Russians love supernatural things. They are confidently superstitious and follow various omens, so it’s no wonder there is such an affliction to this year’s magical dates. 2020 has been pronounced the year of mystical meanings by astrologers and numerologists, with dates containing 0 and 2 attracting special attention. Marriages in Russia are affected in the greatest extent by the magic of numbers.

February 2020 set to become the top month for marriages in Russia

02.02.2020, the first date of the year containing only zeros and twos, fell on Sunday, which is a day off for the majority of ZAGS, registration offices for marriages in Russia. But in Moscow a couple of giant ‘palaces of marriages’ (special buildings used for ceremonial registrations) work daily, with one more opening its doors on this day due to popular demand, RIA.ru reported.

It is also on this day that the first night registrations took place in Moscow. 8 pairs said, “I do” on 02.02.2020 in Griboedovsky ZAGS (aka “marriage palace #1”) of the Russian capital. It is the most popular place to register a marriage in Moscow, and now the office hours are extended to nights, which will allow more newlyweds to pick it as the location where their united love story gets an official stamp.

Altogether, over 1.5 thousand couples booked nuptials in Moscow on special dates.

How marriages in Russia work

In the Russian Federation, only nuptials by an official from ZAGS (the department of registrations of marriages, divorces, births, and deaths) are recognized as legal. Churches are only allowed to conduct religious ceremonies once a certificate of marriage is produced. So, you can book a church wedding in Russia, but you will have to drop by a ZAGS beforehand, to get your marriage certificate.

This is why some couples choose a quick registration at a regular ZAGS, while others book an elaborate ceremonial package at a pompous Palace of Marriages. The latter has everything set up — flowers, chairs, decorations, even the champagne and glasses for all the guests attending are provided on the spot. It’s much cheaper than arranging it yourself, as practiced in western countries, and at the same time such a setup allows the couple to get hitched in style.

Young Russian brides and their grooms often don’t have much money to splurge on the wedding, this is why the option is always in demand. There are various packages on offer, allowing some flexibility in choosing what the pair is able to afford.

In most Russian cities, only one ZAGS accepts bookings for marriage ceremonies of Russian citizens with foreigners. There is a need to provide more paperwork, as well as to duplicate the ceremony of nuptials into the language of the non-citizen, thus the limitations.

2, 20, 22 — magical February 2020 dates

20 February is the next calendar spot that is highly in demand in 2020 among Russian newlyweds-to-be. It falls on Thursday, a working day, when ceremonial registrations are usually performed only in “Palaces of Marriages”. However, the demand for this day was so high that ZAGS offices will be performing such ceremonies as well, so that all couples who wish to begin their married life on 20 February 2020 are able to do it.

In Russia, newlyweds have to apply at least one month in advance to be allowed to marry on a certain date. This is why the number of weddings planned for a day is known in advance.

On 20 February 2020 over 750 couples plan to marry only in Moscow, Russia. 50 couples aren’t doing it on usual grounds such as ZAGS office or a Palace of Marriages, but had to pick an outside venue for that purpose. There are restaurants, tall towers, and historic buildings among such places. A ZAGS official will be traveling to the venue to conduct the ceremony, which is not a regular practice in Russia.

22 February 2020 falls on Saturday, which is the traditional day of the week for weddings. Russian weddings are normally celebrated for 2 days, so the first day of the weekend makes sense as the date of registration, since guests don’t need to ask for a day off to attend. This is why 22 February also has a lot of bookings from prospective newlyweds.

Numerologists promise that the pretty dates of 2, 20 and 22 February 2020 will bring luck to couples who start their married life on the day due to their “high energetic potential”. In numerology, number 2 safeguards against financial problems and brings wealth. The couples who register nuptials on these dates won’t have too many arguments, numerologists point out. However, unless there are genuine feelings, the magical date won’t help, astrologists caution.

Possibly, the 29th of February may be chosen by some humorous couples to get hitched as well. It also falls on Saturday allowing the traditional 2-day wedding, and the date only pops up once every 4 years, making it ultra-special.

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