Bridal path
Bridal path describes a picture of flowers traditionally created by children on the morning of Ascension Day in different parts of East Friesland , but especially in the Aurich district .
Custom
The flower pictures are either laid out on the edge of the path on light sand in a wooden frame or in a box filled with sand. The latter offers the advantage that the flower picture can be made at home and then transported to the exhibition site.
Frequent motifs are ships and mills. The representation of well-known symbols, for example the cross, heart and anchor for faith, love and hope, are also popular. However, free designs of the flower pictures are also possible, such as landscapes, ships, windmills or lighthouses.
Traditionally, the bridal paths were made of meadow flowers, and moss or leaves were occasionally added for further decoration. Garden flowers are now widely used to protect wildflowers.
Since this custom has recently become less and less cultivated, a move has been made in various places to collect the bridal paths in one central location. A jury will assess and award the most beautiful motifs.
background
As an explanation for this tradition, reference is made to a story handed down in slightly different variations, according to which a daughter of the East Frisian princely house of the Cirksena in Aurich was waiting for her bridegroom. But he was attacked and murdered by a rival on the way to the wedding. When the waiting bride received the news of this crime, she died on the spot as a result of the shock. According to another version, she sank into such grief that a few days later she died of grief and exhaustion. The bride and groom were buried at the same time, with the funeral procession going over the meanwhile withered flowers that were actually intended for the wedding couple.
A historical core of this story has not been proven.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Customs. Retrieved May 14, 2019 .
- ↑ City of the North: Bridal Paths on Ascension Day
- ↑ a b c d e Rodrian, Katrin., Ostfriesische Landschaft Corporation: Moden un Maneren Ostfriesland customs, traditions and particularities . 2., corr. Aufl. Ostfriesische Landschaftliche Verl.- und Vertriebsges, Aurich 2013, ISBN 978-3-940601-19-3 , p. 26 .