Parallels between tradition and modernity in bulgarians and lithuanians weddings

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos tradicijos ir modernumo paralelės XXI a. pradžios lietuvių ir bulgarų vestuvėse. Remiamasi ankstesnių autorių darbais bei pačios autorės tyrimais, atliktais Lietuvoje ir Bulgarijoje 2010 m. Tyrimui pasirinkta 200 studentų iš Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto bei Sofijos ir Plovdivo universitetų. Atlikus lyginamąjį tyrimą nustatytos tam tikros lietuvių ir bulgarų šiuolaikinių vestuvių paralelės bei skirtumai. Viena vertus, šiuolaikinėse vestuvėse pastebimas etninės, kultūrinės, religinės tapatybės kūrimas laikantis senųjų papročių ir tradicijų. Kita vertus, moderniuose vestuvių papročiuose išryškėja asimiliacijos tendencijos, sklindančios kartu su globalizacijos reiškiniais.The article analyzes the problem of tradition and modernity in the Bulgarian and Lithuanian weddings in the beginning of the 21th century. The present article is based on previous works and field investigation materials gathered by the author in Bulgaria and Lithuania in 2010 at Sofia University, Plovdiv University and Vytautas Magnus University. The research object: the contemporary Bulgarians and Lithuanians weddings. 200 respondents participated in the research according to representative selection of Lithuania and Bulgaria population that took into account indicators of age, gender, social stratum and academic discipline such as the humanities and social sciences. The sample contained 100 respondents from Plovdiv and Sofia Universities, 57 of whom have been female and 39 male, as well as 100 respondents from Vytautas Magnus university, 82 of whom have been female and 18 male. The methods of the research are comparative analysis and the field research methods such as questionnaires, conversation and participant observation. The present research was carried out according to the bilateral international project "National, Cultural and Religious Identity in Bulgaria and Lithuania – from the Everyday Life to the State Policy" between the Institute of Folklore at the Bulgarian Academy of Science and the Department of Ethnology and Folklore at Vytautas Magnus University. The results of the research indicate that the family and marriage still constitutes a basic socio-cultural value in Bulgaria as well as in Lithuania. Сohabitation there is one of the form of contemporary pre-wedding preparation’s process. The research data show the parallels and differences between tradition and modernity in contemporary Bulgarian and Lithuanian weddings. Two tendencies have been reflected in contemporary Lithuanian and Bulgarian weddings. On one hand, the construction of ethnic, cultural and religious identity was distinguished, but on the other, the manifestations of assimilation and globalization process were observed. Modern Lithuanian and Bulgarian wedding rituals vary greatly in their means of expression. The old traditions change, transform and are replaced by those which are new, adapted and imported from foreign countries of Western Europe and USA. The meaning of their actions and elements are quite far removed from the ancient traditional ones. Due to globalisation they have acquired completely different significations. So, the dilemma between the phenomena of wedding transformation and national identity that comprise a big cultural heritage became extremely hot