UNIT 3.

ROMANCE AND MARRIAGE TOPICAL VOCABULARY

adore smb обожнювати когось; illegal marriage незаконний шлюб;
approve of схвалювати; lady-killer серцеїд;
be attracted to smb бути захопленим кимось; love match/marriage шлюб за коханням
be engaged to smb бути зарученим з кимось; make a date with smb призначити побачення комусь;
be fond of подобатися; make a pass at smb намагатися доглядати за кимось;
be keen on бути закоханим у когось make eyes at smb пускати бісики комусь;
захоплюватися чимось; marriage bonds, ties шлюбні узи;
be/get married to smb бути одруженим/одружитися marriage certificate свідоцтво про шлюб;
з кимось; marriage of convenience/
best-man свідок з боку нареченого; money marriage шлюб за розрахунком;
(steady/ex-) boy-/girlfriend (постійний/колишній) marry off a son/daughter одружити/видати заміж
хлопець Дівчина; сина/дочку;
break off one’s relationship припинити стосунки marry into the family увійти до сім'ї після
з кимось; заміжжя/одруження;
break one’s engagement розірвати заручини; (re)marry smb for love одружуватися (знов)
bride/bridegroom наречена/наречений (під час по любові;
одруження), наречена(ий); misalliance нерівний шлюб;
bride's maids подружки нареченої;
newlyweds молодята;
cheat on sb, two-time sb зраджувати комусь;
partner партнер(ка), коханець(нка);
civil marriage цивільний шлюб;
propose /to give/drink
couple пара;
a toast to smb/smth запропонувати тост за щось, когось;
court smb доглядати за кимось;
propose to smb зробити комусь пропозицію;
date (v) smb, go out with smb зустрічатися з кимось;
reception прийом;
divorce smb розлучитися з кимось;
registry office загс;
divorcee розлучений чоловік дружина)
separate, drift apart, split up, break up (v) розійтися;
dowry посаг;
fall for smb бути в захваті від когось; single неодружений, незаміжня
fall in love with smb закохатися в когось; spouse, mate подружжя;
fiancé / husband-to-be наречений після заручин; stag party холостяцька гулянка
fiancée / wife-to-be наречена після заручин; напередодні весілля;
flirt (v, n) фліртувати; wallflower (розг.) жінка, що залишилася на балу без
get a divorce отримати розлучення; кавалера, дівчина, яка не має успіху;
hen party дівич-вечір, вечірка без чоловіків; (silver/golden) wedding срібне/золоте весілля;
honeymoon медовий місяц; wedding/religious обряд одруження/
(ex-)husband/wife колишній чоловік/дружина; ceremony релігійний обряд.

COLLOQUIAL PHRASES
He is not of marrying sort. - Він не з тих, хто одружується. / Він - переконаний холостяк.
Her parents haven’t given їх consent to the marriage. – Її батьки не дали згоди на шлюб.
Jo і I get on well [have a good relationship]. - Ми з Джо ладимо.
I really fancy Lisa, але його friend just leaves me cold. - Мені дійсно подобається Ліза, а її друг не справляє
на мене жодного враження.
Adrian and Liz не можна eye to eye [often argue / disagree]. – Адріан та Ліза розходяться у поглядах / по-
різному дивляться на речі.
Tracy is having an affair with her boss. - У Трейсі роман із начальником.
They had a brief fling years ago. – Вони мали короткий роман багато років тому.
I've fallen out with my fiancé again. - Я знову посварилася з нареченим.
Let's make it up [be friends again after a row]. – Давай помиримось.

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 VOCABULARY BOOSTER 1
I. Read, translate and retell the following text:
BRITISH WEDDING CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS
The decision to get married is one of the most important decisions in life. Therefore, it is no wonder that
there are so many customs and superstitions associated with weddings. A lot of wedding traditions go back to
folklore and pre-Christian times and used to protect marrying couples against bad luck and evil spirits.
In the past young people could not just fall in love and decide to get married. First, they needed to
obtain their parents’ consent. In fact, quite often it was the parents who decided who their children should
marry and not the children themselves. When the prospective groom had obtained his father’s consent to marry,
a formal marriage proposal had to be made. The prospective groom did not propose in person but sent his
friends or members of his family to represent his interest to the prospective bride and her family. If they saw a
blind man, a monk or a pregnant woman during their journey, it was believed that the proposal would not be
accepted as these signs were thought to bring bad luck. If, however, they saw wolves, this was a good omen
which would bring good fortune to the marriage.
Now things are not nearly as complicated. However, it is still considered romantic and proper to ask
your beloved if he or she would like to marry you and exchange engagement rings. The purpose of getting
engaged is to show each other and others that you are no longer free and plan to get married, say, in two years’
time. One British couple has been engaged for over 35 years and are still not married!
Choosing the right day for the wedding is the next thing to be considered. Now the most popular day is a
Saturday as most people work during the week. As there are only four Saturdays in any month, summer
weddings need to be booked a year in advance!
In the past, however, choosing when to marry was a serious affair. Saturdays were considered unlucky,
and so were Fridays, especially Friday the 13th. This famous old rhyme advises a wedding to happen in the first
half of the week:
Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health,
Wednesday the best day of all.
Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses,
Saturday for no luck at all.
However, this is just the beginning of serious business of wedding planning. Weddings are not cheap, so
a careful budget needs to be set. An average wedding in Britain costs £10-12,000. To a large extent, the cost
depends on how many guests are invited, which is normally around 150. Traditionally, the bride’s family would
pay most expenses, except for the drinks and the honeymoon which would be at the bridegroom’s family’s
expense. Nowadays, things are more flexible and expenses are split according to the two families’ incomes.
Buying a suitable outfit for the groom is not difficult – he just needs a black suit and a flower
buttonhole. However, dressing the bride is an altogether different matter. The answer is in this old rhyme,
which is as relevant today as it was more than a hundred years ago:
Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue,
And a silver sixpence in your shoe.
“Something old” is usually given to the bride by a happily married woman in the hope that her happy
marriage will be passed on to the new bride. “Something new” symbolizes the newlyweds’ happy and
prosperous future. “Something borrowed” is often a valuable item lent by the bride’s family which needs to be
returned to ensure good luck. “Something blue” is normally a blue ribbon in the bride's hair to symbolize
fidelity. The placing of a silver sixpence (an old English coin) or a penny in the bride's shoe is to ensure future
wealth.
As it is important for the bride and groom to look and feel great on the most important day of their life,
they need some help. The bride chooses her sister or a close friend to be her chief bridesmaid. Originally,
bridesmaids were young women dressed the same way as the bride to confuse evil spirits and protect the bride.
The chief bridesmaid, or the Bridesmaid of Honor, helps the bride to choose her dress, get dressed on the day
and assists with the actual wedding ceremony. If it is a church wedding, she follows the bride and her father up
the aisle and holds the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony. The groom also has a helper. The Best Man, who
is normally the groom’s best friend, plays an important part in any wedding. He helps the groom to get dressed,
organizes the stag party and generally coordinates the whole event.
The last part of the wedding is the reception. Traditionally, guests are offered a wedding cake.
Originally, cakes were flat and round and contained fruit and nuts that symbolized fertility. Now wedding cakes
have three tiers. The new shape is believed to have been inspired by the unusual spire of Saint Bride's Church in
the City of London. The couple make the first cut together to symbolize their shared future. It is said that if
unmarried guests place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow before sleeping, it will increase their chances
of finding a partner.
39
 II. Are these statements true or false?
1. A lot of wedding traditions used to attract bad luck and evil spirits to marrying couples.
2. It was lucky if the groom’s representatives saw wolves on their way to the bride’s house.
3. Nowadays Saturdays are considered unlucky.
4. Traditionally, the bride’s family would pay most expenses, including the drinks and the honeymoon.
5. The bride places a silver sixpence or a penny in her shoe to ensure her future health.
6. It is said that if unmarried guests place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow before sleeping, it will
help them find a partner.
III. Speak about interesting wedding ceremonies in other countries (You may use the texts on pp. 38-47).
VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2
HOW WE MET
1 Read Karen's account of how she met David and answer the questions.
a) When did they meet? c) Where did she see him again?
b) When did fate bring them together again? d) How long have they been together?
А KAREN, 18, AND DAVID, 21
I met him on a train last summer. He was gorgeous. We chatted and when I got off, he
helped me with my luggage. Unfortunately, I was too shy to ask him for his phone
number. But fate brought us together again. A few months ago, I saw him again at a
party and he recognised me at once. The attraction was magnetic and now we've been
David and Karen together for three months, two weeks and three days.
2 Read Emma's account of how she met Paul. Complete the account with appropriate
time expressions.
B EMMA, 32, AND PAUL, 35
(1) ……………. , I went to the police station to report a burglary. I was really upset
and the policeman who interviewed me was very kind and understanding. He calmed
me down, gave me a cup of coffee and then drove me home. (2) ……………. , he rang
me up and asked me out and now we have been together (3) ……………. .
Paul and Emma 3 Read about Sukwinder and Rajvir. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form.
C SUKWINDER, 63, AND RAJVIR, 70
I first (1) ……..………. (see) Rajvir near our house in Simla, India when I was
16. I (2) …………..…. (like) him but we didn't really talk. I told my father that I liked
him and he (3) ……….….…. (go) to visit his family. Then we (4) ….……….…. (get)
engaged. We couldn't get to know one another before we were married, so the first time
I was alone with my husband was after the marriage. We (5) …..………. (be) married
for 43 years now and we (6) …………..…. (not/have) an argument yet.
Rajvir and Sukwinder 4 Read about Elena and Basil and complete the account with appropriate verbs.
What do you think happened to Basil's letters?
D ELENA, 86, AND BASIL, 87
I (1) ……….……. Basil when I was 23 and it (2) ….…………. love at first sight. We
(3) ………….…. out together for over a year. We (4) ….…………. to get married, but
my mother was against it because Basil is a Christian Scientist so I (5) ………….….
seeing him. I (6) (not) ……….……. from Basil for a long time, although he
says he (7) …….………. lots of letters. I (8) ….…………. other boyfriends, but I
never got married. I (9) (not) ……….……. anyone else. It was 60 years later, when all
my other boyfriends had died, that I (10) ….…………. to wonder if Basil was still
Elena and Basil alive. So I (11) …….………. to Evergreen, a magazine for retired people. Four days
after my letter was published, I (12) …….………. a letter from Basil. He came to see
me and after two days he (13) …….………. . We (14) …….………. married when
Basil was 85 and I was 84 and we (15) ….…………. happily married for two years.
I (16) (not) ….…………. at another man since the day Basil came back into my life.
5. Which of these stories do you think is the most romantic?
6. Think about couples you know: friends or family. What do you know about how they
met? Tell your partner.

40
 EXERCISES
1. Give definitions of the following words or word combinations:
1) honeymoon
2) fiancée
3) money marriage
4) spouse
5) ex
6) to divorce

2. Match the two parts of the following sayings translate them into Russian and give your opinion on
each of them:
1. Marriages are a) if not, you'll become a philosopher. (Socrates)
2. Every woman should marry – b) half shut after. (B. Franklin)
3. Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, c) a skeleton in the cupboard.
4. A man should be taller, older, heavier, uglier, d) and no man. (B. Disraeli)
5. Every family has e) made in heaven.
6. If you find a good wife, you'll be happy; f) and hoarser than his wife. (E.W. Howe)

3. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below:

date approve go out relationship drift apart

keen break off attracted romantic marriage
Ann was a very (a) ……………….. girl who often dreamed of love and (b) ……………….. . She
was especially (c) ……………….. to a young man called Michael, who worked in the same office
as she did, and he was very (d) ……………….. on her too. They became friendly and one day
Michael asked her to (e) ……………….. with him. Their first (f) ……………….. was a visit to the
cinema, and they both enjoyed the evening so much that they decided to go out together regularly.
Michael was a bit untidy and rather young, and Ann's parents didn't (g) ……………….. of him at
first, but Ann was a sensible, mature girl and they had confidence in her. For a year or so everything
went well, but then somehow they slowly began to (h) ……………….., until finally they decided to
(i) ……………….. their (j) ……………….. .

