Korean wedding
09.09.2005
Today is my best friend, Anjela's, wedding and I was invited, that is why I called Umid and we decided to meet in the morning.
Early in the morning I met with Umid and Gulya, we caught a taxy and went till the Sobir Rahimov metro station. From there we got on the minibus, which was to take us to Guliston in Syrdaryo Region. Anjela's other friend, Elena, also joined us and we went en route to Yangiyer, where Anjela lives. In two hours time we were already in place. We met with her parents and immediately started our preparations for the bridegroom's arrival.
According to the Korean tradition, he arrives at 10-11 o'clock, with his small entourage, friends and relatives. But before entering to get the bride, he has to face some challenges. The interesting thing that we have no idea about this traditions, but since Umid got all the details from the internet, we prepared everything. So, the bridegroom has arrived and the first obstacle on his way were colored bands, which were blocking his way and to continue his friend had to cut these bands with scissors and at the same time describe the bridegroom's best qualities. It was really funny, especially when there was a repition bridegroom had to pay some sort of a fine. After this he had to answer some 20 questions about his future wife and her mother. If he fails, he has to pay a fine.
The next challenge is to find a correct answer to the question: "What is the reason of your marrying to Anjela". We prepared some coloued balloons with paper answers in each of them. He had to find a correct answer, by blowing balloons. For each wrong answer, he had to pay. Finally he found the right answer: "Because I love her".
The next one was to put in a huge basket the most precious gift for the bride. The bridegroom just stepped on it and this was the right answer. Then he had to foce his way to get into the house, not by force, but by trying to persuade the bride's brother to let him in. And her brothers were demanding some green bucks, instead he gave them 200 som of the same green coloring, since they asked that they want some green cash. After this his way was blocked again, her brothers again were on his way and wanted him to draw the bride's nameon the floor with money. Finally, he persuaded them and this time he had to undergo the last challenge. He had to find a bride, he had to find her exact place of hiding, otherwise he would have to pay for the wrong guess. Anyway, he found her and we all congratulated them and then we all sat together.
At the table, an elder from the bridegroom's side acquainted us with his relatives and an elder man from the bride's side did the same. Then we all drank for their health.
After this small ceremony we all went to the registry office in Guliston. We got on the white Volgas with flowers and headed to Guliston. So, when we arrived, we had to wait for a while, because there were others too. When our turn came we all went in and watched a ceremony of marriage. Then we all went back to our cars and drank some champagne for the health of our newly-weds. After this we went to put some flowers to the monument of bereaved mother and took some pictures there.
From there we went to the bridegroom's house and there continued our celebration. But there also were some obstacles on the way of the bride's enetering his home. So, the bride's elder relative stopped a car with the bride some 20 metres away from the bridegroom's house. This time he told them that the car ran out of petrol and told them to bring some fuel. The bridegroom's side immediately brought small table with a vodka and cognac, it was kind of fuel. The bride's relative drank a little glass of vodka and said that this petrol was of low quality and they need something really good. So, he was offered a glass of cognac and tasting it, he said that this one will do fine, but this fule will be enough for 10 metres only. After 10 metres he again told a driver to stop the car and this time the bridegroom's relatives and friends had to push her car until his house. Finally, she was there, but before stepping out the bridegroom's mother had to dance and only after this the bride could go out. Here again, she had to put her foot on the sack of rice and then only she could put her foot on the floor. The bridegroom, or I think I better call him a husband, since they were already oficially registered as husband and wife, anyway, her husband to her on his arms and went up to his flat. We sat for some time, until the beginning of the wedding in his house and then we all went to the wedding.
I saw that Mr Byers and her other colleagues also arrived. So, we all went it. We took our places and the ceremony started. For about an hour all the relatives from the both sides were invited to the scene to congratulate the newly-weds. We also congratulated them. the funny thing was that the wedding was full of Uzbek music too, not only Russian or European music, but our national music and it was very cool.
By the way, there were also some elemetns of the game during the wedding. Some gilrs were invited to the scene and asked to do the belly dance and to collect the money from the guests. The girl, who collected the biggest sum, was a winner. Also, there was a hide and seek type of a game, someone had to hide the bride's shoe, in this case it was Umid, and all the people had to bye her shoe from him. He went around the guests, offering them a drink and collecting the money and then he gave all the money to the newly-weds. Well, the rest of the wedding was usual, singing and dancing. Also, in the end, the bride sang a song in Korean for her husband's mother, he did the same, but before her and devoted this song to her. It was so romantic and beautiful. Well, this is all I can tell about the wedding. As for me, I danced and drank for the helath of the newly-weds!!!
(I'll try to post some pics, the moment I get them!!!)
Ярлыки: Miscellaneous
posted by T-Moor @ 12:58,
1 Comments:
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At 15:00,
said...
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Very nice to know about the traditions of other nations in our country. Especially, when they are told in so interesting way, with colors. As I see, koreans have a lot of contemprorary traditions in their weddings (and most of them related to money), even more funny than we Uzbeks have. Tradition with rice seems to have smth with the korean origins. It is very nice to hear that they dance to uzbek pop-music. Though, belly dance is quite unusual thing for us. As for fuel, it is really funny! I liked that.
