Chuppah

A chuppah at the Sixth & I Synagogue in Washington D.C.

Orthodox Jewish wedding with chuppah in Vienna's first district, close to Judengasse, 2007.

A chuppah (Hebrew: חוּפָּה, pl. חוּפּוֹת, chuppot, literally, "canopy" or "covering"), also huppah, chupah, or chuppa, is a canopy under which a Jewish bride and groom stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together. While a Jewish marriage is still considered valid in the absence of a chuppah, a chuppah is still considered a basic requirement for a Jewish wedding.

Requirements

Chuppa at a synagogue in Toronto, Canada

A traditional chuppah, especially within Orthodox Judaism, recommends that there be open sky exactly above the chuppah. If the wedding ceremony is held indoors in a hall, sometimes a special opening is built to be opened during the ceremony. Many Hasidim prefer to conduct the entire ceremony outdoors.

History

The word chuppah originally appears in the Hebrew Bible (Joel 2:16; Psalms 19:5). Historically, in Talmudic times, Jewish weddings consisted of two separate parts: the betrothal ceremony and the actual wedding ceremony. These two ceremonies usually took place about a year apart. The bride lived with her parents until the actual marriage ceremony, which would take place in a room or tent that the groom had set up for her. Later in history, the two ceremonies were combined and the marriage ceremony started to be performed publicly. There was for centuries regional differences in what constituted a 'huppah.' Sperber notes that for many communities prior to the 16th Century, the huppah consisted of a veil worn by the bride. In others, it was a cloth spread over the sholders of the bride and groom(The Jewish Lifecycle, pp. 194-264). Numerous illustrations of Jewish weddings in medieval Europe, North Africa and Italy show no evidence of a huppah as it is known today. Isserles notes that the portable marriage canopy was widely adopted by Ashkenazi Jews as a symbol of the chamber within which marriages originally took place, in the generation before he composed his commentary to the Shulchan Aruch.

Symbolism

The chuppah represents a Jewish home symbolized by the cloth canopy and the four poles. Just as a chuppah is open on all four sides, so was the tent of Abraham open for hospitality. Thus, the chuppah represents hospitality to one's guests. This "home" initially lacks furniture as a reminder that the basis of a Jewish home is the people within it, not the possessions. In a spiritual sense, the covering of the chuppah represents the presence of God over the covenant of marriage. As the kippah served as a reminder of the Creator above all, (also a symbol of separation from God), so the chuppah was erected to signify that the ceremony and institution of marriage has divine origins.

The "chuppah" may also represent the tent of Abraham, which was open on four sides. Hospitality is considered a cornerstone of the Jewish home.

Before going under the chuppah the groom covers the bride's face with a veil, known as the badeken (in Yiddish). The origin of this tradition is in the dispute of what exactly is the chuppah. There are opinions that the chuppah means covering the bride's face, and that by this covering the couple is to be married. Thus, some insist that the marriage witnesses also see this act of covering, as it is a formal part of the wedding.

The groom enters the chuppah first to represent his ownership of the home on behalf of the couple. When the bride then enters the chuppah it is as though the groom is providing her with shelter or clothing, and he thus publicly demonstrates his new responsibilities toward her.

Modern trends

A chuppah can be made of any material. Silk or quilted chuppot are increasingly common, and can often be customized or personalized to suit the couple's unique interests and occupations.

Now a days some people, especially in HinJew weddings use a collage of saris and fabrics from India to decorate the Chuppah.. olga-lednichenko-shulman. here is a link: http://lednichenko.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/a-wedding-excerpt-jewish-engagement-and-wedding-beautiful-sexy-couple/

See also

• Niddah at marriage
• Jewish view of marriage