4. Match the following phrases with their equivalents:

1) to be fond of a) a man at the time he gets married, or just after he is married;
2) to be in love with b) a girl or woman that you have been having a romantic relationship with;
3) a separated couple c) the man who a woman is going to marry and who she is engaged to;
4) a divorced couple d) to have a very deep feeling, often only towards that person;
5) a fiancé e) to be unfaithful to one's wife, husband or lover;
6) a bridegroom f) to have a warm feeling towards that person;
7) a steady girlfriend g) to behave (towards smb) in a romantic way but without serious intentions;
8) an ex-girlfriend h) a married couple who live apart;
9) to flirt with smb i) a couple whose marriage is legally at an end;
10) to cheat on smb j) someone’s former girlfriend / a woman that a man used to go out with.

41
 5. Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage below:
bride engaged bridegroom consent wedding
civil reception honeymoon propose toast
One evening, although he was nervous, Joe decided to (a) ……………….. to his girlfriend,
Linda. She accepted his proposal, they became (b) ……………….. and he gave her a ring.
After a year they had saved enough money to get married (they were both over 18 so they did
not need their parents' (c) ………………..). Some people have a religious ceremony with a
priest, but Joe and Linda decided on a (d) ……………….. ceremony in a registry office. On the
day of the (e) ……………….. Linda, the (f) ……………….., was very calm, but Joe, the (g)
……………….., was nervous. Afterwards, at the (h) ……………….., speeches were made and
the guests drank a (i) ……………….. to the happy couple, who finally left for a (j)
……………….. in Spain.

6. Translate the following sentences into English and practise saying them:
1. Девид і Алекса одружились в минулому місяці. 2. Коли люди одружуються, вони
влаштовують урочисте весілля. 3. Моя свекруха вийшла заміж за француза. 4. Вона видала
заміж усіх своїх дочок. 5. Вона не вийшла заміж, поки не досягла сорока років. 6. Містер Сміт
розвівся зі своєю жінкою або вона розвелася з ним? 7. Джек зустрічається з колишньою
нареченою свого брата. 8. Джиммі залицявся до Дженні протягом останніх трьох місяців, але
вона не погодилася вийти за нього заміж. 9. Моя старша сестра заручена з містером
Пенделбери. 10. Я знов посварився зі своїми батьками. 11. Тоні і Джейн розсталися. 12. Сьюзі
закохалася в свого однокурсника і пускала йому бісики. 13. Вчора він призначив побачення Єві,
а сьогодні – Лізі. 14. Він твердить, що одружився на Вікторії за коханням. 15. Пітер припинив
свої відносини з Анжелою, так як дізнався, що вона йому зраджує. 16. У Мері роман з
начальником. 17. Наречений й наречена запізнилися на весілля. 18. Вони постійно сварились і,
врешті решт, вирішили розійтись. 19. Завтра молоді відправляються у весільну подорож до
Малайзії. 20. Він не тільки захоплюється Паулою, але ще і ладить з її батьками.

7a) Complete the sentences below with a word from the box.

boyfriends experience face kiss love marriage youth

a) There were three of us in the ………….. so it was a bit crowded.

b) I gave my beauty and my ………….. to men. I am going to give my wisdom and ………….. to
animals.
c) I still remember the chewing gum, tobacco and beer taste of my first ………….., exactly 40
years ago, although I have completely forgotten the ………….. of the American sailor who
kissed me.
d) If grass can grow through cement, ………….. can find you at every time in your life.
e) I make my ………….. famous.

7b) Now match the quotations above to these famous women:

1. Isabelle Allende 3. Naomi Campbell 5. Princess Diana
2. Brigitte Bardot 4. Cher

8. Translate the sentences into Russian paying special attention to the italicized words:
1. He is not of the marrying sort.
2. Adrian and Liz don't see eye to eye.
3. Tom dated Mary every now and then.
4. Do you have a steady boyfriend?
5. Let's try to make it up.

42
9. Make up a list of positive and negative sides of family life and explain your choice:
Positive Negative

10. Agree or disagree with the following statements and explain your point of view:
1. The husband should be more intelligent than the wife.
2. Spouses should be alike.
3. Money often keeps people together.
4. Marriage should be compulsory for everybody.
5. The best wife is a housewife.
6. The marriage contract is incompatible with romantic love.
USE
For agreement For disagreement:
I couldn’t agree more… Yes, that’s quite true, but…
That’s just what I was thinking… I'm not sure I quite agree...
You know, that’s exactly what I think… Perhaps, but don't you think that...
I agree entirely… Well, you have a point there, but…
That’s a good point… I see what you mean, but...
For more categorical and informal disagreement:
I can't agree with you there.
You can't be serious!
Come off it!
Don't be so silly!
*11 1а) Translate the text:
Я шукаю собі дружину. Якою вона повинна бути? Я не потребую від неї привабливої зовнішності.
Нехай в неї буде тільки струнка фігура і красиве обличчя.
Вона повинна бути веселою, коли я жартую. І жартувати, коли я приходжу додому напідпитку.
Мене не цікавить її помешкання. Головне, щоб воно було велике.
Не цікавить мене і її зарплатня. Аби вона була більш, ніж моя.
Але витрати на весілля – порівну; половину внесе вона, а іншу – її батьки.
Я впевнений: коли ми одружимось, у нас з'являться спільні інтереси. Якщо, наприклад, вона не схоче
йти зі мною на футбол, то ми залишимося вдома і будемо дивитися по телевізору хокей.
Я буду турбуватися про її здоров'я. Щоб до неї не потрапило спиртне, тютюнове, мучне і солодке, я
буду все це знищувати сам.
Вона буде у мене одягатися як богиня: просто і недорогого.
Я візьму на себе частину її роботи, якщо, звичайно, вона візьме на себе всю мою.
Мені не важливо, як вона буде готувати. Аби це було смачно. І не обов'язково, щоб це була тільки
українська кухня. Тут в неї повна свобода: сьогодні кухня грузинська, а завтра – угорська вранці і
китайська ввечері.
Я шукаю собі дружину.
Я готов віддати її половину життя, якщо вона віддасть мені свою цілком.
Якщо вона не буде задовольняти мої вимоги, нехай шукає собі нового чоловіка.
Ось уже багато років я шукаю собі дружину …
(з «Літературної газети»)

11b) Say what you think of this man looking for an ideal wife. Does he strike you as an ideal husband?

