Currently, there are various non-church superstitions associated with Orthodoxy. Often such misconceptions relate to church ordinances. The priesthood of the wedding is no exception.
The sacrament of church marriage, called the wedding, is a special ritual during which the divine is given divine grace and help in creating an Orthodox family. In the sacrament of marriage, people become one whole, seal their love for each other before God and receive a blessing for the birth and pious upbringing of children.
There are various superstitions among the people regarding the practical side of weddings. For example, it is believed that in a leap year you can not start a priesthood. This statement is a fallacy and does not correspond to the Orthodox tradition, because a leap year is not a negative magical period of time that carries any harm to a person. Another such superstition is considered to be a ban on weddings in May, because in this case, the newlyweds will "toil" their whole lives. This point of view does not correspond to the Orthodox tradition. In the Orthodox Church, there is a ban on weddings on certain days (for example, during fasting or on the eve of Wednesday and Pentecost). In May, if by this time the fast ends and the Bright Week, the wedding is especially common. Many believers this month want to enter into a church marriage, since the Orthodox Church triumphs in honor of the holidays dedicated to Easter.
There are superstitions related directly to actions during the sacrament itself. So, it is falsely considered a bad omen an extinct candle or a dropped ring. Some people see this as a bad sign - the newlyweds will have troubles in life. Such a statement does not exist in Orthodoxy. A candle can go out just from a draft in the temple, and the ring may fall due to negligence or accident. There is nothing particularly terrible about this. The candle is lit again, and the ring must be raised without fear of the necessary horrors in the future from this negligence.
Before the sacrament of weddings in the church, a towel is laid, to which the priest brings the spouses during the wedding. Some people believe that if one of the newlyweds first enters the towel, then it will be he who will dominate the family, and will dominate in a totalitarian, rude and cruel form. Therefore, be sure to stand on a towel together. In fact, in the Church there really is a practice of simultaneously getting up on a towel, but it is due to the fact that from now on lovers should do everything together. This is a kind of unity of two loving each other people.
The sacrament of the wedding must begin consciously, understanding the essence of the rite. If you have any doubts and fears about superstitions, you should consult with the priest (and not with "church grandmothers") to get the right answers to your questions.
