Korovay is a wedding bread in Ukraine. Yes, Ukrainians are baking wedding bread instead of wedding cake. The korovay has a taste like egg bread (without the raisins though).

Ukrainian wedding bread being of different shape, very often it is a bread of several layers, with lots of decorations on it. Anyway, it is doesn’t matter very much of the shape and decorations, but one thing is very important, korovay is suppose to be at all Ukrainian weddings! Actually, it is not a wedding without a korovay, because the korovay is a very strong symbol of a happily married life for the newlyweds. Even the process of baking of the korovay in Ukraine is a very special custom; at least it was in olden times of a few centuries ago. Only luckily married women were allowed to bake a korovay, because tradition says, you can share your happiness in marriage with the newlyweds through korovay.

I think, people of some villages in Central and Eastern Ukraine are still keeping this tradition, but I will tell you more about the modern weddings in Western Ukraine, because I experienced all those things myself, because I experienced all those things myself, along with my West Ukrainian relatives and friends. Well, there are lots of good bakeries and individual bakers in Western Ukraine where you can order your korovay for a wedding, so you don’t need to ask a fortunately married woman you know to make the custom of baking the wedding bread for you. Usually in Western Ukraine the Godparents of a bride and groom or Starosty (special people at the wedding, like matchmakers) are suppose to bring the korovay to the wedding (it means, they have to pay for this korovay from the bakery). Actually, there are two korovays at the modern West Ukrainian wedding: from the bride’s side and from the groom’s side.

Ok, let the wedding begin! Before going to the Church for the ceremony, parents, grandparents and Godparents bless the bride and groom with the korovays. Then Starosta (he is usually the boss at Ukrainian wedding) carries the korovay (or both korovays) to the Church. The wedding bread is to be in the Church during all of the ceremony, and then Starosta brings the korovay to the wedding reception. There will be a special custom with korovay (korovays) at the end of the wedding. The name of this custom is a cutting (or sharing) of the korovay. In West Europe and Northern America newlyweds are cutting the wedding cake, but in Ukraine the Starosta cuts the korovay and gives a piece to every guest at the wedding, like saying “thank you for being with newlyweds in their special day”.

The cutting of the Ukrainian wedding bread is a bit of ceremony too. The Starosta cuts the top of the korovay first and gives it to the newlyweds, and then he gives a piece to every guest at the wedding. The bottom of the korovay is given to the wedding’s musicians.