Wedding in Turkey: traditions and ceremony

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A wedding in the life of every couple in love is perhaps one of the most significant and exciting events. Every nation has its own customs and traditions. In this article, we will talk about how a wedding is held in Turkey, what preparations precede this important event and other interesting details of a wedding in this amazing country.

A little about Turkey

Turkey is a beautiful and distinctive country.

Those who have been there at least once, having plunged into an unforgettable atmosphere, will never forget it. All local life is thoroughly saturated with traditions passed down from generation to generation. Turkey is very proud of them, trying to honor and not forget them.

The customs of the country were formed from a mixture of different ethnic groups. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam (about 80% of the population professes it). It is he who defines the key concepts and norms in the way of life of the bulk of modern Turks. Religion plays a fundamental role in human relationships and formstraditions in all aspects of human life: the birth of a child, seeing off loved ones on their last journey, wedding customs in Turkey, etc.

Family traditions are very strong in the country. The man is the key figure in the family. A woman has, albeit somewhat less rights - she also enjoys great respect from her relatives. Recently, under the influence of Western civilization, women and men are increasingly equal in rights. Especially the influence of the West is felt in big cities. In rural areas, ancient customs are preserved with greater care.

Wedding

Family life begins with marriage. After two lovers put wedding rings on each other's fingers, and this fact is officially registered, the joint life of husband and wife begins. Of course, many couples in different countries now live without a stamp in their passports, while giving birth to joint children, but no one has yet canceled the institution of the family. What is the status of marriage registration in Turkey?

In this matter, the Turks are very principled and old-fashioned. Islam is a religion of strict morals, and liberties are not allowed here. The Turks adhere to ancient customs, and the fashion trends of other peoples have little to do with them. “Civil marriage”, which is already so popular in many countries of the world, is a rarity for Turkey. Here, even in the most free-thinking couples, it is not customary to create a family without registering a marriage. A wedding in Turkey is, as a rule, a prerequisite for people living together, building a common life and having children. If two young (or notvery young) people decide to live together, sharing all the joys and difficulties, they get married. If the couple is not married, they are at the “meeting” stage, while having a separate life.

Preparations for the wedding

Turks take this important issue very seriously. Each couple expects that their choice will be right and the family will be created once and for all life. Therefore, everything is carefully thought out, and there is no place for rash decisions. In fact, this is correct, since it often happens that marriage, committed under the influence of a momentary passion, often ends in divorce.

A wedding in Turkey is an event planned with great care. The ceremony itself is preceded by many different stages and preparations. The stages of the formation of a future family begin long before marriage. Sometimes it takes more than one year until the young lovers reach the registry office. What are these stages?

Well, first of all, this is, of course, the emergence of joint sympathy. When young people understand that they like each other so much that you can already think about getting married, the stage of getting to know your parents follows. The families of the bride and groom officially meet in order to get to know each other better, figure out what their main values are, and understand whether the newlyweds can create a happy family.

Followed by an engagement (which will be discussed in more detail here), a visit by women to a Turkish bath and a bachelorette party. All these stages are a tribute to traditions, a test of strength, a memory that remains for life.

Engagement

A wedding in Turkey is always preceded by an engagement. Since it is not yet an official marriage registration, each family can conduct it differently. There are no strict rules in this regard. Some families set the table and invite friends. Others rent a bridal salon. And some young people just put rings on each other, but always in the family circle. The groom usually gives his bride a ring with one stone, usually a diamond. Not all Turkish women will agree to marriage without such a symbolic gift.

Engagement (in Turkish "nishan") is, in fact, voicing an agreement about one's intentions in front of everyone. Therefore, the families of the bride and groom, or at least the parents of young people, must be present at this event. Very often, during the engagement, plans for the future life of the young and relationships between families are discussed, many organizational issues are resolved.

Engagement, like a wedding in Turkey, is a very serious event in the life of young people. Nowadays, in big cities, after an official engagement, young people can decide to live together. But in families with strict views or in small villages, a joint life is possible only after the wedding. Traditions are very strong in Turkey and are sacredly observed by many families.

