Nargiz Guliyeva
Doctor of History
Wedding feasts in Azerbaijan own very ancient and rich traditions. Wedding is a holiday not only for two families, but for all the inhabitants of the village that take part in it. The research made on wedding ceremonies offers the opportunity to disclose the characteristic features of cultural heritage.
The book called “Kitabi Dede Gorgud” covers a lot on customs, rules and traditions, the majority of which is saved even today. The significant part here goes to the description of wedding ceremonies.
The traditions of matchmaking in Azerbaijan, engagement and weddings have deep roots. This is the reason why they can be come across not only in legends but also in Azerbaijani fairy tales.1
Despite the differences in various regions of Azerbaijan, ethnographer R.Babayev in the following way describes the cycle of ceremonies in Baku villages: selection of bride, matchmaking, engagement, returning the tray with presents, table at godmother of bride, holiday of Spring (“Novruz Bayrami”) and spring harvests (appearance of first fruit and vegetables), demonstration of presented outfits, bath day of bridegirls party with master of ceremony, evening of henna, registration of marriage, first night of marriage and morning after marriage night, the second and third days….2
According to the tradition, the first visit on matchmaking is made by 2-3 women. They talk about their family and children. During course of the first visit of matchmakers, the parents of the girl don’t give any certain answer. They say, that it is important to weigh all “pros” and “cons” regarding the young man. If there exists any doubt, the matchmakers get a refusal answer. In this case they say: “You have got a wrong address”, “We don’t’ have what you are looking for”. When they get a positive answer, the second visit is already made by father, uncle of the groom and other relatives.
In many cases, after receiving the “approval” in the house of bride, the table is served with sweet tea or tea of two colours. As a sign of agreement, they open a “sweet table” serving sweet aromatic drink, added with spoon of fresh tea. It symbolizes a sweet life for future couple and affiliation of two families.
ation of two families. During the first visit of matchmakers, the women (grandmother, mother, aunts, sisters) that represent the family of groom inform about their intention. The second visit of matchmakers define the day of getting “agreement”. The visitors of this day are usually elders, grandfather, grandmother, mother and other relatives. During the ceremony the elder representing the side of groom exchange a handshake with the elder of bride’s side and asks three times: “Do you give your native child to my son?” “Yes, I do”, - answer also repeated for three times. This short dialogue expresses an agreement, achieved between two families.
Several days later after the agreement was received, an engagement ceremony takes place. 6 to 10 people come to the house of bride bringing the ring, kerchief and several outfits. Feast is arranged, during which the brother of groom (if there is no brother, then young man from close relatives) wears the ring with names of bride and groom engraved on it to the finger of bride and pronounces:“I present you the ring of destiny, be loved and have sons and daughters”.
“Do you give your native child to my son?” “Yes, I do”, - answer also repeated for three times. This short dialogue expresses an agreement, achieved between two families.
In several other families another custom of engagement exists. In this case they set the date and the house of groom sends to the house of bride meat, sweets and other products. On the day of engagement they bring the bride a ring, kerchief and different outfits. According to the tradition the right to show the presents to guests, belongs to a woman happy in marriage, so as the bride also becomes happy in her family life. There are 40 to 60 people taking part in the ceremony of engagement. The side of groom presents the bride different presents (ring, clothes) and invited guests – sweets and flowers.
After the engagement the groom is invited to the house of bride and is presented a ring. This stage is called “the first visit of groom to the house of bride”
On the days of holiday the relatives of the groom bring the bride different presents as well as give a prize to bride. At the same time the family of bride and their close relatives together with presents and sweets for them and the family of groom head to his house. Relatives arrange the joint feast. Among the people this custom is called “getting to know the relatives”
During the preparation work to the wedding, the house of groom is making arrangement for the forthcoming feast and the house of bride is busy with the active work on buying the dowry. At the same time the relatives of the groom come to the house of the bride. During this meeting depending on the number of the guests that are going to be invited to the wedding, they also define the quantity of necessary food as well as the day of “ceremony of bringing and demonstrating presents” for the bride and the day of wedding. This stage is called “focusing”.
