Wedding Rushnyk
Wedding rushnyk — an element of the traditional Ukrainian wedding.
Traditionally more then 20 embroidered rushnyks were used for a wedding ceremony, but sometimes the number of them reached more then 35.
There is 5 main types of rushnyk: one for the korovai, two for Icons, one for tying the hands of the bride and groom behind their backs and one to stand on through the wedding.
The rushnyk the couple stands on is believed to be the most important of all. It is the one that determines the lives of the bride and the groom after wedding.
This rushnyk symbolizes the the path of life. It is believed that when stepping on the rushnyk the couple is getting blessed from above and all the embroideries on it are secret codes that hold the destiny of a new family.
The rushnyk (especially the one the couple stands on) is only used for one wedding. If the marriage turns out to be a very happy one, the pattern may be gifted as legacy but it has to be embroidered on a new rushnyk.
Taditionally the rushnyk is kept in the family of the newlyweds as a symbol to to protect the happy life of the new family.
It is a necessary that all the measurements of the rushnyk can be decided by 7. Because the rushnyk is symboéizing the married family life the fabric needs to be whole with no left out space and the the edges can not be folded.
One fourth of each half of the rushnyk must be embroidered.
It is quite a sacred act to embroider a rushnyk as the happiness and well-being of the new family depends on it. Usually the bride would prepare her own rushnyk for the wedding, this way she could have the process under her her control and she can set a base for her future married life)
Embroidering the rushnyk is an activity always to be done in a good mood never letting any bad thoughts interrupt.
The embroidery has to be very tidy. "The right side is for the people, the wrong side for God". Small mistake in the embroidery are not getting redone to not to cause chaos in the couples life. No knots are allowed. When the embroidery is done the rushnyk needs to keep the good energy so it was not washed, instead the fabric should be washed before embroidery.
Firs the right side of the rushnyk id getting embroidered, which is believed to be the side of the man. Small differences are made on each edge of the rushnyk.
The embroidery on each end of the rushnyk is started at the bottom and moving upwards, just like woven towels are made. No skipping from side to side is allowed and the center must be kept blank. It is the place for God, this part of the rushnyk is making a deep connection with space.
Thursday was the best time to start working o the embroidery as it is the morning when energy levels are the highest. The work could not be done in the night or on Fridays.
Embroidery was done in complete silence, in a calm setting, secretly. (It was best if as few people knew about it as possible. Nobody was supposed to see the work before the wedding, only the family of the bride.)
Only one needle was used for the embroidery of the whole rushnyk. The needles that proved to work fine for embroidery were kept for long and it was believed to be a bad sight if that needle broke.
Needles were best to buy on a Monday.
The materials used for the rushnyk must always be natural. Cotton for fabric and cotton or silk for the threads.
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