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. Their hair are braided together thereby showing a physical closeness. The bride is covered with red cloth and rides together with the groom. They ride around her father’s yurt three times and then head for groom’s yurt. On their way home there are organized games, competitions etc. When they are getting close to groom’s yurt, they are met by a rider who gives them food and builds two fires as a sign of prosperity. The newlyweds are to ride between the fires overcoming difficulties cross path. Then they enter in a special tent called mayhan. There the bride puts on ladies’ wear and silver jewellery and both with the gromm they go to the groom father’s 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.

The bridal banquet begins. There are speeches about the new family and the wedding. The wedding ceremonies end at the sunset. Guest’s are leaving. The mother in law puts near bride’s skirt a stone or iron saying: “This family is strong as stone or iron. So, my daughter, be honorable, faithful and nice”. The next day the young bride wakes up early and prepares tea showing that she is the hostess of this house. She does not show her face three days after the wedding. On the fourth day her father arrives and gives her permission to show her face to her husband’s parents. Following the advices of their parents during the honeymoon, the newlyweds go to visit bride’s relatives. The parents now meet their daughter as a member of the other family. They come back home with a lot of presents and begin to live separately from their parents like any other family.