Of course, many people know that the sacrament of wedding is the most beautiful church ritual. However, not everyone knows that wedding icons are considered one of its most important attributes - these are images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
From ancient times in Russia, these items were valued by each family. Wedding icons should be selected with all seriousness and responsibility, and it is better to do this in advance. These relics accompany the couple for many years and, in the end, are inherited by the next generation, so they must meet all criteria of longevity. These include, first of all, images created on a wooden board.
It is the wedding icons that are the connecting link between God and the couple. The icon of the Savior bears the traits of the creator of everything earthly, who later became a man in order to take upon himself all human sins.
In a marriage concluded before God, the spouse becomes the bearer of the cross of family life in order to live according to religious canons. The face of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is considered the patroness of the family, is a symbol of goodness, which can give a loving heart to her mother. And the young wife after marriage should be one with her husband, following the example of how the Mother of God showed firmness in the fulfillment of God's will.
Wedding icons are an integral part of the rite, which is performed by the priest in the church. In God's temple, they act as witnesses of the bride and groom, thereby uniting them "in one flesh." After the wedding ceremony ends, the spiritual mentor blesses the young couple through the faces of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Upon returning home, the newly-made spouses are warned by their parents and bring them bread and salt. In doing so, they also use wedding icons to bless their children. Having kissed the holy images and the parental hand, the spouses go to their own house to determine the place of honor for the donated icons, light a lamp in front of them and become imbued with the Christian atmosphere that will accompany their house from now until the end of their days.
The wedding icon will share with spouses all the joys and hardships that they will encounter on their life path. Looking at the holy faces, they will always remember that they took an oath to each other in love and fidelity.
Over time, the so-called
dimensional icons of saints will appear in the “home temple” of the couple, which will protect their children from all difficulties and hardships. After the children become adults and leave their home, taking their God’s image,
family icons will appear that will guard and protect all family members.
However, it is the wedding icons that are considered the basis of family life, transmitted from generation to generation, as a valuable relic.
Wedding as a ritual, and with it the norm to bless the newlyweds with icons, appeared in Great Byzantium at the end of the fourth century.
Until the seventeenth century, in Russia, the wedding was considered the privilege of the wealthy estate, and only after a hundred years it became available to everyone.