Wine Blessing
The traditional wine blessing is an ancient tradition in most Jewish life ceremonies though it is also prevalent throughout many other religions. Roman Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox and Lutherans all have ancient rites in which sacramental and altar wines are a central element to many rites and observations and thus there are wine blessings in those religions as well. There are many churches of the Christian religion who's beliefs require abstaining from alcohol - Pentacostals, Baptists, The Salvation Army, and other evangelical groups. For these religious groups, unfermented and pasteurized grape juice is the traditional accepted alternative.
Jewish Wine Blessing
The traditional and ancient wine blessing in Judaism stands for the bliss and peace of everyday life. There is typically a chant, or it can be read aloud normally. The blessing begins in the following way: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.”
Sharing a cup of wine on the holidays represents a communal celebration and offers a representation for what the future will bring to people of the Jewish faith. The sweeter the wine, the sweeter is the joy brought to the occasion.
Wine Blessings and the Christian faith
According to the Christian tradition, the wine is significant for many reasons; the wine represents Jesus’ blood and his sacrifice for man. Just before Jesus was crucified, he enjoyed Passover with his disciples. Jesus asked the disciples remember his sacrifice; by enjoying the bread (Christs body) and wine (Christs blood), the tradition of the Eucharist emerged. It is an interesting observation to notice that the area in which Judaism and Christianity come together is in regard to the sacrificial lamb. The significance of the wine is different for Christians because in Cana, at a wedding, Jesus first turned water into wine.
Additional religions see wine as symbolic of life, and by sharing it, joy and prosperity are doubled. As for the little speckles of bitterness within the cup, if the bitterness is shared together, it is somehow lessened. For example, the Chinese wedding consists of wine cups tied by a string, which denotes harmony and a long life. The tradition refers to the Sung dynasty, as the pair exchanges sips from the others cup.
The standard symbol that emerged from sharing blessed cups of wine seems to be found in almost every faith. When two souls come together in matrimony, there needs to be a symbol which represents that union. While acknowledging that a union has occurred, one still must remain an individual; so the blessing of the wine is stated in the following manner: “To love and unity.” The perfect harmony of togetherness and separation is the concept behind the prayer. It’s also not that unusual for a new couple to offer a blessed sip of wine to their parents, so that they may also share a piece of the union and have their proper respects paid.
