Reading History of Kazakh Marriage Ceremony
a)
Before all, according to Kazakh traditions, a man and a woman wishing
to marry each other had to prove they weren’t relatives in seven
generations. This rule is still observed today – not knowing your
own background counts as ignorance.
At the beginning of the last century early marriages were a normal thing. Usually a bride’s age was 13-14 years and a groom was 14-15. The laws of the steppes did not allow open dating among the youth. In some cases, a girl wouldn’t know who her future husband is. Nowadays such marriages are not practiced.
Kazakh wedding process consists of an offer of marriage [kuda tusu], a wedding, a kudalyk [a gathering of relatives from both sides to know each other better] and post-wedding rituals.
Offer of marriage may take two stages. An official suit [kuda tusu] begins with the arrival of matchmakers to the girl’s home.
Usually a young man’s parents invite their most respected by age and social status relatives to be their envoys to a girl’s parents. A delegation may consist of five to ten persons. Meantime, the young man stays at home. Adding humor and sayings to the dialogue, the senior envoy gradually leads to the true purpose of the visit. Then begins the important part – the bride-show for what guests need to pay – korimdik. A female relative of the young man puts golden earrings on the girl’s ears – uki. The two are engaged now.
After that, sides agree on kalym and conditions of wedding. Kalym, once known as a ransom for the bride paid to her parents, is now an old tradition. Now it is just the money the groom’s parents pay to partly compensate what bride’s side spent on new furniture, homeware, bedding items, carpets and other goods as a dowry.
The tradition of giving 47 heads of cattle [kalym mal] for a bride in the past, now has transformed into a custom of presenting a korzhun [traditional bag] with 47 various things inside. Korzhuns are usually beautified with coins, rings, bead necklaces and tapes.
The groom’s parents also give presents [kit] to the envoys. Here matchmaking is over.
b) Kazakh wedding lasts two days: at the bride’s home first [kyz uzatu], then she is taken to the home of her future husband where the festivities continue.
Wedding itself is rich with traditional solemnities.
The festivity begins with guests standing in a semi-circle row; the bride comes in and walks past the guests, by doing so, she farewells her father’s community. Then the groom and the best man join the bride. They receive blessing [bata] and the festivity begins.
After kyz uzatu the groom’s wedding starts. Traditionally, Kazakh girls wear red wedding outfit, today it is replaced with a European-style white dress.
On the night before the wedding the bride gathers all her female friends. Bridal shower last till the dusk.
A wedding cortege visits a mosque to register the marriage in accordance with Muslim rules, and then the couple drives to registry office.
When the two arrive at the groom’s home the bride veils her face and a meeting crowd showers her head with sweets. When inside, the newly married greet the fireplace [oshak] and then bow to the senior relatives and the guests.
A singer praises the bride to the tunes of dombra and does bet ashar – the ceremony of opening the bride’s face. Wedding ceremonies used to include toasts, horse races, wrestling and many other competitions, games and performances.
When the wedding is over, the bride, now the wife, is accompanied by her sisters-in-law to her new shelter.
After a while, the husband’s parents invite the wife’s parents. The invitees bring the dowry with them. The idea of dowry is that a young wife should come to her new house with her own property. It usually consists of dishes, bedding, carpets, and today - furniture and home appliances.
Following the wedding, usually after a long time, both sides conduct kudalyk: they gather relatives from both sides for better introduction to each other.
Traditional ritualism in the wedding process organically overlaps with new tendencies in modern wedding ceremonials.
Divide into two groups. Group 1 read text a) and Group 2 read text b). Upon completing reading two students from the two groups should join and summarize their parts.
Read the text and define the words in bold.
Make up 5 True/False sentences. In groups, read out loud the sentences and provide the appropriate answers.
What new information about the history of Kazakh marriage ceremony have you learned? Are there any statements you disagree with?