Few days before the wedding, the marriage is registered with the participation of witnesses from both sides.
pation of witnesses from both sides. If to overlook from the ethnical variety of population of different regions of Azerbaijan and relevant for them features, it is possible to say wedding feasts in the republic are similar to each other
On the day of “ceremony of bringing and demonstrating of outfits” the relatives of groom and guests are gathered in the house of bride and in the house of groom. They look through purchased for the bride presents, collect brought by guests presents (for example, clothe, rings, kerchiefs) into the suit cases, decorated with red ribbon, order bouquets, decorate the trays with items and sweets. Later the guests from the side of the groom head for the house of the bride.
That day in the house of the bride, the women (50 to 100 people) conduct the ceremony of the “ceremony of bringing and demonstration of outfits”. They arrange a special exhibition of items brought for the bride as well as her grandmother, mother, brothers and sisters. On this ceremony the main persons are older women – trusted parties of groom and the bride. The woman, who is called to accompany the bride to the house of groom, cuts the piece of clothe (this is where the phrase in azeri “paltar kesdi” is coming from) – literally cutting the outfit”, this piece as a result is kept in the house). Trusted person from the side of the groom presents her “colleague” money as a prize.
In the ceremony of the “ceremony of bringing and demonstrating the outfits”, they serve sweets and fruit, several meals – dolma, meat balls, bozbash and dovga.
For men they organize separate feast and official lunch. After the ceremony of the “ceremony of bringing and demonstrating the outfits” they set the list of the dowry of the bride, which they bring to the house of the groom. At the same time two women go to the house of the groom and jointly with the trusted person from the side of the bride decorate her room.
After this process there comes the “council of wedding” – so called meeting in the house of the groom, where they appoint the person, who is going to manage the wedding – “wedding granny” (before the revolution he was called “khan-ghora”). He facilitates the wedding, controls the process of feast and order. With the completion of preparatory work in the house of the groom, the wedding starts.
On the very centre on the premises, where the wedding takes place, there are singers and tamada (master of the ceremony), who manages the feast, and at the entrance they put the table with flowers and sweets. The guests pronounce the words in favour of bride and groom and take sweets. The wedding is accompanied by singers and sometimes by ashugs (folk singers).
In the evening of the first day of the wedding, the ceremony of “decorating henna” takes place in the house of the bride. Close friends and the relatives of the bride are invited to it. A group of young men and women together with the musicians arrive from the house of the groom that play, dance and make fun together with the bride. The closest relatives of the groom decorate the hands of the bride with henna and present gifts. The family of the bride gives an invited lunch to the participants of the ceremony. In various regions of Azerbaijan the ceremony of decorating hands with henna is called differently: in Sheki, it is called “feast of bride”. In Tovuz – “demonstration of girl”, in Masalli and Lenkoran – “gathering at girls”, in Guba – “use of henna”, in Absheron – “hennanane”, in other places – “girls party”. On the second day the participants of the wedding are also the relatives and invited guests. Close to the daytime people in the house of the groom and part of the musicians (often it is zurnachi, that played during the first day of feast) go after the bride. Singers and musicians continue entertaining the guests. Guests that have just arrived are met by elder son in the family, uncles and other close relatives of the groom.
Decorated cars approach the house of the bride. Close relatives and the neighbours of the bride meet the guests. The representatives of the groom family dance in turn. Trusted person of the groom together with a group of women enters the room of the bride. As the door often is intentionally closed trusted person tries to give money making light jokes to open the door. This tradition is called “opening of the door”. Trusted person of the bride, together with best friends start decorating her. Trusted person of the groom passes the money for “decorating the face” (putting a make up). Parents of the girl come to their daughter and give her kind recommendations and wishes. Brother of the groom ties a ribbon on the waste of the bride and then puts money into the right hand of bride. If there is no brother this “operation” is done by a close relative. In the reality the tradition of “ribbon on waist” is a symbol of eternal affiliation to a reliable husband, who is a strong support as well as a fair life partner.
Musicians come to the room of the bride under the sounds of wedding melody called “Vagzali”. In the accompaniment of the trusted persons the girl leaves her father’s house. In the hands of one of the trusted persons is a mirror and in the hands of another is a candle with light on or a lit lamp. They keep them on the right and the left of the bride. Among the people they say that candle light or lamp next to a bride is a symbol that protects her from bad eye and evil spirits. Mirror serves the same purpose and is kept in front of the bride. There is another belief that says that mirror reflects not the bride herself, but her soul which protects the girl from any kind of evil.
