Armenian weddings

Contents

The Armenian people carefully preserves their cultural heritage, therefore many traditions, rituals and sacraments have been preserved since the distant past. One of the biggest traditional holidays in the life of an Armenian is considered a wedding, when the souls of lovers are forever united by marriage. Armenian weddings are magnificent festive events that have preserved the spirit of mysterious antiquity. They are celebrated for several days, go with fun, dancing, songs, a chic feast, many guests.

The choice of the future bride

Previously, many years ago, the bride was chosen by close relatives of the groom or special intermediaries (dibonchs) who were aware of free girls in the territory of an Armenian village or city. The defining criteria when choosing a future spouse was considered the monetary solvency of the parents, providing the size of the dowry, the position of the family in society and communication, as well as the health of the narrowed - beauty came in second.

It happened that men went against the will of relatives, choosing a girl for themselves, according to their parents, which was not suitable - then they lost their material support of the family and respect for society. Armenian modern weddings take place differently - now young people can independently find a suitable couple for themselves, asking permission of their father and mother only in tribute to the old tradition. However, some men are still not opposed to being picked up by a bride or relatives..

Armenian matchmaking

Armenian matchmaking is an important stage of preparation for the wedding. Now it has a more playful character, but the solemnity and thoroughness of the event has not changed much. After the young man told his fiancé about his intentions and received consent to the wedding, he should inform the mother of the message. The groom’s mother broadcasts the good news to her husband, who will immediately start searching for matchmakers, as well as preparing matchmaking.

Matchmakers may include women or men; they are necessarily accompanied by an intermediary who is familiar with both families. The girl’s family is also carefully preparing for the arrival of the groom's envoys - the father and mother are the names of several immediate relatives, they are laying the table. When the matchmakers arrive, a conversation is held between the families without any hint at the real purpose of the visit - weather, nature, health, politics. Then the mediator or one of the messengers says:

- We ask your daughter’s hands for our man.

Sometimes relatives are not shy in more poetic terms:

- We want to take a handful of land from your garden.

At the first arrival, the matchmakers decided to refuse. Only after the second or even third visit, the father and mother of the bride, having secured the consent not only of the girl, but of all relatives who have a voice in the family, agree to hold the wedding. After that, a bottle of cognac opens and a gorgeous feast begins..

The matchmaking table before the Armenian weddings looks interesting:

  • Serving begins immediately with the main (mainly meat) dishes - this is barbecue, lamb, stuffed bird.
  • Guests are not offered sweets; instead, they are decorated with fruits..
  • The hostess of the house (mother of the bride) must bake bread or pita bread.
  • Used dishes from expensive service.
  • When drinking, they drink strong alcohol, as a rule, it’s vodka or cognac.

Over food there are discussions of the upcoming wedding, some pre-wedding events. Guests say toasts predicting the happy life of future Armenian spouses after marriage.

Further, according to the tradition of Armenian weddings, they will have to lay the same table (or even better) for the groom's relatives. During the feast, details of the event or issues that did not have time to discuss the last time are discussed. A few days after the buffet, the head of the groom's family (usually the father) leaves for the bride's parents to discuss the day of engagement and invited guests.

Betrothal

Betrothal is almost the same large-scale event as the magnificent Armenian weddings themselves, therefore they take its preparation seriously. An important role is played by a landed father, a cavor, who will later become the godfather of the children of the bride and groom. To begin with, all guests gather in the family house of the Armenian groom - usually they invite many relatives and friends. There, they try several dishes, after which, with gifts and treats, folded on large trays, they go to the house narrowed.

Before the threshold, the father of the future husband and the head of the new family gives him a ring, chain, bracelet or other jewelry called Nshan (Armenian wedding present). The spouse of the Cavor takes the bride out, after which the groom gives her nshan. When the solemn Armenian custom is held, the young and the guests enter the house: there they will find a magnificent feast where they serve a variety of dishes, drinks, and then everyone dances, has fun, holds competitions. At the end of the fun and feast, Cavor and the father of the future spouse stipulate the wedding day.

How does it go «ceremony dress dress bride»

This ceremony always accompanied ancient weddings, as a rule, during the day of betrothal, but now it takes place a few days before the celebration or is not performed at all. On the day the bride’s dress is cut, relatives of the female Armenian bridegroom — mother, sisters, and also the wife of Cavor, who bought a special cut for the wedding dress — are sent to visit her..

The essence of the ceremony - the spouse of the Cavor begins to cut out the outfit for the Armenian girl, then stops abruptly, saying that the scissors are stupid, cutting them is a big job. A woman does not continue cutting until she is paid a ransom. After a small reward, she is again taken for tailoring. After that, everyone present is treated.

Pre-wedding chores

Before the Armenian weddings, there are several other rites, customs and necessary deeds..

  • Rite of passage «bride of bride». After the betrothal, the Armenian bridegroom is sent to the bride’s house together with a relative, they bring treats to the younger sisters of the bride or mother, if there are none. The next day, the mother of an Armenian girl, acting as a bride, distributes sweets to neighboring children. Only then can young people see each other freely until their wedding day.
  • Kyasum trill. Armenian custom, during which the groom’s father meets with the Cavor, and then with the bride’s relatives to talk about the costs of the wedding, as well as the number of guests invited.

After these small rituals, the material stage of preparing Armenian weddings begins. The organizers are engaged in the search for premises, the purchase of jewelry for the celebration, the preparation of the festive menu, the invitation of a large number of guests, the preparation of the holiday program, they agree in the church about the wedding, which is necessarily carried out during beautiful Armenian weddings before the official wedding.

Armenian toasts

Solemn toasts are one of the main decorations of Armenian modern weddings. They are, as a rule, poetic, beautiful, intertwined with ancient Armenian parables. Armenia is an amazingly beautiful country, therefore, many analogies and metaphors are associated with the surrounding landscapes, natural phenomena, which the Armenian people watched for many centuries.

Dance of the bride

The field of large-scale feast, on which the girl had never taken a tooth and did not say anything, the Armenian bride is dancing her traditional first dance. Music sounds, she goes to the center of the hall, guests dance around her and put money in her hands, forming a coven. Also, it is customary for Armenian brides to dance a traditional wedding number as a gift to her husband - this is a beautiful solemn action.

Watch the video where the beloved dances for her beloved Armenian dance:

Post-Wedding Traditions and Rites

Weddings in Armenia do not end in one day, usually the celebration lasts up to three days. After the celebration of the wedding, several more Armenian rites and customs are held:

  • Departure of the dowry. This symbolic Armenian ceremony takes place after the wedding and is now partly playful in nature - the father and mother send spouses gifts to the newlyweds.
  • Armenian custom of washing the bride’s head. Previously, a mother and daughter could not see each other, so during a head wash on the first Saturday after the wedding, the wife’s mother came to her with everyday clothes, soap and a comb, they met after a long separation. Now the role of the mother during weddings is as important as the role of the father.
  • Making bonfires. The Armenian rite that is still going on is to make bonfires after the wedding day, through which young people jump - unmarried girls, boys.

Armenian wedding video

The Armenian wedding is a magnificent beautiful holiday that will leave an impression to everyone who is lucky enough to participate in it. Energetic traditional dances, cheerful music, happy newlyweds, a chic feast - a long event leaves unforgettable memories in the hearts of guests, and stunning photos remind spouses about this day.

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