most popular sand ceremony abroad, when two loving people leave their lonely lives behind and reunite, becoming one. The symbol of this tradition is an ordinary candle, which means that no special expenses are required to carry out the ceremony of the family hearth.

The tradition of passing on the family hearth at a wedding

The most touching and exciting moment of the wedding ceremony is the transfer of the family hearth. Moreover, not only the newlyweds, but also their parents, as well as all those invited to the celebration, take part in this amazing tradition, for which candles are initially given to the guests. The ceremony begins with the parents of the young people, who, with their lit candles, light one large one, transferring their flame to it. At the moment of this enchanting action, taking place in semi-darkness, parting words and congratulations are addressed to the newlyweds, and the toastmaster can tell a touching story about eternal love.

According to tradition, the female half of the family, namely the mother of the bride and groom, carries the candles. This is not surprising, because at all times it was the woman who was considered the keeper of the hearth, protecting it and keeping it warm. Fathers, in turn, must light candles, thereby symbolizing a man’s responsibility for creating and preserving a family. If the bride or groom has an incomplete family, then the order can be slightly changed, which does not in any way affect the beauty and message of this tradition.
The bride should hold the newlyweds' candle, because from now on she will become the keeper of the family hearth. But in some cases, the candle of the newlyweds is placed on a separate table.

There is no specific time for conducting the family hearth ceremony. Since the ceremony itself does not take much time, it can be performed both at the beginning of the celebration and at the end of it, when it gets dark outside and by turning off the lights in the banquet hall, you can create twilight, thereby giving the effect of mystery.

Candles suitable for wedding ceremonies

Candles are a symbol of home at a wedding celebration. They can be purchased at any bridal salon, or bought in a store. They can be either initially beautifully decorated or decorated independently, for which various wedding symbols, rings, flowers and doves are perfect. The chameleon candle looks great, changing its color after lighting and playing with different shades. It will look great in the dark and will give the sacrament some solemnity and attractiveness.

As has already become clear, absolutely any candles are suitable for the ceremony of the family hearth. But, despite this, there are some requirements for this symbol of family life that must be adhered to:

the candle of the young should be different from everyone else and even from the attribute of the parents. It is best for it to be the most beautiful, the largest and attract attention with its design. As for the shape, it can be absolutely any, since the wide selection of wedding attributes offered allows you to take into account all the preferences of the newlyweds;
if the newlyweds plan to take a photo with a candle after the end of the ceremony, then it is best to take care of this in advance and purchase a beautiful candlestick or stand;
For parents, it is worth choosing thin, long candles that will be an excellent addition to the main candle of the newlyweds and will be easy to light other candles with. But it is best for parents to avoid shaped candles, since they will not be very easy to set fire to the main candle;
It is best to refuse to decorate a candle in wedding salons, but to decorate it yourself, thereby transferring to it a piece of the warmth of the members of the future young family;
It will be very beautiful and symbolic if the parents have a candle left from their wedding and they use it to light the newlyweds’ candle. Young people should also preserve their family hearth in order to use it at the wedding of their children.

There are cases when, instead of candles, aroma lamps of the original type are used for the ceremony of handing over the family hearth. These can be lamps in the shape of hearts, houses, fireplaces, and so on.

Not the least place in this ceremony is given to the toastmaster, who must explain during the ritual where this tradition came from and how important it is for the new family. But if you wish, you can abandon words and emphasize the festivity of the ceremony with beautiful music.

Often, during the ceremony, the toastmaster tells beautiful parables about love. One of them, for example, talks about how one day happiness decided to leave the house, but before leaving it decided to give each family member what he wanted. The wife needed a fur coat, the daughter needed a wealthy groom, and the son needed a car. And only the father wanted the family hearth to always burn in their house. After these words, happiness fulfilled all the wishes and decided to stay, because where the hearth burns, happiness should live.

Preserving the family hearth after the wedding

Guests who initially received a candle can also take part in the ceremony. After the ceremony, they can all stand in a circle and the bride, going around everyone in turn, will light their candles, sharing her warmth and opening her heart and her home to loved ones. In this case, it is very important that the young candle is convenient for lighting other candles. In such a beautiful circle of guests, the newlyweds can dance their first dance. And it’s even better if guests, with candles in their hands, try to form a heart, which will be not only beautiful, but also symbolic.

There is a belief that a candle lit from the family hearth can make your deepest wish come true. That is why guests should not throw away the candles, but rather leave them as a memory of this bright and solemn day when another young family appeared. In addition, this candle can be lit every year on your wedding anniversary.

A young family keeps a candle as a guarantee of mutual understanding. It is kept until the next generation finds its soul mate and finds happiness. This symbol of a happy family should be lit not only on a wedding anniversary, but also when children are born and on any memorable dates for the family.

The family hearth is not only symbolic, but also an incredibly beautiful tradition that can become a real decoration for wedding photographs. The main thing is that the photographer is warned in advance and can prepare for shooting in a dimly lit room so that the pictures turn out to be of high quality and not washed away.

If you have the opportunity to carry out the custom of a family hearth, then under no circumstances refuse it. This event will become one of the most memorable in your family life, and you will carry the memory of it throughout your life, remembering and telling it to your children and grandchildren.

Once upon a time they said about relatives and family: “In one fire, in one bread.” Now the fire of the family hearth is more a symbol of living together than a real phenomenon. But in modern wedding ceremonies the rite of passage of the family hearth plays an important role.

The basis of the ceremony is the symbolic unification of the “family fire” of two different people into a single whole. Blessing the newlyweds, their relatives light the candle of their future hearth from their own, thereby passing on the family and wishing the couple fidelity, love, and prosperity. The traditional ceremony involves husband and wife and the parents of both newlyweds.

