Where does the tradition of the new wife's red dress come from?Continue reading
An exhibition of the history and memories of Hungarian marriages and love affairs will open at the Hungarian National Museum, entitled Hungarian Bride, from December 14.
The new exhibition is the brainchild of fashion historian and curator Ildikó Simonovics and is based on the collections of the Hungarian National Museum and its partner institutions.
The exhibition, based on the history and memories of Hungarian marriages, concentrates on brides.
The exhibition takes the visitor through the marriage stories of the past 500 years, starting from the 16th century, focusing on the evolution of the role of women in society.
The exhibition tells the stories of hundreds of women, known and unknown, along with their treasured dresses, accessories, and love letters, all telling the story of the changing roles of women and the changes in the relationship to marriage.
The exhibition will be open from December 14 at the József Nádor Hall of the Hungarian National Museum.
Engaged Hungarian couples wear their rings on the left hand; once they are married, they switch the ring to the right hand. In a traditional wedding, brides wear colorful and elaborately embroidered dresses and decorated headdresses, which may include woven wheat to symbolize fertility. The traditional wedding dress is the most elaborate variant of the colorful local festive costume.
A number of old village customs are continued in contemporary urban weddings. For example, some brides will emerge from their weddings with a kerchief on their heads to signify their transformation as new women, and they will dance with guests in exchange for wedding money—the first “collective wealth” of the newlywed couple.
A wedding in 1938. Photo via Fortepan
Via MTI, Featured image via Facebook/Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum