Chuppah
The term chuppah refers to the wedding canopy at a Jewish wedding celebration and in a figurative sense this itself.
In Orthodox Judaism , the bride and groom are led to the chuppah, the wedding canopy - the bride from her mother and future mother-in-law, the groom from his father and future father-in-law. The chuppah means "roof over your head" and means that a house will be founded here. Open in four directions, the chuppah is meant to remind of the house of the Jewish forefather Abraham , which had a door on each of the four sides to warmly receive guests.
With his white coat, the groom shows that a new phase of life is beginning for both of them, white as a new leaf. Furthermore, the white color reminds that this day is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) for both of them . The bridal couple fasts from dawn.
Under the chuppah, the bride circles the groom seven times. This is to remind of the protective role of women, who protect the whole house through love and understanding. The number seven stands for the seven days of creation, with the young couple about to create their own "new world" together. Blessings over wine and praise are spoken under the chuppah . The bride and groom drink the wine together so that they may share joy and sorrow with one another in the future. The groom puts the wedding ring on the bride , speaks a traditional formula and then breaks a glass, a custom still practiced today to commemorate the 70th Jerusalem temple that was destroyed by the Romans . The glass was previously shattered on a wedding stone set into the outer wall of the synagogue especially for this purpose .
Web links
- Judaism Online - Complete Structured Description of the Chuppah Ceremony by a Jewish Orthodox Judge (Dayan)
- Maurice Lamm: The wedding canopy (chuppah) (accessed on September 21, 2015)
- UNION PROGRESSIVE JEWS: Wedding (Chuppah) (accessed September 21, 2015)