THE BRIDE FROM OSTERLEN
On the eve of the wedding,
one of the bridesmaids came to the home of the bride to help her to dress, a procedure that lasted the whole night through.
While she was being dressed, the bride was meant to stand in a kneading-trough with a coin in each shoe. This was supposed
to bring her happiness and good fortune in her new home.
Slowly she was dressed in
her complete bridal outfit: the lace embellished chemise, the pleated skirt, the pearl embroidered bodice, the silk edged
jacket and the white linen apron. The apron-string was covered by a ribbon which had a beautiful pattern in red and
white and went around the bride's waist as many times as the numbers of chests she had in her dowry.
BRIDAL RIBBONS: The bridal
ribbons were affixed to the front of the apron. They were adorned with gold and silver lace and with the bride's name embroidered
in silk. These ribbons were so wide that one could barely see the apron underneath. The richer the bride, the wider the ribbons.
The jacket had a low neck,
so that the pearl embroidered bodice could be seen. Tucked into this bodice were two small silver spoons, to be used at the
wedding feast. Handkerchief, knitted gloves
and and a hymnbook, were also part of the wedding outfit.
BRIDAL JEWELLERY: The bride
wore a great deal of jewellery, the most beautiful of all being the cross given to her by her bridegroom the day she consented
to marry him. The red headdress was also adorned with gold and silver lace and had silk ribbons hanging at the back. The brides
hair hung loose and last of all the headdress was placed upon her head. When the time came for the bride to thank her fiddler,
she took one of the ribbons off her headdress and fastened it to his violin.
Then the mother-in-law had
to cut the bride's lovely long hair and put a white coif on her head. Thus, her hair was completely covered, because as a
married woman, she was no longer allowed to be attractive to other men.
