“Poor Russian men”: the Dutchman visited a Russian wedding and was shocked by trials, gifts and festivities
The Dutchman Mahil, who lived in Moscow for several years, told about his impressions of Russian weddings. He compared them to traditions in the Netherlands and admitted that some Russian customs really surprised him.
One of the first discoveries for him was the wedding test for the groom. Before going to the registry office, he may be asked questions about the bride: his favorite color, the first date and other details of the relationship. If the groom finds it difficult to answer, friends and relatives usually come to the rescue, writes the Zen channel “Dutchman in Russia”
Things are much calmer in the Netherlands. The groom first sees the bride in a wedding dress before the ceremony, and there are no such contests before the registry office.
Another difference is the number of guests. In Russia, numerous relatives, friends and acquaintances are often invited to the wedding, who spend almost all day with the newlyweds. In the Netherlands, some guests can only come for dinner or the evening part of the holiday.
The Dutchman also noted that Russian weddings are usually full of contests, games and surprises. Moreover, the bride and groom rarely manage to simply calmly observe what is happening - they themselves become participants in many trials.
In the Netherlands, wedding celebrations are more restrained: more time is devoted to conversations, congratulations, speeches and songs.
Separately, Mahil was surprised by wedding gifts. In Russia, guests often give much more than is customary in the Netherlands, where the amount is usually about 10-40 euros. He explained this by the fact that in this way the guests help the newlyweds to compensate for the cost of the holiday.
Unusual for the Dutch was the trip to the Russian registry office. He spoke about the queues, standard ceremony and various additional services that were offered to the newlyweds after registration.
At the end of the wedding, the differences are also noticeable. In Russia, the holiday can end with fireworks and various traditions, while in the Netherlands, the celebration usually ends after the newlyweds leave.
According to Mahil, the Russian wedding was much more intense and active for him. He was especially impressed by how many trials the bride and groom have to go through in one day.
