This year I have been sharing lots of wedding posts with you.

You already learned about the Ukrainian wedding traditions,  Hindu wedding traditions, and Ukrainian- Greek wedding traditions, and now I will share my reflections on a Ukrainian-Jewish wedding.

My husband and I were excited about this wedding. The invitation came from our long-time friends, and the traditions blended Ukrainian and Jewish cultures.

The church ceremony took place at a Ukrainian Catholic Church, with all the usual Ukrainian traditions of the Bride and Groom wearing periwinkle/myrtle wreaths on their heads during the crowning ceremony.

Also standing on an embroidered scarf (rushnyk) in front of the Tetrapod.

Being led by the priest three times around the Tetrapod, for the Ceremonial Walk.

The Common Cup was shared at the wedding. It belonged to the groom’s father during Passover Seder. It also appeared at other family dinners.

Additionally, the Ave Maria was sung by a soloist. The Bride prayed at the Virgin Mary’s altar. She asked for a blessing of fertility and expressed gratitude for her husband.

This ceremony also included a Jewish wedding tradition, the presence of the Huppah (also known as Chuppah), which consists of a beautiful lace canopy suspended from 4 decorative posts.   The Bride and Groom were standing on a Ukrainian embroidered scarf (rushnyk), under the Huppah, throughout the wedding ceremony.

Once the Bride and Groom were pronounced husband and wife, a Jewish tradition of the glass-breaking ceremony took place.  The officiant placed a wine glass before the Groom so he could step on and crush it.  The shattered glass represents their strong marriage bond, and it cannot dissolve because all pieces must be glued back together.

Another significant part of a Ukrainian wedding is the parents’ greeting. They bless the Bride and Groom with wine, bread, and salt.

Since the reception of this wedding took place on a Saturday, which is a Jewish Shabbat day, at sundown the Father of the Groom picked up the  Challah, a traditional Jewish bread, and with a special chant, he greeted all the guests and the Bride and Groom.  Afterward, the bread was cut up and served to family and friends.

The reception began with the Bride and Groom seated on chairs raised high above the crowd. The wedding party performed Hava Nagila, a traditional Jewish dance. Family and friends of the Bride and Groom participated.

This dance was followed by the Ukrainian Kolomeyka, a traditional Ukrainian dance, which also engages everyone to either watch the performers or to participate and show off their own dance talent.

The Bride followed the traditional Ukrainian exchange of the veil with the babushka scarf. Her mother carried it out to signify that her daughter is a married woman.

To finish this wedding post, I am sharing a photo of their wedding cake. You will agree it looked gorgeous. The taste was decadent.

If you would like to learn more about the symbolic meanings of the different parts of this wedding ceremony, please read the next post, which mirrors side by side the Byzantine Rite and the Jewish traditions, as presented in the wedding ceremony program booklet, prepared by the Bride and Groom, and passed out to everyone at the church ceremony.