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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Observance, Marriage, Women in Judaism (4/12) Previous Document: Question 8.16: Weddings: What happens during a Jewish wedding? Next Document: Question 8.18: Weddings: What should I wear to a Jewish wedding? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Answer:
The following are some common customs after a Jewish Wedding:
Yichud: Seclusion
The couple will, for the first time, be alone together as
husband and wife. They will break their fast and prepare for
the rest of the wedding celebration. Yichud is important; some
rabbinic sources suggest that the marriage is not complete
until the bride and groom have had the opportunity to be alone
together. Originally, it was an opportunity for the couple to
consummate the marriage. Typically, Yichud occurs in a room set
aside for the couple for at least ten or fifteen minutes. In
this room, the couple is provided with some food for them to
break their fast.
The First Dance:
The couple will enter the banquet room, to be greeted with
joyous dancing and singing. At traditional weddings, the men
and women dance separately (see [5]8.8). If you don't know the
words (Hebrew, Aramaic, or a combination) to the songs, don't
be concerned; just sing along. While some of the dances have
formal "steps," you will be able to participate in most of them
even if you've never tried before; spirit and enthusiasm will
usually get you through. Entertaining the bride and groom and
increasing their joy is an integral part of the celebration,
and all the guests are expected to join.
Se'udat Mitzvah: The Dinner:
A reception follows Yichud. This permits everyone to entertain
the new couple and make them happy. The new couple is treated
as another first couple (Adam and Eve); thus, the community is
celebrating not only this wedding, but the first wedding of the
first couple. The first meal as a couple is called Se'udat
Mitzvah (a meal in fulfillment of a commandment). This is
typically celebrated together with family and friends The
dinner--with intervening episodes of dancing--is sanctified
from beginning to end. The blessings at the end of the meal
have special additions in honor of the bride and groom. The
seven blessings first recited under the chuppah are repeated at
the end of the dinner.
The Bridal Week:
The bridal celebrations continue for the entire week following
the wedding. Only at the end of the week will life begin to
settle down to a more conventional routine. In some
communities, the couple is invited to a different home each
night at which the Sheva Berachot are recited and their wedding
is celebrated. Even so, the bride and groom retain the status
of queen and king for the entire first year of marriage.
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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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