tibetan wedding ceremony
When it is time for a young man to ask for the hand of a woman, an auspicious day is chosen. Both the young man and young woman are not supposed to appear, and members of the young man's family go to the female's family. The latter are given hada scarves, clothing or cloth materials, 50 kg of qingke barley, 50 kg of wheat, two or three kg of butter, mutton and three jars of qingke barley wine. The girl's parents are also given "milking money" and bangdian (aprons) as a token of sincere thanks for their bringing up the woman. The groom's family are responsible for the wedding feast. When the bride's family have prepared the feast, the groom's side will have to offer cash or some other form of thanks. As the courting happens when the male and female parties have agreed on marriage, the success rate is 100 percent. Both parties determine the auspicious date for holding the wedding ceremony. When the groom 5 side departs for home, the bride's family returns with hada scarves and gifts.
On the evening proceeding the wedding, the bride's side hold a farewell party for her. The groom's family sends a finely-decorated horse for her. If the two families live far apart, a horse-drawn cart, automobile or truck will be sent for the purpose. Generally speaking, there will be two or three people sent to greet the bride, bringing her and her family gifts including hada scarves, zanba cakes (roasted highland barley flour mixed with melted butter, powdered cheese and brown sugar, and shaped into square or round cakes), a front leg of mutton, clothing or clothing materials, and gift money. When the rituals are held, the bride sits in the middle. Flanking the bride are parents, other family members, relatives seeing the bride off, and people sent to greet the bride. When everyone is seated, the people sent to greet the bride present her with a piece of hada scarf and plant colorful arrows on her back. This is followed by gyido members of the family presenting hada scarves and gifts. By the end of the rituals, all drink and sing until next day.
The bride side transfers dowry or gifts prepared beforehand to people sent to greet the bride. They include valuable jewelers or daily necessities such as clothing, quilts, food grains, bicycles, sewing machines and other durables. On the morning of the next day, people sent to greet the bride support the bride out of her home at a time determined according to the result of divination, along with her dowry. At this point of time, there will be someone in the house of the bride holding colorful arrows and a milk kettle in one hand and lamb leg in the other and walking around to invite an inflow of money. He does so because legend has it that marrying one out invites loss of wealth.
The greeting4he-bride party proceeds under the leadership of one born in an auspicious year. Wearing white Tibetan robe, he holds the Eight Diagram Pattern. When coming across people who are fetching water or carrying materials on their backs, the party deems it a good omen, and will give them a small amount of money; when coming across those who are dumping garbage or carrying empty baskets, the party deem this to be a bad omen, likewise if it suddenly snows.
Prior to the arrival of the bride, the new house is beautifully adorned. Black and white stones are planted on both sides of the house, and a cushion is prepared for the bride to step off the vehicle. The cushion is stuffed with qingke barley, wheat and salt, and covered with five-color silk (tiger or leopard hide) painted with a swastika sign.
When the greeting party reaches the door, it lays a hada scarf on the white stone to the right of the door, and chants loudly: "Oh, for you! Thirty-nine towns, 99 slopes, bless us!" Then, the party moves to the black stone to the left of the door, and chants: "I am the reincarnation of the Buddha of 10 Places. Black eagle will be destroyed!" This is followed by knocking the black stone out.
After this, the party sings the praises of the cushion, door, dog and staircases of the host family. The newlyweds enter the room, sitting in the center. Around them sit the parents of the groom and relatives, members of families associated with the bridegroom's family through gyido relationship, and the marrying party. Members of the bride's side rise to sing praises of the Buddha shrines, Buddha statues, house pillars, wine jars and auspicious containers of the bridegroom's side, and present hada scarves to them.
The official ceremony is then held. Gyido members of the host family attend. Gifts presented include (no less than three jars of) qingke barley wine, (two to five lumps of) butter, (two to three cakes of) tea bricks, one whole-sheep of mutton (stuffed with 1-2 kg of wool), one bag (amounting to 40-50 kg) of qingke barley and one bag of wheat, gift money, clothing and cloth materials, plus hada scarves presented to the Buddha shrines, bridegroom, bride, both families, house pillars and wine jars. Gift-giving rituals take place over one or several days, and the duration of the wedding ceremony lasts three, five, seven or 10 days. Feasts are held during this period.
On the evening proceeding the wedding, the bride's side hold a farewell party for her. The groom's family sends a finely-decorated horse for her. If the two families live far apart, a horse-drawn cart, automobile or truck will be sent for the purpose. Generally speaking, there will be two or three people sent to greet the bride, bringing her and her family gifts including hada scarves, zanba cakes (roasted highland barley flour mixed with melted butter, powdered cheese and brown sugar, and shaped into square or round cakes), a front leg of mutton, clothing or clothing materials, and gift money. When the rituals are held, the bride sits in the middle. Flanking the bride are parents, other family members, relatives seeing the bride off, and people sent to greet the bride. When everyone is seated, the people sent to greet the bride present her with a piece of hada scarf and plant colorful arrows on her back. This is followed by gyido members of the family presenting hada scarves and gifts. By the end of the rituals, all drink and sing until next day.
The bride side transfers dowry or gifts prepared beforehand to people sent to greet the bride. They include valuable jewelers or daily necessities such as clothing, quilts, food grains, bicycles, sewing machines and other durables. On the morning of the next day, people sent to greet the bride support the bride out of her home at a time determined according to the result of divination, along with her dowry. At this point of time, there will be someone in the house of the bride holding colorful arrows and a milk kettle in one hand and lamb leg in the other and walking around to invite an inflow of money. He does so because legend has it that marrying one out invites loss of wealth.
The greeting4he-bride party proceeds under the leadership of one born in an auspicious year. Wearing white Tibetan robe, he holds the Eight Diagram Pattern. When coming across people who are fetching water or carrying materials on their backs, the party deems it a good omen, and will give them a small amount of money; when coming across those who are dumping garbage or carrying empty baskets, the party deem this to be a bad omen, likewise if it suddenly snows.
Prior to the arrival of the bride, the new house is beautifully adorned. Black and white stones are planted on both sides of the house, and a cushion is prepared for the bride to step off the vehicle. The cushion is stuffed with qingke barley, wheat and salt, and covered with five-color silk (tiger or leopard hide) painted with a swastika sign.
When the greeting party reaches the door, it lays a hada scarf on the white stone to the right of the door, and chants loudly: "Oh, for you! Thirty-nine towns, 99 slopes, bless us!" Then, the party moves to the black stone to the left of the door, and chants: "I am the reincarnation of the Buddha of 10 Places. Black eagle will be destroyed!" This is followed by knocking the black stone out.
After this, the party sings the praises of the cushion, door, dog and staircases of the host family. The newlyweds enter the room, sitting in the center. Around them sit the parents of the groom and relatives, members of families associated with the bridegroom's family through gyido relationship, and the marrying party. Members of the bride's side rise to sing praises of the Buddha shrines, Buddha statues, house pillars, wine jars and auspicious containers of the bridegroom's side, and present hada scarves to them.
The official ceremony is then held. Gyido members of the host family attend. Gifts presented include (no less than three jars of) qingke barley wine, (two to five lumps of) butter, (two to three cakes of) tea bricks, one whole-sheep of mutton (stuffed with 1-2 kg of wool), one bag (amounting to 40-50 kg) of qingke barley and one bag of wheat, gift money, clothing and cloth materials, plus hada scarves presented to the Buddha shrines, bridegroom, bride, both families, house pillars and wine jars. Gift-giving rituals take place over one or several days, and the duration of the wedding ceremony lasts three, five, seven or 10 days. Feasts are held during this period.
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