The young people on the way to the house of the bride try to block the way asking for “money”.This tradition is called “blocking the way”. Father of the groom should give them “money”. Representatives of the family of the groom try to take something from the house of bride unnoticed and when the cars leave they show what they have taken. This tradition serves to somehow to confirm the fact that the dowry of the bride will never get back to her parents’ house. In other words, items taken in secret from the house of the bride mean they will stay forever in her new house, which is the house of her husband.
When the cars arrive to the house of the groom, musicians play the melody called “Bride has arrived to our house”. Trusted persons help her to get off the car. Later father in law cuts an animal in honour of the bride. Musicians play “Terekeme”, “Long valley”, “Yalli”, “Heyvagulu” and other dancing melodies after which according to the tradition the bride must break with her foot an empty plate. This all takes place in front of the eyes of the guests and means as if the bride says the following: “I will never do a wrong thing with regard to this house, husband and family”.3
There is another custom which is also widely spread: to throw sweets on the bride before she enters the yard of the groom’s house. It symbolizes the wish to always see her sweet and lovely. When the girl leaves the door of her father’s house she is also thrown at a flour, wheat and rice. Wedding tray is filled with sweet bread, pies because as they say this will help her bring her new house an abundance.
They put a piece of bread on the head of the bride. It means she ate the honest bread of her father and drank pure mother milk. The wedding tray also contains honey along with bread and when the bride enters the house of the groom she is also given a piece of bread with honey. This custom signifies the bride always to have a lovely manner of communication.
Musicians that arrived together with the bride express their congratulations and pass to the premises for the feast. The bride, having entered the house of groom doesn’t sit; parents bring her presents (ring, money for future happy life, and a lamb). When she sits she is handed a child – a boy, so as her first child is a representative of a stronger gender.
The bride brings to the house of groom sweets, baked by her mother. The trusted person of the bride distributes presents among musicians, cooks and servants. In the room of the bride the door has a nail on – they say it means that the bride must stay in this house forever and become a real housewife.
After the arrival of the bride the wedding in the house of the groom is going on. The floor is given to the singer, who conducts the feast. He sings the songs called “Smile came to your lips”, “Girl with surma walking in the water” and melodies called “Heyvagulu”, “ Suleymani”, “Gazakhi”. The young people dance and have fun. Then there begins the ceremony of praising the groom, who is sitting in a special premises. For the groom they put a special table covered with red on which they put a tray full of sweets and flowers – as symbols of beauty and love.
Some minutes later, two musicians with the friends of the groom under the sounds of the joyous melody invite the groom to the wedding feast.
Elders pronounce the mandatory phrases: “The groom must dance in his wedding so as to be in abundance”. Together with the groom there also dance his friends and acquaintances.
In the morning after the wedding, sweet flour porridge in oil is prepared for the bride, the relatives, neighbours gather around the table, where a traditional pilaf is served. This feast is an indication of the “virginity of the bride”
In all the regions of Azerbaijan, the bride must not come out to people during 3 days. Then the trusted persons of the bride, her sisters, several close relatives (except her mother) come to the house of the groom with different meals, fruit, presents. This is called “three days”.
In seven days after the bride’s mother, father, brother and relatives go to visit the house of the newly weds with presents and sweets. This custom is called “visiting newly weds”.A feast is arranged, women sit separately or in the same company with men. Everybody one by one meet with the bride.
In forty days after the wedding together with the family of the groom the bride is invited to her parents’ house. Father makes her a valuable present. This custom is called “the beginning of communication”.
Wedding ceremonies are an integrated part of cultural, moral and spiritual world of Azerbaijani people. Each of the customs is somehow related with ancient religious beliefs and traditions, secrets of miracle and various magic, in other words they carry in themselves a trace of centuries old cultural and spiritual life, procedures and ceremonies of Azerbaijan. Wedding customs in Azerbaijan originate from epic literature and creative life of folk culture, including dastans, fairy tales, songs and dances.
1. Mirali Seyidov. Sources of Azerbaijani Mythology(in Azerbaijani language) Baku, 1983, p.276
2. Babayeva R., Traditions and customs in old Baku. – Scientific Archive, inv.N1376, 1627
3. G.Geybullayev, On some wedding traditions of Azerbaijan – DOS of Azerb SSR, 1964, N11