1
Tasks marked by an asterisk (*) are optional.
43
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
WEDDING TRADITIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
EGYPTIAN WEDDING CUSTOMS
The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to regard marriage as a legal relationship. Marriage
in ancient Egypt was a religious imposition. The ancient Egyptian laws organized the marriage relationship
and indicated all rights and duties for the couples. Many of the old marriage contracts have been found, and
they were registered and signed by three officers. The ancient Egyptian laws gave the right of divorce to
women as well as men, and the wife had great respect and a high degree of prestige.
Before marriage in ancient Egypt, there were many chances for men and women to meet in places
such as the temples or at the common feasts. There was a custom in the Egyptian family which allowed the
adult daughter to welcome guests who came to visit her parents. Even today there remains in some parts of
rural Egypt a custom that the eldest daughter is to marry before the youngest. The ancient Egyptians had an
engagement period in order for the couple to become familiar with each other. The groom-to-be and his
parents would go to the bride’s house and meet the head of the family. They would negotiate an agreement
where the groom would pay a dowry and buy the bride a gift of precious stones or gold. On the day of the
wedding there would be a great banquet where all the guests would eat, sing and dance. Then the bride and
groom would be led to their home and on the way, green wheat would be tossed in the air as a symbol of
fertility.
While time has altered modern Egyptian weddings, many of the traditions remain. Christian and
Islamic custom now dictates that the official wedding must take place in a church or mosque. However, the
reception after the official wedding remains much the same as in ancient Egypt. Reception parties differ
from place to place in Egypt but they all hold common features including singing, dancing, a banquet and a
lot of guests. Most often the wealth of the family of the bride and groom dictates the number of guests
invited to the reception.
Certain aspects of Egyptian weddings in urban cities are not unlike weddings anywhere in the
world. The bride wears an ordinary bridal dress and the groom wears a black suit or a tuxedo. The
ceremony starts with a car parade. The wedding car (as prestigious as possible) will be decorated with
flowers and ribbons. Cars of both families move together in a noisy parade of continuous sounding of car
horns to a wedding hall most often in a hotel. The honking is to announce that there is a wedding taking
place. When the bride and groom reach the hotel they are received by a “Zaffa”. The Zaffa is another
human parade of belly dancers and drummers surrounding the bride and groom, singing happy songs. The
bride and groom will occasionally join in the dancing but the main aim is to walk as slowly as possible to
the wedding hall. Some Zaffa’s will last an hour!
When the bride and groom finally reach their destination in the hall they sit in the “Kosha”. The
Kosha usually consists of two comfortable seats in front of the guests where the bride and groom reign as
though king and queen. As soon as the bride and groom are seated in the Kosha a rose sherbet drink is
passed to the guests and all drink to their health. Then the bride and groom will switch rings from right
index fingers to left index finger. This is probably an old Christian tradition but it is done whether the
couple is Moslem or Christian. With this ritual, the festivities begin. The bride and groom have the first
dance after which the other wedding guests join in. Usually a belly dancer or a singer entertains the guests
but in more luxurious weddings there is more than one entertainer. Guests will dance and sing with the
newly wed couple, and the groom will occasionally be tossed in the air by friends. The more the tossing of
the groom the more his popular! After the formal entertainment, a disc jockey is used to extend the
festivities.
Then comes the cutting of the cake. As elsewhere in the world, the bride and groom cut the cake,
which is several layers high. The bride then tosses her flower bouquet behind her back to other hopeful
females. Who ever catches the bouquet is lucky because she will be next to marry. Next, the couple opens
the buffet for the guests, which is usually a wide variety of salads, meats, stews, and sweets. Actually the
list might go on forever in some weddings. Food is considered one of the factors that reflect the wealth of
the families of the bride and groom. After every guest has “stuffed” his or her stomach, the wedding party
is over. In some weddings there may be some more entertainment. Then the bride and groom usually get a
complimentary night or two at the hotel.
Modern urban weddings are obviously affected by western traditions. For example, the cutting of
the cake and tossing of the bouquet. This is not the case with rural areas of Egypt. In rural areas, after the
Zaffa, the wedding ceremony will usually take place in a big clearing of land where a huge Arabic tent
called the “Sewan” is set up. Entertainment includes a belly dancer or singer and sometimes both. Drinks
are passed to guests and food comes in huge plates to be served to guests. The customary food is “Fattah”
which is pieces of lamb meat embedded in rice and bread dipped in stew. The bride and groom will leave
the wedding early but the guests continue the festivities.
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 Whether rural or urban, weddings reflect the image of the families that have come together. Both
families show off their wealth to their wedding guests. From this, it would be concluded that Egyptian
weddings are not just an announcement of marriage but also an announcement of the economic positions of
the families.
CHINESE WEDDING CUSTOMS
For the Chinese people, the purpose of marriage is to continue the ancestral line and to create
alliances between two families. As the world changes, Chinese wedding traditions have evolved and
changed as well. Unlike before, only a few traditions in weddings had survived the centuries and became a
part of the modern day weddings. However, there are still families who wish to include traditional practices
in their wedding plans.
In the ancient days, communication was done through letters which played a vital role in the
betrothal and wedding process. Three letters were sent during those times. First was the request letter which
served as a confirmation of the formal arrangement of marriage. This was sent by the groom's family to the
bride's family along with gifts. The second letter was called the gift letter. It served as a gift record that
described the value of each gift. The third one was the Wedding letter which was given to the bride's family
on the wedding day itself.
In other countries nowadays, the bride's family handles the expenses of the wedding because it is
said to be the "bride's day". In some other countries, both the bride and the groom take care of the wedding
expenses. However, for Chinese wedding traditions, it is the "groom's day". This means the groom's family
handles all the festivities before, during and after the wedding.
Before The Big Day
Before the wedding, a Chinese bride is isolated with her closest friends. In this custom, the bride-to-
be symbolically mourns the loss of family and friends. On her wedding day, the bride is bathed in water
which is infused with pomelo in order to cleanse her from bad influences.
Choosing The Wedding Date
A traditional Chinese couple is very picky when it comes to choosing the date for the wedding - it
should be a lucky one. Most Chinese families choose a wedding date which is according to the lunar
calendar. Aside from that, they also make sure that the moon and stars are properly aligned on the chosen
date. It is also customary that the couple should marry on the half-hour rather than at the top hour of their
wedding day. In this way, the hands of the clock are moving up instead of down. This is associated with the
belief of Chinese wedding traditions that the couple could begin their lives on an upswing if that custom is
followed.
Chinese Wedding Traditions – The Colours
The red colour plays a vital role in the wedding festivities of the Chinese people. Red is considered
by them as a bold and lucky colour. In addition to this, the colour signifies love, prosperity and happiness;
therefore, everything is in red – wedding invitations, gift envelopes and the bride's wedding dress. It is also
important that the symbol for double happiness is placed on Chinese invitations, envelopes and wedding
decorations, and accessories.
A New Bed For The Couple
In traditional Chinese families, the parents of the couple usually provide a new bed complete with
pillow cases, comforters, pillows and sheets. A night before the wedding, the groom is required to sleep on
the bed and a young nephew will have to jump up and down the bed to give luck to the couple. It is said
that this practice gives hope on the fertility of the couple and will make them produce an heir soon.
The Big Day
On the day of the wedding, the couple will need to serve tea to both parents and family and guests.
In return, they will be presented with jewelry and money placed in red envelopes.
There will be three different dresses for the bride for Chinese wedding traditions. The white dress
with veil is worn during the wedding ceremony. The second wedding dress, a traditional Chinese wedding
dress is used at the banquet. The last dress is called the bride's going away dress. This dress is worn before
the bride leaves the banquet.
The feast or wedding banquet is an important part during the wedding. Wedding banquets are to
thank family and friends for the kindness they have shown throughout the years. Most feasts will serve a
twelve course meal including delicacies like roasted pig and shark fin soup. Sometimes fried rice and
abalone will also be served.
A post wedding ritual for Chinese wedding traditions happens after the day of the wedding. The
bride should wake up early to honor her ancestors. On this day, the bride is formally introduced to the
groom's family, relatives and friends. Older relatives will be giving her small tokens. Three days after the
wedding, the bride will visit her family where she is welcomed and received as a guest.
45
 WEDDING CUSTOMS IN SPAIN
Spain is a nation of many regions, most of which were once independent countries, so wedding
customs sometimes vary from area to area.
Traditionally, the groom gives a watch to the bride's father when his proposal is accepted.
Though some brides still uphold custom by embroidering their groom's wedding shirt, today's
Spanish brides generally choose white wedding dresses for themselves rather than the black lace or silk
gowns that were once popular. No matter what colour the dress, lacy mantillas secured with combs often
complete the ensemble. In Andalucia (Andalusia), a few brides wear a frilled, flamenco style dress in
homage to the distinctive regional dance.
Flower selections vary from region to region. In Seville (Sevilla), where richly-scented orange trees
abound, brides wear orange blossom wreaths or carry generous bouquets to represent the promise and
fulfilment of the orange tree. Brides in Andalusia prefer pink and white rose garlands, while Castillian
brides wear white flowers.
Because dining late is a Mediterranean custom, wedding ceremonies often aren't scheduled until
evening. According to tradition, the bride's father escorts his daughter to the church after having ensured
that the groom has not seen her the night before the ceremony. The groom's mother walks down the aisle
with her son.
Spanish wedding ceremonies are marked by an exchange of 13 gold coins in a special purse or box.
Details of this custom vary from source to source, but even today it is readily possible to buy reproduction
coins to honour the tradition. Whether gold or imitation, these coins are blessed by the officiating priest.
They are said to represent Jesus Christ and his apostles, so they not only have a religious connotation but
also a practical one since they represent a dowry, a pledge of the new groom's willingness to support his
wife.
The bride and bridegroom exchange wedding rings as well. These are worn on the ring fingers of
their right hands.
As they emerge from the church, the newlyweds are often greeted with firecrackers. Once the
reception begins, the festivities continue into the night with dining and dancing. The wedding dance is
called ‘sequidillas manchegas.’ Guests who dance with the bride, traditionally give her money, but pieces
of the groom's tie and/or the bride's garter may also be auctioned off for good luck.
Though the Spanish bride throws her bouquet to whomever will be next to marry, she also hands out
pins with a flower motif to unmarried ladies who attach them to their clothing upside down. The hope is the
pins will be lost during the dancing, and therefore indicate the lady will soon marry. Other favours for
wedding guests are cigars for the gentlemen and something nicely scented for the ladies.
Area delicacies are always on the reception menu. Paella, a delicious seafood and rice stew, is
popular along the coast while sangria, a red wine punch, is found at most Spanish gatherings. The wedding
sponge cake is rich with fruit and almonds.

