Wedding related customs
A wedding is a moment when the creation of a couple is sealed, but the passage from adolescence to that of a young family is prepared carefully and faithfully well in advance, with respect for the rules of tradition.
There was a habit by which decorated plates were set facing the road in the window of a home with a marriageable girl. Once the girl was engaged, such plates were turned to the inside of the house. Prior to the engagement (marked by the bargaining for the dowry and the exchange of rings of good intent), the young man who wished for the hand of the girl would make a distaff decorated with suns, stars or crosses, engraved with his and the girl's initials. If the girl accepted the distaff it meant that she agreed to become engaged, because in traditional villages everything was communicated by code, objects, gestures or sayings.
The wedding kerchief was sewn in such a way that it could be folded to form a cross, with compact, ornamental embroidery in each of its corners. At the wedding the bride and bridegroom held on to the corners before the altar, after which the groom hung it on his belt as a sign of future fertility. In the home of the new family, the kerchief was then hung on the icon, as a sign for all those crossing their threshold of the union of this couple. At the death of either one of them, the kerchief was torn in half by the survivor, and one of the halves was buried in the coffin of the departed. The other half remained on the icon as a mark of widowhood, until the one left behind was buried in turn with his half, so that the husband and wife recognize each other and are reunited by the kerchief in the world beyond.
Wedding from Sieu, Bistrita Nasaud
The groom's shirt must, be sewn and embroidered by the future bride, just as she made the kerchief. It was later used as material for the diaper and shirt of the baby.
The bride's dowry, set on the cart and showed off to the village during a procession, consisted of an engraved or painted chest, lined inside and on the top with piles of cloth. It contained various types of rugs and carpets, woollen blankets, embroidered pillows, tablecloths, pillow cases, traditional towels, shirts, skirts, headkerchiefs, runners and quilts. The dowry was then called out, sung about and showed off at the wedding party.
In Banat, the wedding is the most spectacular custom because the entire community can take part. According to an ancient tradition the essential moments of a wedding are: wooing, the calling to the wedding, the feast and the rapping of the bride.
A recent element of tradition represents the engagement which takes place after the wooing. The wooing takes place after the couple decides to marry and when the boy along with his parents and a close relative go to the girl’s house to “ask”. The answer is given right away or at a certain date in order to clarify the bride’s dowry.
The engagement takes place right after the wooing when the bride is given the wedding ring. A week before the wedding the wedding calling takes place, a happy moment where the callers dressed in special celebratory clothing go from house to house inviting people to the wedding and rattling a stick in the air which is decorated with multicolor ribbons, wheat, handkerchiefs and in the other hand they hold a bottle of plum brandy which they offer to the ones they invite. Also the week before the wedding is reserved to preparation regarding the feast. In the set date, at the father of groom’s house an “army” is gathered having in front a flag bearer. The army heads to the brides house accompanied by music. Once arrived an eloquent man will have to assure access, which will happen after long speeches.
After the asking of the bride follows the feast, which carries on until the next morning.
Important moments during the wedding are the tree, wetting, the shaving of the groom, the dressing of the bride. These customs are kept in all areas of the country, with little modifications specific to every area.
