Wedding traditions and money

[Ruth Wallach]

Bringing money in an envelope has become a 
tradition for Russian-speaking immigrants in the 
US for every big family event, be it someone's 
birthday or wedding, which takes place in a 
restaurant.  Although I do not think that cake 
pieces get auctioned (at least not yet).

Ruth Wallach
University of Southern California

>My nephew got married 18 months ago (in Moscow), and I was invited to the
>restaurant (not to the wedding ceremony and posing with pigeons for the
>photographer). No entry fee, but the gift should have been in an envelope,
>and not less than 100 US dollars (or in equivalent in RUR). When it came to
>the huge cake cutting, the first piece was put on the auction, and the boss
>of the fiancé won it for 4000 RUR (which was like 170 UDS).
>
>I have been to many weddings during Soviet times and the gift was something
>of the deficit (like set of plates, or silver spoons, or bed linens), and
>very rarely money in the envelope. Seems this is a new tradition of new
>Russians.

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