WEDDING TRADITIONS IN GERMANY

Weddings have been around for many centuries and every society has its own traditions that they
adhere to during these ceremonies. Germany has many regions and these have different traditions but there
are some standard traditions that stand out. In Germany the most favored month for couples to wed is May.
During the engagement period, the bride as well as the groom wears an engagement ring on the left hand.
After the ceremony, this will change and they both wear gold rings without diamonds on their right hand.
In traditional weddings, it is the duty of the official inviter to invite the guests. The inviter puts on fancy
clothing containing flower and ribbon adornments, the inviter then goes to the homes of each of the guests
and invites them to the wedding with a rhyming, personal invitation. Guests show their acceptance by
pinning a single ribbon on a Hochzeitslader hat.
Several weeks prior to the ceremony, the groom along with some male friends visits a pub (Kneipe)
for drinks and to enjoy the groom’s final moments as a single man. On the eve of the wedding, people
smash dishes and plates to scare evil spirits away. For this tradition, only china dishes are used as it is
believed anything else brings with it bad luck. Afterwards, the groom and his bride clean up to signify that
they are able to work together. German brides also collect pennies for a period of time to buy wedding
shoes, to ensure that the marriage carries on unhindered. The mother of the bride also puts some salt and
dill into the right shoe of the bride.
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 Wedding attire for the German bride is usually a white gown with a short or no train. Veils are not
mandatory as well but those that wear them have them at fingertip length and these do not cover the brides’
face. Grooms attires include a dinner jacket (smoking jacket) and a black suit. Prior to the ceremony at the
church, the wedding couple solemnizes their union at the Registry Office (Standesamt) with the registrar as
the officiator. Having a church ceremony without solemnizing the union at the Registry Office is illegal.
Two witnesses are needed for this, one for the groom and the other for his bride. At the church, the
couple walks the aisle together. Groomsmen, bridesmaids and flower girls are not included in German
wedding traditions. It is customary for German brides to carry bread and salt as a sign of plentiful harvests.
The groom on the other hand will carry grain; a sign of good fortune and wealth.
In Northern Germany they like to play a trick on the wedded couple, while they are in church,
getting married. As they come back they will find all their furniture on the roof of the house where they are
going to live, and all the doors locked, i.e. barricaded, no way to get in the normal way. The first obstacle
for the couple to take then is to somehow get into the house and the furniture off the roof, beds, chest
drawers and everything, usually through a hole in the roof. No outside help, but everybody will be
watching.
When the couple leaves the church, they are required to cut a log on top a sawhorse in half to show
the manner they will accomplish difficult tasks. At the reception the best man takes the bride without the
groom’s knowledge, to a pub for champagne. The groom has to look for them and pay the bill. The first
dance is usually reserved for the couple while the next is for the groom and his mother and bride and her
father. The mother of the bride dances with the father of the groom.
A unique German custom is the creation of a "wedding newspaper." Created by friends and family
of the couple, the newspaper is filled with pictures, articles and stories about the couple. The newspaper
can be given away at the reception, but traditionally, it is sold to assist with honeymoon expenses.
During the reception, the bride and groom take part in the German wedding toast, which involves a
special cup, called the "Nuernberg Bridal Cup." Often, the couple reads the story of
the bridal cup to their guests in order to explain the tradition and the unusual cup.
The story is centuries old and follows the story of a noblewoman named
Kunigunde. Despite her wealthy father's disapproval, she fell in love with a young
goldsmith. Kunigunde turned down suitor after suitor, no matter how wealthy they
were. Her father became furious and had the young goldsmith thrown into a dark
dungeon. But this did not end Kunigunde's love for the goldsmith and she grew pale
and weak at the separation from him.
Reluctantly, her father made this proposal: He told his daughter, "If your
goldsmith can make a chalice from which two people can drink at the same time without spilling one single
drop, I will free him and you shall become his bride."
The young goldsmith eagerly took up the challenge and sculpted a girl "with a smile as beautiful as
his own true love's." He hollowed out her skirt to serve as a cup. In her raised arms rested a bucket that
swiveled so that it could be filled, then swung towards a second drinker. The challenge being met, the
goldsmith and the nobleman's daughter were married and the bridal cup was passed down as a symbol of
love, faithfulness and good luck for whoever drinks from it.
An alternative toast is called "Who Rules the Nest?" Before the couple drinks from the bridal cup,
the maid of honor stands and announces that whoever finishes first without spilling the drink will rule the
nest. Because the bride has the smaller cup, naturally, she will be the winner and therefore the "ruler of the
nest." If you do want to use this toast, you may not want to let the groom in on this knowledge beforehand!
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 WEDDING TRADITIONS IN ITALY
Since Italy has a very long history (and there are many subcultures within the country) there are a
lot of wedding traditions in it. (Some are even contradictory!) Many of these traditions are now universally
followed in the western world and have simultaneous origins. Here's a simple one that has become
international: the groom seals the engagement with a diamond ring (as diamonds were created by love's
flames) – but if it contains any gold, the bride should not wear it until she has also received her wedding
band! (As you may know, the ancient Romans appropriated Greek culture and religion for themselves,
renaming all the gods but keeping the essentials. Thus they most likely believed, as the Greeks did, that a
vein from the third finger of the left hand possessed a vein leading directly to the heart. Hence the ring
finger!) Nor should she wear her entire wedding costume (which she should not make herself) before the
big day. It must also remain imperfect or incomplete until she actually walks down the aisle. The complete
outfit includes "la borsa" – a little satin pouch in which she collects monetary gifts from her guests.
The bridal shower is derived from the custom of the bride's packing a trousseau with which to begin
her new life; these days, her friends and female relatives give her gifts instead. Showers and bachelor
parties are not common in Italy, however.
The night before the wedding, the bride should wear green for good luck; green has long been the
color of fertility!
On the wedding morn, there is both the tradition of the groom's coming to the bride's house to "pick
her up" and walk her to the church, and the conflicting tradition of the groom's not even being allowed to
see the bride until she is brought down the aisle to stand by him for the marriage ceremony. (The bridal veil
not only hides her from her husband but more importantly protects her from evil spirits.) Yet another
tradition has the groom waiting in front of the church for his intended; he has brought a bouquet to present
to her (the bouquet including some fragrant herbs, again to ward off those pesky evil spirits), carries a bit of
iron in his pocket, also to defend against the "evil eye"); his friends tease him by pretending the poor fellow
is about to be left in the lurch. The front of the wedding chapel door has a ribbon nicely tied across it (as
have the doors of the houses between the bride's house and the church), representing the tying of the knot
between man and woman.
If the groom does walk the bride to church, she should leave, right foot first, from her front door,
and the community should throw challenges in their path, such as a broom (she should pick it up, proving
herself a good housewife) or a crying child (both bride and groom should prove themselves good potential
parents by comforting it). If they meet a pig, their luck will be bad, but a black cat will bring good fortune.
A funeral bespeaks ill, but sunshine or a rainbow forecasts fortune. The bride and groom might be
confronted with a sawhorse, double-handed saw and a log; they must show their true spirit of partnership
by sawing the log in half together. (Sometimes this is done between the wedding and the reception.)
The church service, or sposalizio, which takes place most luckily on a Sunday but neither during
Lent nor Advent, nor in May or August, generally begins with a Catholic mass. Whether the bride has
arrived with the groom or hidden herself away until the last moment, she ends up standing on his left –
possibly to free his right hand to defend them with his sword should a rival come to kidnap his love! And
it’s better not to drop the ring. It's bad luck.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen are very important at the wedding ceremony. Ancient Roman law
once required 10 witnesses at any wedding, dressed quite like the bride and groom in order to confuse
jealous evil spirits. Some couples release a pair of doves outside and allow themselves to be pelted with
rice, paper confetti or real confetti: little tulle bags containing either three (for children), five or seven
candy-covered almonds, to promote fertility. They drive or are driven to the reception in a car decorated
with ribbons and flowers.
The reception is a fabulous affair. Decorations usually include tied ribbons and fresh or ribbon
flowers.
The best man acts as the greeter, serving sweet liquor to the women and strong liquor to the men
prior to the meal, for toasting purposes. The toasts will continue during the entire reception, too.
The mothers-in-law have a table by the reception entrance for "raccomandazioni o favori," the
repayment of favours: debtors (be the debts monetary or in the form of favours) may (nay, MUST!) take
this opportunity to make repayment; a notebook is kept with all the repayment details, and this is not done
unwitnessed! The bride herself presents her new mother-in-law with an olive branch, symbolizing peace.
The guests receive, as wedding favours, little pottery or glass dishes, each filled with a bag of
confetti, which are meant to represent both the sweet and bitter aspects of a marriage, the perceivable
reminder of the "for better or worse" part of the wedding vows.
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 The bouquet-toss and garter toss have become a part of just about every western wedding tradition,
and Italian weddings are no exception. The bride tosses her bouquet behind her to the eagerly gathered
single gals, and whoever catches is will be the next to marry. The groom removes his wife's garter from her
right leg and tosses it to the single men; the lucky catcher places the garter on the right leg of whoever
caught the bouquet.
Italian wedding food is famously gorgeous. It may consist of more than a dozen courses and was, in
ancient Rome, preceded by the breaking of a loaf of barley or wheat bread over the bride's head! (Perhaps
this showed who THOUGHT he was the master of the house, but then, there is the famous Italian saying,
"La moglie e' la chiave di casa!" ("The wife is the key of the house.") The guests gather up the crumbs for
good luck and to help the couple become fertile; this evolved into the gifting of guests with pieces of
wedding cake, and some still believe that one who sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under the pillow
will dream of his or her future spouse.
Of course the meal begins with antipasto (literally "before the pasta") and includes bow-ties, or
wanda (small pieces of twisted, sugared dough). Italian wines are served, as are many kinds of pasta,
pickled peppers, fried squid and olives. The meat is usually a roasted lamb or a roasted piglet. Bags of
roasted peanuts are traditional fare as well.
During the meal, the toasting (especially the repeated call for the couple to stand up and kiss)
continues and the dancing begins. First the bride and groom dance together.
The father of the bride cuts in and the groom asks his new mother-in-law to dance. The groom's
father replaces the bride's father, who ousts the groom and dances with his own wife. The displaced groom
now dances with his own mother. The in-laws change partners among themselves. Now the best man
invites the maid or matron of honour, the best man takes his turn with the bride, and the rest of the wedding
party joins in. Only then, the other guests step into the action, which continues into the wee hours.
Every man dances with the bride (holding his coat open to expose his shirt, to show he has brought
no weapon to such a joyous occasion) and this is a good time for the bride to collect money (buste) in her
borsa. The men all kiss the bride too! Meanwhile the groom allows his tie to be cut in pieces, which he sells
to the guests. (Some say this is to help pay for the honeymoon, others that it simply pays for the band.)
Everyone joins in for a Tarantella, or "spider dance." Dating back to medieval times, this dance is
performed in a wild circle and resembles the frenzy of a spider-bite victim. Another tradition is the "cookie
dance," in which the couple leads guests in a dance that ends up at a table where each may take one of the
many cookies waiting there.
The wedding cake is white (for purity), tiered and topped by figurines representing the bride and
groom. It was once the custom for the bride to cut the cake alone, to prove herself not only a good wife in
terms of being able to serve food, but a good lover (the knife is a male symbol, and even today, the first cut
will often bring a gush of cream from the cake's interior). These days the bride and groom cut the cake
together, the bride's left hand over the groom's left, which is over her right. They feed each other the first
slice. Sometimes a less expensive cake is baked as well and distributed to the guests if there are too many
for even a large, fancy wedding cake to accommodate. Coffee is served to the guests along with the cake,
for dessert.
In ancient tradition, guests would rip the bride's clothes in an attempt to inherit some of her luck of
the day. This has been replaced by a more sedate tradition: the tearing of the bride's veil for good luck, and
the breaking of a vase or wine glass in order to count into how many pieces it shatters: one for each year of
married bliss.
The bride and groom don't get much rest; they go about from table to table, greeting and chatting
with every guest, so no one should feel left out. Some guests will count themselves out on purpose,
preferring to devise practical jokes for the couple such as itching powder in the bed or a door that is stuck
shut!
After the reception, the bride and groom retire to their new house, where no one must ever have
slept before. (This will be difficult to achieve in today's world; perhaps a new bed would satisfy that
requirement?) The groom must carry the bride over the threshold so waiting evil spirits will miss their last
chance to capture her.
Perhaps oddly, it is traditional for the married couple to leave their wedding gifts untouched, even
until after their honeymoon! In some cases, the in-laws do the honours.
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 THE JEWISH WEDDING CEREMONY
The very first stage of a traditional Jewish marriage, is the shidduch, or matchmaking. This means that the
process of finding a partner is not accidental. Rather, a close friend or relative of the young man or woman, who
knows someone that they feel may be a compatible partner, suggests that they meet. The purpose of the meeting
is for the prospective bride and groom to determine if they are indeed compatible. The meetings usually focus on
discussion of issues important to marriage as well as casual conversation.
When the families have met, and the young couple have decided to marry, the families usually announce
the occasion with a small reception, known as a vort. Some families sign a contract, the tenaim, meaning
"conditions," that determines the obligations of each side regarding the wedding and a final date for the wedding.
Others do this at the wedding reception an hour or so before the marriage. One week before the wedding the
bride and groom, the chosson and kallah, stop seeing each other, in order to enhance the joy of their wedding
through their separation.
At the reception itself, the first thing usually done is the completion, signing and witnessing of the
ketuvah, or marriage contract. The ketuvah, written in Aramaic, details the husband's obligations to his wife:
food, clothing, dwelling and pleasure. It also creates a lien ([ ] правило утримання майна до сплати боргу)
on all his property to pay her a sum of money and support should he divorce her, or predecease (померти
раніше) her. The document is signed by the groom and witnessed by two people, and has the standing of a
legally binding agreement, that in many countries is enforceable by secular (світський, мирський, нецерковний)
law. The ketuvah is often written as an illuminated (прикрашений мініатюрами, золотом, сріблом і т.і.)
manuscript, and becomes a work of art in itself, and many couples frame it and display it in their home.
After the signing of the ketuvah, which is usually accompanied by some light snacks and some hard
liquor for the traditional lechaims (the Jewish salute when drinking, which means, "to life!"), the groom does the
bedekin, or "veiling." The groom, together with his father and future father-in-law, is accompanied by musicians
and the male guests to the room where the bride is receiving her guests. She sits, like a queen, on a throne-like
chair surrounded by her family and friends. The groom, who has not seen her for a week (an eternity for a young
couple!), covers her face with her veil. This ceremony is mainly for the legal purpose of the groom identifying
the bride before the wedding.
The next stage is known as the chuppah, or "canopy" (балдахін; навіс; полог). The chuppah is a
decorated piece of cloth held aloft (наверху) as a symbolic home for the new couple. It is usually held outside,
under the stars, as a sign of the blessing given by G-d to the patriarch Abraham, that his children shall be "as the
stars of the heavens". The groom is accompanied to the chuppah by his parents, and usually wears a white robe,
known as a kittel, to indicate the fact that for the bride and groom, life is starting anew with a clean white slate
(спочатку, з чистого аркушу), since they are uniting to become a new entity (сутність), without past sins. In
fact, the bride and groom usually fast on the day of the wedding (until the chuppah) since for them it is like Yom
Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Спокута (гріхів)). While the bride comes to the chuppah with her parents, a
cantor sings a selection from the Song of Songs, and the groom prays that his unmarried friends find their true
partners in life. When the bride arrives at the chuppah she circles the groom seven times with her mother and
future mother-in-law, while the groom continues to pray. This symbolizes the idea of the woman being a
protective, surrounding light of the household, that illuminates it with understanding and love from within and
protects it from harm from the outside. The number seven parallels the seven days of creation, and symbolizes
the fact that the bride and groom are about to create their own "new world" together.
Under the chuppah, an honored Rabbi or family member then recites a blessing over wine, and a blessing
that praises and thanks G-d for giving us laws of sanctity (святість, безгрішність) and morality to preserve the
sanctity of family life and of the Jewish people. The bride and groom then drink from the wine. The blessings are
recited over wine, since wine is symbolic of life.
The groom, now takes a plain gold ring and places it on the finger of the bride, and recites in the presence
of two witnesses, "Behold you are sanctified (betrothed ([ ' ' ] заручити)) to me with this ring,
according to the Law of Moses and Israel". The ring symbolizes the concept of the groom encompassing
(оточувати), protecting and providing for his wife.
After this, the sheva brachos, or seven blessings, are recited, either by one Rabbi, or at many weddings a
different blessing is given to various people the families wish to honor.
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 At this point the couple again share in drinking the cup of wine, and the groom breaks a glass by stamping
on it. This custom dates back to Talmudic times, and symbolizes the idea of keeping Jerusalem and Israel in
minds even at times of joy. Just as the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed, so we break a utensil to show our
identification with the sorrow of Jewish exile.
Now that the couple are married they are accompanied by dancing guests to the cheder yichud, "the room
of privacy." They may now be alone in a closed room together, an intimacy reserved only for a married couple.
While the bride and groom are alone together (usually eating, after having fasted all day) the guests sit
down to eat a festive meal. At some point, the band announces the arrival "for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs.
____!!!" and everyone joins in dancing around the bride and groom. The dancing, in accordance with Jewish law
requires a separation between men and women for reasons of modesty, and hence there is a mechitzah, or
partition between the men and women. The meal ends with the Birchas Hamazon, Grace After Meals, and again
the seven blessings are recited over wine, shared afterwards by the bride and groom.