Henna night before Turkish wedding

Henna night in Turkey before the wedding is a ritual that all brides go through. After the girl's dowry was delivered to the groom's house, and the bride (according to ancient customs) visited the bathhouse, having performed a "ablution" before the wedding,there comes a special holiday called "Henna Night". This is an ancient rite that can happen to a girl only once in her entire life.

"Henna Night" is held in the women's part of the house where the young wife will live after the wedding (usually the groom's house). Men at this time gather separately, celebrating this event in their own way.

The rite of this night itself is very beautiful and shrouded in magic. The bride puts on a special dress called a bindalli. It is very expensive and luxurious. It is all covered with beautiful handmade traditional style embroidery. This dress is a family heirloom, which is carefully preserved and passed on to the next generations for the ceremony.

Further, the girl's face is covered with a red veil with sequins and sequins. Henna for the ritual on a silver tray with two lit candles is brought by the groom's relatives. The future mother-in-law rolls out a roll of silk fabric under the bride's feet. The bride and her bridesmaids walk around the assembled guests, holding lighted candles in their hands. At this time, the guests shower the girl's head with coins as a symbol of we alth and fertility. After going around the guests on a rolled silk roll, the future daughter-in-law approaches the groom's mother and bows her head, expressing her respect and reverence, while kissing the hand of the future mother-in-law.

Further, treats are brought to guests, sad traditional songs are played that cause tears in the bride, which are considered the key to a happy married life. The groom's mother pours a spoonful of henna into the girl's palms and puts a gold coin into them.

The culmination of this rite- This is henna painting of the palms, fingertips and big toes of the bride. This is done by the woman who is most fortunate in marriage. Henna is also painted on the hands of unmarried bridesmaids.

Traditional Turkish wedding

Organizing a wedding in Turkey begins with choosing a venue for the celebration. Since marriages in this country are usually numerous, there are many specialized salons designed for a large number of guests (up to a thousand, or even more). This is very convenient, since there is a restaurant, a dance floor, and a concert hall in the same room.

Marriage registration and wedding are somewhat different things. There is just a painting in the registry office without magnificent celebrations. It also happens that at first young people sign, and later they play a wedding. But the most exciting scenario is when the painting is done in the bridal salon in the presence of guests.

At a traditional Turkish wedding, in keeping with religious customs, the bride will necessarily be covered with a head covering, like most other women. Long sleeves, the absence of unnecessary cutouts, as well as a red satin ribbon tied around the waist as a symbol of innocence - only a true Muslim woman can afford such a dress. If the wedding is traditional, but the family is not particularly religious, then the bride may not have a scarf on her head, and the dress may have a small neckline and bare her shoulders.

The number of guests at such a wedding can amaze foreigners who are not used to such a scale. Relatives, friends, residentsdistrict - the total number can reach several thousand people. It is not always possible to feed all the guests, so traditional drinks and sweets are offered as treats. Families with a large income can afford a full meal. However, in any case, there will be no pork and alcohol at the Turkish wedding.

By the way, the wedding of the year in Turkey, when the daughter of the president of the country married a businessman, refers to the luxurious celebrations of the rich and famous, which are often stylized precisely as a traditional ceremony. The first persons of the state are obliged to honor customs, therefore, in all the significant events of their lives, they adhere to the traditions of the country in which they live.

The photo of the wedding in Turkey is presented below.

Let's move on. What do they give for a wedding in Turkey? The traditional gift is money and gold. The closer the relatives, the more expensive the gifts. Various jewelry, bracelets, chains are worn directly on the young, money is also pinned to clothes. By the end of the celebration, the newlyweds look like Christmas trees decorated with valuable gifts.

Unconventional wedding

Free-thinking Turks, not particularly adherent to religious dogmas, prefer a liberal wedding. It differs from the traditional one in several ways.

First is the number of guests. Here you are unlikely to see thousands of guests, most likely only the closest people (up to 200 people) will attend the celebration. Guests are welcome asusually either a bridal salon or a large hotel restaurant.

