The Wedding of Tajik
Young People Express Love with Songs
On the grassland, Tajik young men and women are often seen singing in antiphonal style. Since they live a nomadic life, many young people fall in love with each other through antiphonal singings.
When the affection between a young man and a girl becomes mature, the young man will send a pair of earrings to the girl and the girl will send a self-made embroidered bag to him.
Send Scarlet Kerchief on Engagement Day
On the day of engagement, the young man does not go to the girl's home while his father, brothers, good friends and a female relative take gifts, including a four-meter-long beautiful scarlet kerchief, to her home. After the engagement ceremony, the kerchief is used to cover the girl's head to indicate that she has a spouse.
In the two days before the marriage, both sides begin to treat guests and hospitably entertain all relatives and villagers and accept their blessings. Female guests need to bring some flour to spread on the host's wall to indicate good luck.
Bride Sweats on the Wedding Eve
On the eve of the wedding day, the bride is shut in a room and covered with thick quilt until she sweats a lot. It is generally regarded that sweating this way can make the bride more beautiful. Therefore, though it is very afflictive, the bride is willing to do so to make herself more attractive.
The emcee spreads some flour on the body of the new couple and the bride and the bridegroom spread some on each other. Then, they taste some salt and water together. People think that the ceremony can make the new couple love each other and live to old age in conjugal bliss.
Tread on Towels to Begin New Life
The bridegroom stays in the bride's home the night he goes to her home to escort her to the wedding. The next morning, the bride and the bridegroom ride a horse for the latter's home. When they pass somebody's houses, the hostess need to prepare a bowl of milk added with ghee for the bride and scatter some flour on his body to show congratulation.
When the bride arrives, her mother-in-law lays some new towels in front of the gate. The new couple tread on them together and enter the gate, indicating they begin their new life from then on.