FRENCH WEDDING TRADITIONS

France has always been synonymous with love and romance and a traditional French wedding
reflects the same through its varied customs and ceremonies. All the customs and rituals in a traditional
French wedding symbolize many important aspects of marriage. Not all, but a few of the traditions are still
prevalent.
Wearing orange blossoms is a symbol of virginity in France. A French ambassador who wanted a
clipping from an orange tree in Spain began the tradition. He sent a gardener’s daughter to get it, with a
promise that she would get a large dowry in return, so that she would be able to marry. She got the clipping
and wore orange blossoms in her hair on her wedding day to honor the orange tree that helped her marry.
Very fragrant flowers are used for the bouquets and decorations, following the belief that the smell
will ward off evil spirits.
The traditional bridal trousseau originated in France and was derived from the word “trousseau,” or
“bundle.” The bundle refers to the clothes and other possessions that a bride would take with her from her
family’s home to the one she’d share with her husband.
In many smaller French towns, the groom will meet his betrothed at her home on the day of the
wedding and escort her to the ceremony. Across the road, children stretch white ribbons which the bride
cuts as they proceed towards the chapel.
At the church, the bride and groom are seated upon two red velvet chairs beneath a silk canopy, or
“carrel.” Sometimes laurel leaves are scattered across their paths when they exit the church, or small coins
are tossed for the towns’ children to gather.
During the reception, the couple often uses a toasting cup called a “Coupe de Marriage.” It is a two
handed cup that is passed down through each generation. In fact, the origin of giving a toast began in
France when a small piece of toast was dropped into the couple’s wine to ensure a healthy life. Hence the
reference to lifting your glass in a “toast.”
Another tradition that is finding its way into wedding celebrations is that of "beheading" a bottle of
champagne with a sabre specially-made for the occasion. Begun as a means of showing off their skill on
horseback, the Hussards under Napoleon's command celebrated their victories by 'sabring' off the top of a
bottle of champagne. As legend has it, these skilled horsemen would ride on horseback at a full gallop
while brave (or foolhardy!) ladies would hold up the bottles. With over 100 lbs. of pressure per square inch
in a bottle of champagne, the sabre must strike the neck at exactly the right angle.
The practice spread throughout France as a way to celebrate special occasions such as weddings,
and nowadays celebrants can purchase decorative replicas of these sabres that have been faithfully
recreated by artisans in Thiers, France – the French capital of cutlery.
On an equally dynamic note, some bridal couples choose to serve a croquembouche instead of a
wedding cake. This tasty desert is a pyramid of crème-filled pastry puffs that are drizzled with a caramel
glaze.
A fairly boisterous French wedding tradition involves continuing the celebrating into the wee hours
of the night. After the reception, friends gather outside the newlyweds’ window and bang together pots and
pans. These raucous revelers are then invited inside for a few more drinks in the couple’s honor before they
are finally allowed to spend their first night together as husband and wife…
51
 UKRAINIAN WEDDING TRADITIONS
The Ukrainian marriage ceremony is rich with traditions that have their origins both in Eastern Rite
Christianity and in Ukraine’s ancient pagan past.
Ukrainian weddings traditionally began with a courtship whereby (при помощи которого) the
parents of the groom would choose a bride for their son. This would have been carried out with the
approval of the bride's parents. However this tradition is no longer observed. Nowadays, the couple may
sometimes request their parents' approval of the union but they choose their partners themselves.
So, the wedding ceremony begins 30-40 days before the wedding itself. The bridegroom's father and
friends ask for "bride's hand". Usually, her father gives an answer, after asking his daughter about her
decision whether she wants to marry the young man or not. If the bride wishes to take this guy as her future
life partner, the bridegroom's and bride's parents discuss the time and place of the wedding party. But...if
the girl does not wish to marry the guy, she gives him a pumpkin!
Dressing a bride is a special ritual. Bride's friends have been with her since early morning. They put
a gown on her, make a hair-do and put on a bridal veil... On her head, the Ukrainian bride will wear a
wreath which is decorated with flowers and different coloured cascading ribbons. This symbolises
maidenly beauty and innocence. At the end of the festivities, the bride will throw the wreath into a crowd of
unmarried girls. The person who catches the wreath will become the next bride. This tradition is very
similar to the European tradition where the bride throws her bouquet into the crowd. It has been said that
the European tradition of throwing a bouquet into the crowd came from the Ukrainian tradition of throwing
wreathes, however, nowadays Ukrainian weddings usually conform to European traditions.
The bridegroom comes to his bride in a car decorated with flowers, ribbons and balloons.
Sometimes, a doll dressed like a bride is placed on the car's hood. When the car (or cars) comes up to the
house of the bride, they start to honk. It means that the bridegroom and his relatives are ready to take the
bride, her parents and friends to the church and ZAGS (Registry Office), to get married and register their
marriage.
But before he meets his loved one the relatives and friends will demand a ransom for the bride. This
is the most special and exciting part of the whole affair. The groom must complete several tasks in order to
demonstrate his strength and intellect. If he fails to complete a task, then he must give out money, sweets
and liquor to the guests. The result of his efforts is the possession of his loved one. This tradition remains
popular to this day.
Then the bride, the groom and their families gather at the home of the bride’s parents for the
Blahoslovenya – or "blessing." At the Blahoslovenya, the parents of the bride and groom convey their
formal approval and good wishes to the young couple. It is here that the two families officially become one.
When the bridegroom and bride walk out of the bride's house, the bride's mother throws seeds
(symbol of wellbeing) onto their heads, as well as roseleaves (symbol of prosperity and health) and coins
(symbol of financial stability in a family).
The official registration of marriage in the ZAGS starts with the sound of fanfares. A Ukrainian
embroidered towel is spread at the feet of the couple, they stand on it and the ceremony begins. In fact, at
this place, the bridegroom and bride become husband and wife. After the ceremony, the spouses receive
congratulations from friends and relatives. The "newly-made" husband takes his wife from the Registry
Office in his arms.
52
 Then the young couple with their relatives and friends will go to the church (if they so choose).
Unlike most western marriage ceremonies, in which the father of the bride "gives away" his daughter, the
Ukrainian bride and groom enter the church together. There are two reasons for this. First, the father of the
bride has already given his blessing at the Blahoslovenya, held earlier that day. Second, it is tradition that
the bride and groom enter the church arm in arm – as equal partners. This spirit of teamwork and equality
has always been at the heart of Ukrainian marriage.
Then comes the most touching and important moment to the couple, their parents, friends and
relatives. The priest blesses the new family for happiness, health, luck, faithfulness, understanding, love
and respect for one another. God's blessing is the most serious blessing for the new family. Crowns, or
wreaths of myrtle, are placed on the heads of the couple, symbolizing that both the husband and wife reign
over the newly-established family with love, peace, and harmony. The hands of the bride and groom are
joined with an embroidered cloth, or rushnyk, to signify their newly forged union. Once bound to one
another, the couple circles the tetrapod (small altar) three times. This procession is called the "Dance of
Isaiah," which reminds us that marriage is a never-ending journey.
There are many prejudices connected with the ceremony in church. They say that if the bride's dress
catches the fire from a candle, it means that the marriage is doomed. So it is quite understandable that the
bride's mother is always very careful in church, and does her best to prevent any of such things.
Ukrainian wedding receptions begin with a ceremony welcoming the bride and groom into the
community. With all guests present, the parents meet the newlyweds at the door. They offer the young
couple gifts of bread, salt, honey and wine. Bread represents nature’s bounty, salt is a necessity of life, and
honey and wine stand for prosperity. The newly-formed family then joins in a toast. In accordance with
tradition, the father of the bride will drink the most wine out of the group, because it is usually at this point
that he realizes just how much this whole thing is costing him.
After that the newly-weds should break their wedding glasses which is an ancient and spectacular
ritual. They say that the sound of breaking glasses wards off evil spirits and brings luck to the future family.
However... a trial is expecting the bridegroom. It may happen that the bride’s shoe or the bride
herself may be stolen. The groom must then search for them or the guests will ask him to pay 50-500
hryvnias for the shoe, or even a bigger sum for the bride. Also, the groom’s best man must drink liquor
from the bride's shoe (or from the glass put into the shoe) as a punishment for his lack of vigilance
(бдительность).
All the guests are sure that the newly married couple will be the happiest family. But it stirs
everyone's curiosity – who will be the head of the family – He or She? National tradition helps to clear up
this issue. The newly married are given traditional bread and they try to break it apart. The head of the
family will be the person who has got a larger part of it left in the hands! This ritual is more like a joke at
the wedding party, but as time goes by it becomes obvious that traditional ceremonies are telling truth!
Like all weddings, Ukrainian marriage ceremonies involve much noise and happiness with music,
dances, toasts and shouts of “gor'ko” after which the couple must kiss. The host of the occasions will
organise fun games, poems and little ditties. Guests usually give the couple useful, practical gifts, which
will be helpful to the couple in their married life. Accepting the gifts is no easy matter. The bride and
groom must show interest in every gift. They must unwrap the present, study it and then express their
gratitude to the guest. The money usually goes to the groom, and other items and flowers go to the bride.
The couples as well the guests then dance away to the music. This moment of merriment is also
marked by an elaborate spread comprising of some scrumptious Ukrainian delicacies. The party may last
till late night or so.
53
 LISTENING 1. THE BIG DAY
I. PRE-LISTENING TASK
1.1. Read about the following wedding rituals. Are any of them common in your country? What do you
think each ritual means?
a) The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together.
b) The groom gives the bride gold coins during the church ceremony.
c) Guests pin money on the bridegroom's suit during the reception.
d) Guests throw rice over the bride and groom as they leave the church.
e) An older person holds a black umbrella over the bride's head as she leaves her home to go to the
groom's home.
f) The bride throws her bouquet of flowers over her shoulder into the crowd of guests.

II. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASK

2.1. Listen to the description of a wedding ritual and answer the following questions.
a) Which ritual does the speaker talk about?
b) Which country is this ritual from?
Did you guess correctly the significance of the ritual?

III. AUDITORY MEMORY CHECK

3.1. Fill in the gaps with appropriate prepositions.
I'm married (1) ____ a Turk. And the weddings in
Turkey are quite different (2) ____ how they are in
the UK. There are a lot of people (3) ____ the
wedding. There are sometimes as many as four or
five hundred guests, and one of the most interesting
things, I think, (4) ____ Turkish weddings is the
fact that the guests at the wedding pin gold, money,
banknotes (5) ____ the bride's and groom's
costumes, on the bridegroom's suit and on the
bride's dress. I think, as, (6) ____ what I can
understand, that this money and gold is used
(7) ____ the bride and groom to set themselves
(8) ____ for their new life together living in their
new house, their new home, (9) ____ buy things
like a fridge, and other things they might need
(10) ____ their future life together.

IV. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

Think of a wedding you've been to. You are going to tell your partner about it. Choose from the list the things
you want to talk about. Think about what you will say and what language you will use.
Who was getting married? What did you have to eat and drink?
Where, when and what time of year did the ceremony Did anybody give any speeches? Who?
take place? Did the guests give the bride and groom presents?
What was the weather like? How did the day end?
What were you wearing? Did you enjoy the wedding?
What did the bride and groom wear?
Did you know many people at the wedding?
Where did you go for the reception?

