Armenian wedding is a unique festival by its solemnity, generosity and beauty. This is not a day, not even two days – it lasts for weeks, accompanied by extensive tables, lots of gifts, long and beautiful toasts. There are more exotic manifestations too: the sacrificial bull, fancy riding, shooting into the air and much more.
It all starts with the agreement of parents, and this takes place long before the wedding, and the conversation mainly concerns the price of the bride. By the way, in this case the groom may not be rich: being cheerful and resourceful is the most important, because the bride can simply be stolen, if the groom cannot pay the ransom for the bride. By the way, there was a time when a groom did not choose a bride himself: he entrusted the matter to his parents. It was considered that they are people with life experience, so they are sure to pick a modest, hard-working and a healthy girl for their son, such type of girl who are most appreciated by Armenian guys.
Before matchmaking women find out if parents of the bride approve the wedding through the mediation, and then they ask the girl in marriage. Here matchmakers of the bridegroom’s relatives come and say: “Give us a handful of ashes from your hearth, and we will mix it with our ash!” Parents refuse a couple of times and then agree in allegorical form. As a bonding element of conspiracy usually gifts are used – a ring, necklace, tiara for the bride.
In the Armenian wedding ceremony the day of engagement is a very important day. The groom came to the house of the bride with his relatives and had to talk while waiting for the bride to come out of the room. The groom brought with him gifts, sweets, fruits and wine, all of which had to be sanctified in the church before. He also brought a wedding gift, which is called “nshan”.
It was followed by pleasant moments: wearing of the wedding ring, symbolic toast “for two flowers”, gifts from the future mother- in-law.
The wedding usually take place a month after the engagement.
The wedding itself, which is called “harsaniq” in Armenia, usually takes place in winter or autumn, that are considered to be the traditional seasons for weddings. The godfather and godmother, take the lead and set the mood for the whole wedding. In the groom’s house meat and wedding bull, which neck is decorated with apple garland, are pinned up. Mother of the groom dipped a red thread in the blood of the bull , which was retained until the first wedding night. This should contribute to the procreation in a new family, since the ancient Armenians believed the bull was the symbol of fertility.
The groom and the bride go to church on foot. This march is very beautiful: it is accompanied by torches, candles, songs and dances, shouting and shooting in the air. It is believed that the more noise accompanies the young on their way to church, the more it will frighten evil spirits. The priest ties a red-green line called “narot” on the hands of the groom and the bride, removal of which gave the right to ascend to the young marriage bed.
The feast in Armenia is, of course, accompanied by a mass of various very beautiful toasts: first of all toasts for the deceased relatives and then for the health of young people are drunk. Songs, dances accompany the feast, which usually lasts several hours, as well as the ritual “kancha”, that is collecting money. All gifts were collected by the mother of the bride, with the exception of jewelry or small gifts that the bride took with her to the groom’s house and gave to his relatives
.
Interestingly, at the end of the feast, the procedure of the approval of the dowry started. The bride showed each element of the dowry to people who nodded or clapped.
The bride was taken to the house of the groom on Sunday. Bride’s father handed her daughter to the father of the groom and asked to protect her, the father of the groom promised to take care of her as the “light of his eyes”. They went on foot to the bridegroom’s house, but in the yard of the groom a comic struggle began between the parents of the groom and in such cases the mother usually won.
The priest took off the “narot” and they could fully start their conjugal duties.
Choose one of our tours to Armenia to enjoy beauty of Armenia with your own eyes.
