Eng 211 Mongolian Wedding

There are so many and so beautiful wedding traditions and ceremonies in the world. The following introduces a traditional Mongolian wedding. When a son becomes an adult, his father finds him a proper bride. After that he sends a messenger to the bride’s parents and informs them about his intention to marry his son to their daughter. The matchmaker gives them presents and arranges marriage in a poetical form. If the parents refuse to take the presents, that means they do not agree but if they accept them, both parties negotiate about the marriage portion and next appointment. Bride’s parents take the marriage portion, mainly, in the form of cattle. Wedding reparation lasts several months. A week before wedding parents tell their daughter about her future husband, they dress her with special clothes and together with her girlfriend the bride has to go and visit her relatives. A day before celebration the groom has to build a yurt which should be at the East of his father’s yurt. After that he together with his parents and the matchmaker have to go to the bride’s place. The father of the bride gives him an arrow. It means that his son in law is to be the head of the family. Bride’s mother gives him some clothing and tea bowl of milk symbolizing his adoption. At down the groom comes together with five or seven young men in wedding trim carrying a bow, an arrow and a saddled up horse for the bride. At parting, the bride’s parents give her cup of tea and milk. When the groom arrives, the bride comes out of the yurt. The bride is put on saddle covered with white felt which means that she is marrying with all her property. In front of the yurt are staying two men with girders symbolizing that the woman is the family fundament. The groom builds up fire and the bride prepares tea. The first tea bowl is for God. The next are for the father in law, mother in law and the guests.