The Religious Dimension of the Seasonality of Marriage in Right-Bank Ukraine in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The article analyzes the religious influence on the regulation of the demographic behavior of the population, in particular the seasonality of marriages, using the example of the Orthodox parish of the village of Biloshytsi, Ovruch County, Volhynian Governorate, in the last quarter of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. The study is based on an analysis of the metric records of St. Dmytro’s Church and archival sources, which make it possible to trace the peculiarities of the marital behavior of the parish community. Particular attention is paid to the institutional influence of the Orthodox Church on the regulation of marriage practices through a system of religious and calendar restrictions associated with periods of fasting, major church feasts, and specific days of the week. It has been established that the church calendar acted as one of the key factors shaping the seasonal dynamics of marriage. Based on a statistical analysis of metric records, it was found that the highest marriage activity occurred in January, February, and May, whereas during periods of religious fasting and major feasts the conclusion of marriages practically did not occur. At the same time, during the summer–autumn period marital behavior was additionally influenced by the agrarian cycle. A separate aspect of the study is the analysis of remarriages, which makes it possible to trace the correlation between religious norms, moral perceptions, and the pragmatic life strategies of the Orthodox population. It is shown that church prescriptions regarding the timing of marriage were generally observed by the clergy and parishioners; however, in the practice of remarriages a combination of religious norms with the economic and social needs of the family can be observed.