Secondly, as a treat, guests will be offered a full meal (various drinks, cold appetizers, main course, hot, cake), and most importantly, alcohol will be present at this holiday, which is unacceptable at a traditional Muslim wedding.

Third is the bride's dress. In this case, the girl's fantasy will not be limited to a certain color and style. At a liberal wedding, the bride can choose any dress she likes.

Both at a traditional and a liberal wedding for Russian people who are not privy to the intricacies of Turkish customs, the presence of wreaths at the celebration can be a shock. If it is customary for us to give them on a much less pleasant occasion, namely on the occasion of a funeral, then in Turkey flower wreaths are presented for any solemn event. On the occasion of the wedding, the ribbons will be bright, and the wreaths intended for funerals will be black.

A notable event at a Turkish wedding is the taking out of the cake. If there are a lot of invited guests, the cake is often made of plastic (or rather, its layout). The newlyweds only imitate cutting it. In the artificial version of the treat, a small piece of the real one is hidden. Young people publicly treat each other to them. The Turks explain this by the fact that it is very difficult to divide a figured cake into an equal number of guests, so the real one is baked flat. And the artificial one is just a festive element of the gala evening.

The liberal wedding in Turkey, the photo that illustrates this event below, is not enoughdifferent from Western.

Russian wedding in Turkey

For foreigners who want to plunge into the colorful atmosphere of another country, refreshing their feelings with a partner, there is one great offer - a symbolic wedding in Turkey. It does not involve official registration, but it can recreate a magical ceremony with accuracy to the smallest detail. This celebration will become a real romantic fairy tale for two. You can act as screenwriters yourself, or you can contact a special agency that will tell you the most successful ideas and take over the organization of the entire holiday. Recently, it has become very fashionable to hold such ceremonies abroad. A symbolic wedding in Turkey is a really good way to experience new sensations, better experience the traditions of the country, and also feel like a newlywed again.

For those who want to have a real wedding ceremony in Turkey, nothing is impossible either. Despite the fact that the main religion of this country is Islam, many Orthodox churches have survived in Turkey. That is, Russian Orthodox people have the opportunity to hold a wedding ceremony in one of them.

Kurdish wedding in Turkey

There are about 15 million Kurds in Turkey. This one of the oldest peoples of the Middle East has its own customs and customs. For example, there is such a tradition - to betroth babies immediately after their birth. When the betrothed reachthe age when they can get married - they are getting married.

A Kurdish girl can choose her own husband. However, if her choice did not coincide with the parental one, she has no right to resist. A father or brother can force a girl to marry.

Kurdish weddings last from three days to a week. They differ in that they sing a lot. The songs are called brig and are performed by folk singers.

The wedding of the Kurds is expensive, so the money is accumulated in advance. If the relatives of the bride and groom are geographically far from each other, two weddings are celebrated. Treat guests with rice and meat. For these purposes, several rams or calves are specially slaughtered. Traditional gifts are money or sheep. Wedding expenses, as a rule, thanks to generous gifts, pay off in full.

The wedding is played in the spring. The festival is held in tents at a wooden table on wooden benches. Men and women celebrate the holiday in different tents. Boys serve drinks and food to the men. One of the corners of the house or tent is separated by a curtain. Here the newlyweds will spend their wedding night.

In closing

Now you know a little about the wedding in Turkey. Reviews about this ceremony from those people who had the pleasure of watching it are the most positive. In whatever style a Turkish wedding takes place, it is always chic and fun. Turks love to celebrate in a big way. The atmosphere of unrestrained fun, the sea of songs and dances, the glitter of gold - all this is present in abundance at the wedding celebration. Turkish people believethat how you play a wedding - this will be the life of the young, so they put their whole soul into this event and try to do everything to the maximum.

Those young people who are imbued with the wedding traditions of this unforgettable country have the opportunity to experience all the delights and nuances of the celebration. You can have a real wedding in Turkey. For those who prefer to register a marriage in their homeland, and in Turkey they just want to refresh their emotions and feelings, you can celebrate a symbolic wedding. In any case, this event will forever remain in your memory as the most beautiful and unforgettable.