If one or both spouses does not have a mother/father(for example, parents are divorced or one of them has died), for the ceremony the presence of only one older relative is sufficient. Depending on the circumstances, the role of parents and guardians of the family hearth of the previous generation can be played by grandparents, uncles or aunts.

If the newlyweds have not only their parents alive, but also older relatives, they can also take part in the ceremony. This emphasizes the continuity of generations.

Three candles are required for the ceremony: one is awarded to young people, two to their parents.

Each couple holds the candle together, or the honor is given to the woman. With this version of the ritual, the man supports his companion, thereby showing that he is a support for her in life.

Important: since the candle of the bride (newlyweds) is lit on both sides simultaneously, it should be large and wide enough, without decoration in the upper part - it will interfere with ignition. For the same reasons parents' candles are made thin and long– this makes it easier to tilt them to light the bride’s candle.

Ceremonial ones are made of wax or its substitutes, decorated with ribbons, bows, lace, beads, rhinestones and more. Preferably provide a holder at the bottom of the product(candlestick, stand) of a shape that will protect the hands of participants from burns with hot wax.

Also for the ceremony table may be required: it is convenient to perform all actions over it; you can also leave candles there after the end of the rituals.

Necessarily: so that there are no unpleasant surprises on your wedding day, it is necessary to coordinate the ceremony in advance with the administration of the restaurant or cafe. Due to fire safety standards, the ceremony may be prohibited! The photographer and videographer should be warned about changes in lighting: They must set up the equipment in advance to get effective shots and videos.

Guest participation

It is not necessary to limit the ritual of “lighting the family hearth” only to newlyweds and their parents. To organize the ceremony more effectively, two options have been adopted:

After lighting the bride's candle, she goes around the guests gathered in a circle, lighting their small candles. Thus, the young wife gives a piece of her family fire, invites them to visit, accepts them into her inner circle;
all guests with lit candles surround the newlyweds while lighting their family candle. In this way they share a particle of their fire and show the unity of all those gathered. The young couple (bride) walks around the circle of guests with a burning candle, accepting their congratulations.

Scenario

How do you light a family hearth? The ceremony of handing over the hearth is included in the overall wedding scenario and usually held in the middle or end of the event. It is rational to shift the time of the ceremony to the evening, since in the dark a live fire looks more impressive.

Procedure:

The ritual begins with slow beautiful slow music and/or reduction. If it is already dark outside, you can go out to the terrace/area near the celebration site, providing musical accompaniment.
gather in a circle, the young spouses, their parents and the host of the holiday go to the center of the circle. As a center, you can choose a table on which candles are already installed. If this is not provided, ritual participants hold candles in their hands.
The host informs the newlyweds and guests about the beginning of the ceremony, explains its essence.
The bride and groom take their candle at the same time, it is advisable for the bride to use her left hand, and the groom to use his right. The girl’s palm is located directly under the candle, the man supports her from below.
The newlyweds' fathers light their wicks(using ordinary matches or a lighter) and pass the symbols of the family hearth to the wives. If only one parent (another older relative) participates in the ritual, he both sets the fire and offers the ritual fire. Grandparents can light the fuse.
Mothers (relatives) of the newlyweds simultaneously tilt their candles so as to set fire to the newlyweds’ candle on both sides. Before this, good wishes are pronounced to the young people in turn, in poetry or prose.
With a burning candle, the bride (spouses) walk around the guests, sharing fire with them (lighting their candles) or simply performing a ritual circle of unification (sometimes this part of the ceremony is omitted, the circle is not performed).
After this, the still burning candles of the newlyweds and their parents are placed on the prepared table and remain there for some time. They can be extinguished unnoticed by any of the participants in the celebration (it is best for the ceremony leader to do this carefully); the wax products should not burn out completely.

During the wedding ceremony, spouses are sometimes included with a burning candle.

Important: if the bride and groom have prepared gifts for their parents, it is better to hand them over after lighting the symbol of a new family hearth. This will be a kind of gratitude for the gift of fire and a piece of family warmth.

How to perform the ritual in an original way?

Simple tricks will help to diversify the course of the ritual, make it memorable and magical.

Additional lighting

Way out - using candle stands(table) with LED lighting. Lighting with diffused light spotlights looks impressive. Sometimes a young couple's candle is surrounded by a circle of small, already burning candles.

Circle of fire

Thin candles or aroma lamps burning in the hands of guests will allow you to form a circle of living fire. In it, the spouses clasping their hands under the burning fire of their new hearth looks symbolic and solemn.

If the candles are lit earlier than the newlyweds, you can do without additional lighting - the required lighting and at the same time the magic of the moment will be created by the flickering lights.

Unusual lighters

Usually, ordinary matches or lighters are used for ignition, but the ceremony will be more symbolic and original using options that correspond to the theme of the wedding.

One of the possibilities is lighters-pistols (for a wedding in the style of “Chicago” or “Retro”). Church candles are suitable for believers. A ceremony in a medieval or fairy-tale style would be appropriately complemented by small torches or splinters.

Logical continuation

If the wedding celebration is held in a private home(the future home of the newlyweds), where there is a fireplace, the successful completion of the ceremony will be its ignition from the “transferred family fire” of the new married couple.

Video from the ceremony

A touching and tender video from the handover of a home to a young couple Olga and Denis (2014):

A beautiful and memorable rite of passage of the family hearth is an excellent way to combine the ancient traditions of a family wedding with a modern celebration. A fire lit on a wedding day will warm a young family better than any other and will be the key to a long and happy marriage.