54
 LISTENING 2. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY DATING
I. PRE-LISTENING TASK
1.1. Match the following words with their Russian equivalents:
1) to have so much in common a) рахувати, думати
2) to charge a fee b) рекламний трюк
3) response c) кумедний, цікавий, цікавий
4) spark d) голосувати
5) to take off e) мати багато спільного
6) amusing f) зовнішність
7) to rush g) відповідь
8) to challenge h) бажаний, відповідний
9) look i) гаданий, зразковий, приблизний
10) to consider j) кидати виклик
11) publicity stunt k) розважити, розвеселити
12) to vote l) вражений, шокований
13) eligible m) поспішати
14) estimated n) знімати
15) to amuse o) брати плату
16) appalled p) іскра

1.2. Read these extracts from an article on how two couples began their relationship. What do you think
happened before they first met or spoke to each other?
Couple 1 ‘Then Tom and I had our first “date” – we spoke for 11 hours and that phone call changed
the course of our relationship. Now we’ve decided to meet.’
Couple 2 ‘It was love at first sight for Joel Emerson and Lisa Bunyan, which was luck because they
met for the first time on their wedding day!’

1.3. Work with a partner. Find out how the two couples met. Student A read about couple 1. Student B read
about couple 2. When you’ve finished reading, close your books and tell each other about the two
‘dates’.
Couple 1
I’ve finally found the man of my dreams. We have so much in common, we laugh at the same
things and talk for hours. There’s only one problem. We’ve never met. Tom lives in the US. I live in
Ireland. We met on the Net.
I wasn’t looking for Mr Right. I was just hoping to chat to some interesting people. The American
singles dating site didn’t charge a fee so I filled in a form with my likes and dislikes and a short
paragraph about myself. By the end of the week I had about 25 responses. Over the next five months, I
went on eight dates with men I met on the Net. One I dated for about two months, others I saw a couple
of times before I realised there was no real spark. Then, two months ago, just as I was about to take my
details off the Net, I received an e-mail from a guy in America called Tom. His note was amusing and he
sounded interesting so I decided to write back.
Soon I found myself rushing back home after work to check my e-mails. Tom made me laugh, he
challenged my opinions. We talked about everything. My friends weren’t particularly impressed when I
told them about him, but I knew this one was different.
We exchanged pictures by e-mail and we liked what we saw, but at this stage looks didn’t matter.
Then Tom and I had what we consider our first ‘date’. We spoke for 11 hours and that phone call
changed the course of our relationship. We've decided to meet.
55
 Couple 2
It was love at first sight for Joel Emerson and Lisa Bunyan, which was lucky because they met for
the first time on their wedding day!
As a publicity stunt, a local Australian radio station ran a seven-week competition which they
called ‘Two Strangers and a Wedding’. The radio station voted Joel Emerson, 24 and a marketing
consultant, the ‘most eligible bachelor’. Lisa Bunyan, 22, who works at a management training centre,
was one of 300 single women who rushed to the phone to offer herself as his bride. The only direct
contact they had before their wedding day was when Joel proposed over the telephone on the radio. An
estimated 50,000 listeners witnessed the romantic (but not particularly intimate) moment when Lisa said
‘yes’. The groom’s mother was not amused and told a local newspaper that she was shocked and
appalled. As the couple left for their honeymoon in Paris, they told the same newspaper, ‘We know that
we're doing the right thing.’

1.4. Complete the sentences. Refer back to the texts given above, if you need to.
1. I don’t believe in _______________ at first _______________ .
2. Somewhere in the world there’s a Mr or Miss _______________ for everybody.
3. People don’t usually marry the man or woman of their _______________ .
4. _______________ women enjoy their independence men tend to be keen to get married.
5. A man should _______________ to a woman. It isn’t natural for a woman to ask a man to marry
her.
6. A marriage is more likely to succeed if both partners have had _______________ before getting
married.
7. If the bride and _______________ are in love then it doesn’t really matter what the parents think
8. It's better to save the money than spend it on an expensive _______________ in some exotic
location.

1.5. Do you agree with the statements above? Discuss with your partner.

II. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASKS

2.1. Listen to the two interviews about the relationships one year later. Have the relationships survived?
What problems did each couple have? Listen and find out.
2.2. Listen again. Which of the following sentences belong to Tom and Kathy’s story and which belong to
Lisa and Joel's?
1. They arranged to meet at the airport.
2. She felt very nervous.
3. They’ve been married for a year now.
4. He looked just like his photo.
5. They’ve just celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
6. She went straight back home.
7. His mother hasn’t spoken to him since the wedding.
8. They’ve moved away from their home town.
9. She hated his shoes.
10. They’ve been in their new home for about six months.
56
 2.3. Look at these two sentences and answer the questions.
1. Kathy and Tom had an e-mail relationship for six months.
2. Joel and Lisa have been together for one year.
a) Do Kathy and Tom still communicate by e-mail?
b) Are Joel and Lisa still together?

2.4. Here is some more information about Tom, Kathy, Joel and Lisa. Look at the tenses of the verbs.
Tick (v) the situations which are still going on now.
1. Kathy has been single since she returned from Denver.
2. Tom went travelling in Europe for a few months.
3. Joel and Lisa haven’t been back to their home town for six months.
4. Joel has been a marketing consultant since he left college.
5. Kathy has been looking for the man of her dreams for a long time.
6. Tom has had his own business manufacturing shoes since 1997.
7. Kathy hasn’t used the Internet since she met Tom.
8. Lisa played the piano for ten years.
III. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY
3.1. Complete the following table.
since for
yesterday one day
2001
five minutes
my last birthday
ten years
I was born
two weeks
New Year
an hour
3.2. Write five sentences about yourself using the time expressions from the table: four that are true and
one lie. Then read your sentences to your partner and see if they know which sentence is a lie.

57
LISTENING 3. BIBI KHANYM AND THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSLIM VEIL

The mosque of
Bibi Khanym is one
of the most
beautiful buildings
in Samarkand. Bibi
Khanym was the
favourite wife of
King Tamerlane.
The legend of her
mosque is said to
explain why
Muslim women
wear a veil over
their face.

I. PRE-LISTENING TASKS:
1. Do you know any stories which explain natural or historical phenomena (such as
how the elephant got its trunk, why ships are launched with a bottle of champagne
or why a rabbit's foot is said to be lucky)? Tell any story like this that you know.
2. Which places in the world would you most like to visit, and why? Do some places
have magical, exotic names for you? Which places? Are they exotic to everyone?
Why do they sound so exotic to some people?
3. Where, exactly, is Samarkand?
4. Match the following words with their meanings:
58
 1) conquering a) a self-employed builder who employs labour;
2) mosque b) a place with water and trees in a desert;
3) exquisite c) relating to or from the eastern part of the world,
specially China and Japan;
4) tiles d) a soldier or fighter who is brave and
experienced - used about people in the past;
5) oriental e) a building in which Muslims worship;
6) veil f) feeling very ashamed and sad because you
know that you have done something wrong;
7) oasis g) having a higher position, level, or rank;
8) master builder h) very good or beautiful, and very impressive;
9) advances i) acquiring by force of arms; winning in war;
10) mighty j) extremely beautiful and very delicately made;
11) magnificent k) actions or words intended to be sexually inviting;
12) guilty l) flat square pieces of baked clay or other
material, used for covering walls, floors etc;
13) warrior m) a thin piece of material that women wear to cover
their faces at formal occasions or for religious reasons;
14) senior n) very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive;

II. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASKS:

1. Listen to the tape. Complete the following sentence after you have listened:
According to King Tamerlane, a woman's beauty can be ______________________

59
2. A student wrote these notes while she was listening to the tape. Unfortunately, she made a
few mistakes. If necessary, listen to the tape again and underline her mistakes.

3. Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1. Tamerlane was a warrior.
2. Samarkand was surrounded by desert.
3. The mosques were decorated with gold inside.
4. Bibi Khanym was Tamerlane's chief wife.
5. Bibi Khanym designed the mosque herself, to honour her husband.
6. The master builder fell in love with Bibi Khanym as soon as he first saw her.
7. The master builder agreed to finish the mosque if Bibi Khanym would let him
kiss her once.
8. Bibi Khanym loved the master builder more than anything else.
9. Tamerlane returned unexpectedly.
10. The architect was killed by Tamerlane.

III. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY:

How do you think Bibi Khanym spent the rest of her life?

60
 UNIT 4. FAMILY LIFE TOPICAL VOCABULARY
adopt (v) усиновлювати, удочеряти; have a son/daughter by мати сина/дочка від 1-го/
ancestors предки; one’s first/former/ попереднього/
(great-)aunt тітка (двоюрідна бабуся); present marriage цього шлюбу;
(new-born) baby (новонароджена) дитина, heir спадкоємець;
немовля; inherit smth успадкувати щось;
bachelor холостяк; in-laws родичі з боку чоловіка чи дружини;
be/get widowed бути овдовілою/ keep the family утримувати родину;
овдовіти; kid (розм) малюк, дитина;
be in the family way/ mother, mum мати, мама;
expect a baby/be pregnant бути вагітною named after smb названий на честь когось;
(with one's fifth child) (п'ятою дитиною); nephew племінник;
be related to smb бути комусь (кровними) next of kin, akin, kinsman найближчий/кровн.родич
(by birth) by marriage родичами niece племінниця;
за чоловіком чи дружиною; nuclear/extended family мала (нуклеарна)
breadwinner годувальник (сім'ї); сім'я, що складається з батьків та дітей/велика сім'я,
bring up, raise виховувати; що включає, крім батьків та дітей, також
(younger) brother (молодший) брат; найближчих родичів
brother-in-law зять (чоловік сестри), швагер, offspring син, нащадок;
дівер, свояк; old maid, spinster стара діва, незаміжня
(only) child (єдина) дитина; жінка, дівчина;
(grown up) children (дорослі) діти; on one's mother's/ з боку матері/
(senior) daughter (старша) дочка; father's side батька;orphan сирота;
daughter-in-law невістка (дружина сина), невістка; second/distant cousin троюрідний брат/сестра;
descend from походити з, від; sibling рідний брат чи сестра;
distant/near, close/blood дальній/близький/кровний single/one-parent family неповна родина;
relative/relation родич; single father/ mother батько-одинак/матір-одиначка;
father, dad, daddy батько, тато; (elder) sister (старша) сестра;
father/mother-in-law тесть, свекор/теща/свекруха; sister-in-law невістка (дружина брата),
foster (v) виховувати (чужої дитини); золовка, своячка;
foster child/brother приймальн. дитина/молочн.брат (junior) son (молодший) син;
foster father/mother прийомний батько/мати; son-in-law зять (чоловік дочки);
foster parents прийомні батьки; start a family народити/зачати 1-у дитину,
give birth to/ народити дитину; обзавестися сім'єю/дітьми;
have a child/baby stepchildren прийомні діти;
godfather/-mother хрещений батько/мати; stepdaughter/-son падчерка/пасинок;
godson/-daughter хрещеник/хрещениця; stepfather/-mother вітчим/мачуха;
grandchildren онуки; toddler дитина, яка почала
grandson/-daughter онук/онука;
ходити;
grandfather/-mother дідусь/бабуся;
triplets трійня;
grandparents бабуся та дідусь;
twins близнюки;
great-grandfather прадідусь;
great-grandmother прабабуся; (great-)uncle дядько (двоюрідний дідусь);
guardian опікун; upbringing виховання;
half-brother/sister единокровн.брат/сестра (по 1 з род.); ward підопічна дитина
stepbrother/sister зведений, брат/сестра; (grass) widow (солом'яна) вдова;
widower вдівець.
COLLOQUIAL PHRASES
He is a good family man. – Він – добрий сім'янин.
Frank was born into/to/of a wealthy family. - Френк був народжений у багатій родині.
He was born on the wrong side of the blanket. – Він був народжений поза шлюбом.
The baby is due in May. – Дитина має народитися у травні.
We called our first child after my grandfather. – Ми назвали першу дитину на честь мого дідуся.
Sam followed in his father’s footsteps і became a family doctor. - Сем пішов стопами батька і став сімейним
лікарем.

