Apstrakt: Zaključenje braka, uopšte posmatrano, je čin koji je vezan za odgovarajuću službenu formu o kojoj se vodi službena evidencija (upis u matične knjige venčanih). Iako je u osnovi ovog čina, u prvom redu, izražena uloga državnog organa, u praksi postoji niz rituala koji prate ovaj čin. Ti rituali su jako stari i potiču još od drevnih naroda (najvećim delom preuzeti su od Rimljana), ali u tragovima postoje i danas u visokoobrazovnim društvima, i ulepšavaju na taj način sam čin zaključenja braka, čineći ga posebno svečanom ceremonijom (oblačenje mlade, pletenje cveća, izgovaranje svečanih zakletvi, bacanje bidermajera, prosipanje žita po mladencima, prenošenje mlade preko kućnog praga). Mada, danas, različiti od naroda do naroda i od svojih iskonskih formi (čemu je posebno doprinelo priznavanje hrišćanstva za zvaničnu religiju), evidento je da oni i dalje žive što se može i dokazati uporednom analizom u različitim kulturama i društvima.
Ključne reči: zaključenje braka, svadbeni običaji i rituali, oblačenje mlade, pletenje cveća,izgovaranje svečanih zakletvi, bacanje bidermajera, prosipanje žita po mladencima, prenošenje mlade preko kućnog praga
Abstract: Marriage, generally speaking, is an act that is linked to the appropriate official form on which the official records are maintained (civil registration of marriages). Although the basis of this act expresses first of all the role of the state authority, in practice there is a series of rituals that accompany this act. These rituals are very old and date back to ancient peoples (mostly taken from the Romans), but traces still exist in the highly educated societies, and embellish in this way the act of marriage, making it a particularly festive ceremony (dressing the bride, arranging flowers, saying the solemn vows, tossing the bridal bouquet, throwing wheat over the newlyweds, carrying the bride over the threshold). Although these rituals are today different from nation to nation and from their primordial forms (the recognition of Christianity as the official religion particularly contributed to that), it is evident that they still exist as it can be proved in a comparative analysis of different cultures and societies.
Keywords: marriage, wedding customs and rituals, dressing the bride, arranging flowers, saying the solemn vows, tossing the bridal bouquet, throwing wheat over the newlyeds, carrying the bride over the threshold.