In Eastern Europe you’ll find the small country of Belarus, with roughly 10 million people, among them a bevy of beautiful Belarusian brides hoping to find a marriage minded man from the West. Even though the majority of the population lives in the large cities (a full fifth of the population lives in Minsk, the capital city), Belarus is mostly an agricultural country and is often known best for the radioactive fallout the Chernobyl disaster sent raining down on the small country.

Most of the people of Belarus speak Russian, although you will also hear Belarusian, which sounds very similar to Polish. Belarus has been greatly influenced by the countries it shares a border with, including Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia. It was, in former days, a part of the USSR.

Many of the festivities and folk songs that Belarusians celebrate with have their history in the pagan Belarusians of centuries ago. Even today, the God of Sun, Yaryla is still celebrated in Belarus, although the main religions now are Orthodox and Catholic.

How does this affect you if all you want to do is marry a Belarusian bride? It affects you because it’s important to know as much as possible about a foreign bride’s country, her culture and beliefs, and anything else that may influence your relationship with her.

Each part of the world has a different belief system, with its own customs, traditions, and morals. You don’t have to agree with them, but you do need to respect the other person’s right to hold onto them, even if she moves to your country to become your wife.

In Belarus, for instance, there are distinct roles for men and women, such as preparing the table with food, which is considered the woman’s responsibility. A Belarusian man would not be expected to ever take part in that chore.

Like many countries, much of the Belarusian traditions revolve around food, and much of their food is served with vodka. They have an interesting tradition with food as it relates to matchmaking.

A matchmaker visits a hopeful Belarusian bride and brings gifts of food and drink. She suggests a potential husband for the woman, and if her recommendation is accepted, she returns to the house later with the potential groom, who brings a gift of vodka to the family. The young woman’s parents supply food for all.

When this ritual has been completed several times, the couple is considered to be engaged. If it doesn’t work out and one side decides to break the engagement, they’re expected to repay the other party for the food and drink expenses.

In contrast to old traditions, men and women in Belarus often hold the same jobs and receive comparable pay, but even in these modern times, gender specific roles are still recognized. The raising of children is the woman’s domain and with those younger than 14, the father seldom interferes with the mother’s decisions.

Years ago, when a young couple got married, they moved to their own little hut on family property owned by the groom’s parents. Celebrations of the marriage took place in the homes on both sides and everyone shared all the expenses.

Another cultural difference you may be unaware of is that young Belarusian brides who could work on the farm and keep house well were considered a better choice than one who was beautiful or wealthy and didn’t possess those skills.

Morals were strong in Belarus and a young woman was usually expected to still have her virginity when she married. In fact, sometimes it was also expected that the groom be a virgin as well.

When you decide you’d like to marry a Belarusian bride, take the time to learn about her culture. It will endear you to her, and will allow you to have a little more insight as to her beliefs and what she considers important.