61
 VOCABULARY BOOSTER 1

I. Read, translate and retell the following text:

MY FAMILY
Before I start talking about my family let me introduce myself. My name is Maxim, Max for short. My
full name is Maxim Nikolayevich Chernenko. Chernenko is my surname, Maxim is my first name, and
Nikolaevich is my patronymic. I am not yet eighteen. At present, I am a first-year student at the Odessa
Mechnikov National University.
Our family is neither large nor small. I have got a mother, a father, an elder brother and a sister. We all
live together in a three-room flat in one of the new districts of Odessa. We are an average Ukrainian family.
My father Nikolay Ivanovich is 45 years old. He is a tall and well-built man with short black hair and
grey eyes. He works at a big plant as an engineer. He likes his work and spends most of his time there. By
character my father is a quiet man, while my mother is energetic and talkative. Her name is Olga Petrovna. She
is a teacher of music and plays the piano well. My mother always has a lot of work to do about the house and at
school. She is a busy woman and we all help her.
My sister Ann and I are twins. Like the mother Ann has blue eyes and beautiful fair hair. She is a very
good-looking girl. We went to school together. But our inclinations differ. I want to be a philologist. I would
like to be either an interpreter or a university teacher. But Ann's ambition is to become a dentist. I know it's a
pretty hard job, but a rewarding one nowadays. She is a first-year student at the Odessa Medical University. My
brother, whose name is Michael, is nine years my senior. He is already twenty-six. He works as a lawyer for a
business firm. He is married and has a family of his own. They are three in the family. He has a wife and a
daughter. The daughter is a lovely little girl with golden hair and dark-blue eyes. The girl's name is Helen. She
is only 12 months old. Her mother doesn't work, because she studies at the same university as I do. She takes
economics as her major.
Our family is very united. We like to spend time together. In the evenings we watch TV, read books and
newspapers, listen to music or just talk about the events of the day. Our parents don't always agree with what
we say but they listen to our opinion.
All of us like to spend our weekends in the country. We often go to the village where our grandparents
live. They are aged pensioners now but they prefer to live in the country. My great-grandmother is still alive.
She lives in my grandmother's family and is always glad to see us. Her health is poor and she asks us to come
and see her more often.
I also have many other relatives: uncles, aunts and cousins. We are happy when we are together.

II. Write, read and tell about your own family.

62
 *VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2
I. Read, translate and retell the following text:
THE FUN OF FAMILY LIFE
Marriage is a thing which only a rare person in his or her life avoids. True bachelors and spinsters make
up only a small per cent of the population; most single people are "alone but not lonely".
Millions of others get married because of the fun of family life. And it is fun, if one takes it with a sense
of humour.
There's a lot of fun in falling in love with someone and chasing the prospective fiancée, which means
dating and going out with the candidate. All the relatives (parents, grandparents and great-grandparents,
brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, stepmothers and stepfathers and all in-
laws) meanwhile have the fun of criticizing your choice and giving advice. The trick here is not to listen to
them but propose to your bride-to-be and somehow get her to accept your proposal. Then you may arrange the
engagement and fix the day of the wedding.
What fun it is to get all those things, whose names start with the word "wedding" – dress, rings, cars,
flowers, cakes, etc! It's great fun to pay for them.
It's fun for the bride and the groom to escape from the guests and go on a honeymoon trip, especially if it
is a wedding present from the parents. The guests remain with the fun of gossiping whether you married for
love or for money.
It's fun to return back home with the idea that the person you are married to is somewhat different from
the one you knew. But there is no time to think about it because you are newly-weds and expect a baby.
There is no better fun for a husband than taking his wife to a maternity home alone and bringing her back
with the twins or triplets.
And this is where the greatest fun starts: washing the new-born's nappies and passing away sleepless
nights, earning money to keep the family, taking children to kindergarten and later to school. By all means it's
fun to attend parents meetings and to learn that your children take after you and don't do well at school.
The bigger your children grow, the more they resemble you outwardly and the less they display likeness
with you inwardly. And you start grumbling at them and discussing with your old friends the problem of the
"generation gap". What fun!
And when at last you and your grey-haired spouse start thinking that your family life has calmed down,
you haven't divorced but preserved your union, the climax of your fun bursts out!
One of your dearest offsprings brings a long-legged blonde to your house and says that he wants to
marry. And you think: 'Why do people ever get married?'

II. Are these statements true or false? Find the sentences in the text to prove your point of view.
1. There are a lot of true bachelors and spinsters in the world.
2. Your relatives are eager to help you in choosing your future spouse.
3. The guests at the wedding try to guess whether you married for love or for money.
4. At parents meetings you find out that your children take after you and do well at school.
5. The bigger your children grow, the more they display likeness with you inwardly.
6. When you start thinking that your family life has calmed down, one of your cousins brings a long-
legged blonde to your house and says that he wants to marry.

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 EXERCISES
1. Give definitions of the following words or word combinations:
1) toddler
2) twins
3) bachelor
4) stepsister
5) great-uncle
6) single

2. Read the short text and then complete the sentences below:
This is James Thomas Brown; he has no brothers and sisters. His parents died when he was 20
and they left him their house. He married Julia and they had two children, but unfortunately his
wife died two years ago. Recently he has fallen in love with Amy who he has known since they
were young.
1. He has no brothers and sisters so he is an ……………….. child.
2. At the age of 20, James ……………….. his parents' house.
3. His wife, Julia, died so he is a ……………….. .
4. The two children and he form a ……………….. family.
5. Amy is his present ……………….. .
6. If James marries Amy, she will become the children's ……………….. mother.

3. Look at the family tree and complete the sentences below:

Albert + Mary Dodds

John + Susan Jill + Paul Barry + Sheila

(died in 2000)

Eve Ana Timothy Tom

1. John is Jill’s ……………………… .

2. Timothy is Jill’s ………………………… .
3. Eve and Ana are Timothy’s ………………………… .
4. Eve is Sheila’s ………………………… .
5. Albert Dodds is Tom’s ………………………… .
6. Barry is Eve’s ………………………… .
7. Susan is Timothy’s ………………………… .
8. As Paul died in 2000, Jill is a ………………………… .
9. Tom is Mary’s ………………………… .
10. The only two people who are not related are …………………… and ………………… .
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4. Choose the most suitable word to complete the sentences below:
blood triplets ancestors great foster
in-laws side stepfather guardian on
second distant adopted by parent
1. Mrs Jones had ……………….. .
2. There's a history of twins in our family – ……………….. my father's ……………….. .
3. Not many of my own ……………….. relatives are still alive.
4. All the members of our football team are related ……………….. marriage.
5. When Mother remarried, her second husband, my ……………….., gave me a new bicycle.
6. My ……………….. originated from a tribe of Red Indians.
7. Peter is an orphan; he was ……………….. at the age of two.
8. Paul comes from a broken home; he has lived with a number of ……………….. parents.
9. Mary was from a single-……………….. family; now she's looked after by her ……………….. .
10. I'm off to have Sunday lunch with my ……………….. now.
11. I was left ₤50 and a cat by a ……………….. relative; I believe it was a ………………..
cousin – or perhaps it was a ………………..-aunt.

5. Match the following phrases with their equivalents:

1) a sibling a) a woman who is married to your father but who is not your mother;
2) a nuclear family b) the child of your uncle or aunt;
3) a stepbrother c) a sister through one parent only;
4) a grass widow d) the mother of your wife or husband;
5) a mother-in-law e) a family group that consists not only of parents and children but also
of grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.
6) an extended family f) a woman whose husband is away for a period of time;
7) a half-sister g) one's stepparent's son by a former marriage;
8) a stepmother h) (formal) a brother or sister;
9) a cousin i) a family unit that consists only of a husband, wife and children.

6. Complete the definitions with a suitable word:

1. My brother's wife is my ……………….. .
2. My wife's mother is my ……………….. .
3. My parents' parents are my ……………….. .
4. My father's first wife, who is still alive, is his ……………….. .
5. My oldest brother died, so his wife is a ……………….. .
6. All of these people are members of my family, so they are my ……………….. .

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 *7. Try this little brain-teaser. Each of the fourteen people below is married to one of the others.
From the information you are given, find out who is married to whom. Note there are three
generations here:
Alan is Caroline's nephew and Larry's cousin.
Barbara is Larry's mother and Maggie's sister-in-law.
Caroline is Edward's daughter and Maggie's sister-in-law.
David is Gordon’s brother-in-law and Alan's uncle.
Edward is Ingrid’s grandfather and Maggie's father-in-law.
Fanny is Caroline's mother and Alan's grandmother.
Gordon is Helen's son-in-law and Nigel's brother-in-law.
Helen is Barbara's mother-in-law and Larry's grandmother.
Ingrid is Gordon's niece and David's daughter-in-law.
John is David's father and Gordon's father-in-law.
Karen is Gordon's daughter-in-law and Maggie's daughter-in-law.
Larry is John's grandson and David's son.
Maggie is Larry's aunt and Fanny's daughter-in-law.
Nigel is Ingrid's father and Fanny's son-in-law.

8. Draw and be ready to describe your own family tree.

*9a) Fill in the appropriate words from the list below and translate the following text into Russian.
stand interest care approach adore insist
approve back opponents keen preferable concerned
believers have convinced impression taste see
suspicious favour share attitude fond

Fifties people wore pointed shoes. Sixties people wore flowers in their hair. Seventies people dyed
their hair pink. So what about the Eighties? Is this a fair picture of an Eighties couple or not? If
not, why not?
A 1980s Couple
They are passionate …………………. in vegetarianism and regard people who eat meat as
worse than criminals. (In their view, egg-eaters are really no better, as eggs are baby chickens.)
I suspect, though, that part of them is sometimes dying for a nice big juicy steak.
They are …………………. of all frozen food, despise any product that contains additives,
wholly disapprove of white bread, and reckon that consumers of 'poisonous' white sugar will
nearly all die young.
I hope they're wrong.
They view things like whaling and seal-hunting with disgust, and find vivisection
extremely distasteful. They are fierce …………………. of fox-hunting and are also opposed to
women accepting presents of fur-coats.
I dread to think what their views would be on those cosmetic firms which try out their
products on poor, defenceless little rabbits. For them, zoos are degrading; they refuse to accept
that they serve any useful purpose whatsoever. On the other hand, they welcome the growth of
wild-life parks and reserves.
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 I can't make up my mind where I stand on this. They know their own minds, as usual.
They feel strongly that most doctors are little better than drug-pushers, and are ………………….
that acupuncture is the medicine of the future.
I suppose they might …………………. a point there.
They recommend natural childbirth for all mothers-to-be and reject the need for such things as
induction (стимуляция родов), drips (капельницы) and painkillers, except in special circumstances.
I expect one or two of you mothers would disagree.
They are in …………………. of abortion being freely available, and I guess you don't need me to
tell you their feelings on women's equality. They are against corporal punishment of any kind – I would
imagine their …………………. towards capital punishment is fairly predictable – and are pro voluntary
euthanasia. They take a keen …………………. in the fortunes of the Third World, and doubt whether any
of the Western powers really …………………. .
They are supporters of conservation in its broadest sense, …………………. all tree-planting
projects, and strongly …………………. of recycling waste paper and other rubbish.
I presume most people would …………………. that particular viewpoint. They would like to see
solar energy taken more seriously and are fiercely anti-nuclear power.
My own feeling is that solar energy in Britain is rather a contradiction in terms. They are under the
…………………. that all politicians are either gangsters or fools.
I must admit, I'm afraid I'm tempted to agree.
They advocate prisons without bars and are of the opinion that 99% of serious criminals are in
need of psychiatric help.
To my mind, pleas of insanity have become suspiciously common. They are prepared to accept
that UFOs probably do exist, and they have no time for people who dismiss reincarnation out of hand.
It all seems a bit improbable to me.
They …………………. punk clothes, but can't …………………. the people. They rate Lennon
above McCartney and are great fans of Stevie Wonder.
I've never understood their …………………. in clothes or trusted their judgement when it comes
to music.
As far as they are …………………., tobacco is an unspeakable evil, but they support the
movement for the legalisation of soft drugs. They are also for restrictions regarding the sale of alcohol.
Me? I don't mind much about the drugs thing, but I'm quite …………………. of my old pipe and
rather …………………. on my brandy after dinner.
They consider that marriage should be a loose arrangement that ensures security for children, but
maintain – …………………. even – that one balanced parent is …………………. to two who are always
at each other's throats.
They're the sort of people who believe in the freedom of all people at all times, and think anyone
with a different point of view must be crazy.
I wouldn't have thought that was a very liberal …………………., but never mind. If you ask me,
nobody's totally open-minded.
Oh yes, and they jog.
OK, so you may …………………. eye to eye with them on some of those issues, but you should
try being related to one of them, that's all!

