THE NUPTIAL RITES OF PASSAGE - REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENTS
THE NUPTIAL RITES OF PASSAGE - REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENTS

Summary/Abstract: In the customs of the Romanian folk culture, the fir tree is associated to the marriage ceremony, but also to the funeral one, in both cases symbolizing "the male principle of life"2367. In the nuptial ceremony, the fir tree brought to the bride's house represents the groom. In the nuptial ceremonies from the North-Western region, the fir is used as a support for the wedding flag. The fir tree is to be found among the oldest symbols of life, symbolizing the vigor and persistence of the male principle The fir tree ritual described in the nuptial ceremonies from Moldavia and Oltenia takes place similarly with the ritual of the wedding flag from the North-Western part of the country. Our objective in this article was just an incursion into the research of the ritual of the wedding fir tree. For certain, this theme can represent the subject of a new work that opens a new research path for a subject that was not dealt with yet. The totality of actions from the two scenarios had in view the same objective: ensuring the full transition from the status of lad to a spouse, thus facilitating this transitory phase.

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