b) Retell the text and express your attitude to the issues mentioned in this text.

c) Write an Essay "A Couple of the 21st century" expressing your attitude to their beliefs. What has changed
since 1980s?

67
 LISTENING 1. MEETING THE PARENTS
I. PRE-LISTENING TASK
1.1. Match the following words with their equivalents:
1) stand up to a) a part of a sound system that records and/or plays sounds on a disc or tape;
2) go off b) thoroughly upset, tired out or exhausted;
3) music decks c) relax;
4) be shattered d) confront or resist courageously;
5) chill out e) cease to like.

1.2. Work in groups. Which of the following points do you think parents would consider important / not
important in their son or daughter's future partner? Do you think the same points would be important
for the son or daughter?
They should ...
have good table manners. have good academic qualifications.
be clean and smartly dressed. like children.
be from a good family background. have a good job / good job prospects.
be kind. be from the same social class.
be good-looking. have the same religion as the son/daughter.
be a non-smoker. be wealthy / have wealthy parents.
be about the same age as the son/daughter. be the same nationality as the son/daughter.

II. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASKS

2.1. Listen to an interview with Sarah's parents about how they feel about meeting their daughter's
boyfriend, Andy, for the first time. Decide whether the following are true or false.
a) Sarah has had a lot of boyfriends.
b) Her parents have met all of them.
c) They don't think most of Sarah's boyfriends are good enough for her.
d) Sarah ended a relationship with a man called Jeremy when she found out her parents didn't like him.
e) Sarah's parents think that Andy is a serious boyfriend.

Sarah's parents

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 2.2. Choose the correct form to complete these sentences from the conversation in ex. 2.1. Then listen
again and check your answers.
a) We're looking forward to meet / to meeting Andy at last.
b) It's difficult to know / knowing with Sarah really – she changes boyfriends like other people
change their socks.
c) I think it's essential for him to come / coming from the same kind of background.
d) It's very important for him to have / having some kind of qualifications.
e) He needs to be / being a strong character to stand up to Sarah.
f) She'd soon go off somebody who lets her do / doing what she wants all the time.
g) The poor chap is unlikely to last / lasting very long.

2.3. Listen to the interviewer asking Andy how he feels about meeting Sarah's parents. Decide whether
the following are true or false.
a) Andy thinks Sarah's parents may disapprove of him.
b) He works as a DJ.
c) He's going to wear a suit.
d) He's going to take Sarah's mum some chocolates.
e) It was Andy's idea to meet Sarah's parents.

2.4. Complete these sentences from the conversation in ex. 2.3 with the appropriate verb patterns.
Then listen again and check your answers.
a) How do you feel about __________ (meet) Sarah's parents?
b) I'm worried about __________ (make) a bad impression.
c) It's easy for me __________ (hide) behind my music decks at work.
d) I'm not very good at __________ (make) conversation.
e) Well, I gave up __________ (study) to become a DJ.
f) How are you going to try __________ (make) a good impression?
g) Because Sarah fancies __________ (go) to London for the day, and she feels like __________
(have) Sunday lunch at home.

III. AUDITORY MEMORY CHECK

3.1. All the verbs in the box come from the conversations in ex.2.1 and 2.3 in the previous section. Use
these verbs to replace the verbs underlined in the sentences below. You may have to change the form of
the verbs.
give up go out with get on with go for stand up to go off

I find it easy to be friends with people of all ages and from all walks of life.
When I'm depressed, I tend to lose interest in my food.
I've never dated anybody who's got red hair.
One of my colleagues is a bit of a bully, but I usually manage to defend myself against her.
I used to have piano lessons, but I got bored with them and stopped.
I tend to be attracted to brunettes rather than blondes.
Are any of the statements true for you? Discuss with a partner.

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 PART 2
I. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASKS
1.1. Read the two conversations: the first between Sarah and Andy; the second between Sarah's
parents and Sarah and Andy. Choose from the alternatives to complete the conversations in the most
appropriate way. The first one has been done for you.
1. a) The door's open b) Do come in
2. a) thank you - that's very kind of you b) cheers - that's great
3. a) How's it going b) How are you
4. a) totally shattered b) absolutely exhausted
5. a) What’ve you been up to b) What's the matter
6. a) relax b) chill out
7. a) Do you want b) Would you prefer
8. a) I don't mind b) Whatever
9. a) no idea b) I'm afraid I don't know
10. a) rather old b) on its last legs

Sarah arrives at Andy's flat and knocks at the door. Sarah and Andyarrive at Sarah's parents' house.
Sarah: Hello! Mum: Hello. Welcome. (1) (b) .
Andy: Hiya. (l) (a) ! Sarah: Mum, Dad, this is Andy.
Sarah: Here, I remembered to bring you that CD. Mum and Dad: Nice to meet you.
Andy: Oh, (2) ____ . Andy: Nice to meet you. These are for you
Sarah: (3) ____ ? – Sarah says they're your favourites.
Mum: Oh (2) ____ . And (3) ____ , darling?
Andy: All right. I'm (4) ____ . Sarah: I'm (4) ____ , actually.
Sarah: Why? (5) ____ ? Mum: Oh dear. (5) ____ ? Have you been
Andy: Nothing – it's just that I didn't finish work working too hard?
until five o'clock this morning. Sarah: Oh no, nothing like that – it's just a
Sarah: Oh right. Well, you'd better just (6) ____ long drive, isn't it?
this evening. (7) ____ to watch telly, or Mum: Yes, of course. You must sit down and
shall I go and get a video? (6) ____ , both of you. (7) ____
Andy: (8) ____ . coffee or tea, Andy?
Sarah: Do you know what's on telly tonight? Andy: (8) ____ .Whatever's easiest.
Andy: Oh, (9) ____ . Rubbish as usual, I should Dad: How many miles is it exactly?
Andy: Oh, (9) ____ .The journey's taken us
think. five and a half hours, but my car is (10) ____.
Sarah: Oh dear; you're in a bad mood. You're not Dad: Oh yes, I always take the A420, followed by
nervous about meeting my parents, are you? the A34, except during the summer when I
Andy: No - why should I be? But I am a bit tend to avoid motorways and go through
worried about the long drive – my car's Winchester on the backroads.
(10) ____ . Mum: Well, we're not going to talk about roads all
Sarah: Oh well, let's worry about that tomorrow. day, are we? Now Andy, what exactly do you
Come on - make me a nice cup of tea. do? Sarah tells us you're in the music industry...

1.2. Listen to each conversation and check your answers to ex. 1.1. How long do you think Sarah and
Andy will continue going out together?

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 LISTENING 2. MARRIAGE GUIDANCE COUNCIL

I. PRE-LISTENING TASK
1.1. Match the following words with their Russian equivalents:
1) counsellor a) надихати
2) inconsiderate b) сваритися
3) persuade c) метушитися
4) have rows, quarrel d) радник, адвокат
5) argue e) неуважний (до інших)
6) force smb (to do smth.) f) виносити рішення, вирок
7) embarrass g) обурюватися, обурюватись, не подобатися
8) run around h) забороняти
9) resent i) бентежити, турбувати
10) encourage j) переконувати, умовляти
11) forbid k) сперечатися
12) pass judgements l) змушувати

II. LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION TASKS

2.1. Listen to the tape and choose the right alternative to make a true statement.
1. During the last couple of years Malcolm and Barbara haven't/have been very happy.
2. This is their second/third visit to the Council.
3. Barbara/Malcolm persuaded her husband/his wife to come to the Marriage Guidance Council.
4. When the children, Gary and Andrea, started school Barbara didn't want/wanted to go back to
work.
5. Barbara and Malcolm share/don't share the housework.
6. Malcolm supposes they don't need/need to talk to somebody about their problems.

2.2. While listening to the tape again fill in the blanks with the appropriate pronouns.
1. ….. is so inconsiderate.
2. I would prefer ….. to stay at home.
3. I encouraged ….. to go back to work.
4. ….. never does anything in the house.
5. ….. needs an interest.
6. I try to help ….. .
7. I earn as much money as ….. does.
8. ….. invites three of ….. friends to come around for a drink.
9. ….. doesn't think it's enough.
10. I always have to remind ….. to pick up ….. clothes.
11. I always help ….. to wash up.
12. ….. never allows me to suggest anything about the house or about the kids.
13. …..'s got ….. own opinions and that's it.
14. ….. always complains about collecting them from school.
15. ….. expects me to run around and get ….. tea.
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2.3. Now look again at Barbara's and Malcolm's complaints and remarks. Can you mark each sentence
as either positive (+) or negative (–) according to the nature of the complaint and the speaker's
attitude.

2.4. Agree or disagree with the following statements and explain your point of view:
1. Barbara complains too much.
2. Malcolm should be more attentive to his wife's problems.
3. Their arguments do not sound serious enough to divorce.
4. They are both too tired.

III. LANGUAGE FOCUS

3.1. In the sentences below fill in the missing verbs choosing them from the list. Some verbs can be
used more than once.
pick up remind help collected expect
go got get tell persuaded
does resent listen forced give
want do
1. He didn't ………..…. to come here, so well ... I …………… him to come.
2. I wanted to ………..…. back to work. So I ………..…. a job.
3. By the time I've ………..…. the kids from school, I only ………..…. home about 7.
4. He didn't ………..…. me to ………..…. them and I had a long and difficult day.
5. I always have to ………..…. him to ………..…. his clothes.
6. I'm not here to ………..…. an opinion, I'm here to ………..…. .
7. Barbara had ………..…. me to come.
8. Barbara feels that you ... well, ………..…. her job.
9. I ………..…. the kids to ………..…. their homework while she ………..…. the dinner.

3.2. Underline the parts of the sentences that do not convey the main information but serve as linking
words and phrases.
a. After all, I'm not his servant.
b. Actually I think that's part of the trouble.
c. You see, I earn as much money as he does.
d. Well, anyway by the time I've collected Gary and Andrea from school ...

IV. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

4.1. Whose side, Barbara's or Malcolm's, would you take if you were to give your opinion? Why?

72