Mongolian marriage customs:
Marriage system: the Mongols have two marriage systems: snatch marriage and bride price marriage. Snatch marriage is a form of marriage in the slavery society. Before the thirteenth century A.D., most of the Mongolian society for the bride system. Such as genghis khan's father also speed that put a bald child and the marriage of Mrs. Hahoelein, is the form of marriage. Hire marriage is a form of marriage in feudal society. After the thirteenth century A.D., Mongolia into the feudal society, that is, the universal implementation of the bride price system. But there are still remnants of the bride price system. In the inter-tribal wars, robbing or plundering marriages are still common.
Marriage customs: Mongolians generally in the golden fall in August began to talk about marriage. The parents of the young man entrusted trusted relatives, choose a good day to take their son to the girl's home to talk about marriage. The girl and her parents will accept the offer of khata and a plate of cake if they like the boy, and the matter is settled. Winter is a good day to hold a wedding, the two sides selected days, the groom's family in the evening to the girl's home to pick up the marriage, so the wedding has begun, a strong national style, interesting and various wedding programs are staged continuously, until the East white; to receive the new team only on horseback, with the team to send the bridegroom's home to go together. Not far from the bridegroom's home to send the bridegroom's team to stop, welcome the bridegroom's team to the home together with the bridegroom's parents and relatives to come to meet a second time. After the mother-in-law lifts the head of the daughter-in-law, the bride and groom kowtow to their parents, the celebrant, and relatives and make a toast. The crowd will also excitedly sing and dance to the toast, with joy rippling across the grasslands.
Courting: Before a young man or woman is betrothed, the man has to court the woman. Before the founding of New China, it was usually the parents of the man or the commissioned matchmaker who went to the woman's home to ask for her hand in marriage, and if the woman's family agreed, she could be betrothed. According to the traditional Mongolian marriage custom, the man has to ask the woman's family for marriage many times to get the promise of the woman's family. The Secret History of Mongolia" volume records: also speed that put a bald child led his son Temujin (i.e. Genghis Khan) to the de Xue Chan family to ask for marriage. De Xue Chan said: "Ask a few times more, before giving ah, will be honored; less ask a few times, on the promise of ah, to be despised." Later, a Mongolian proverb was formed: "If you ask for more, you will be honored; if you ask for less, you will be belittled." After the agreement to seek marriage, the male party to bring khata, milk wine and sheep five fork or the whole goat to the woman's home "set". Female family invited friends and relatives to drink with the guests, said the formal betrothal.
Bride: young men and women betrothed by the man's home to the woman's home gifts, also known as bride price. Bride price of how much by the male family's economic situation. Agricultural areas more gold and silver jewelry, cabinets, clothing for the bride price; pastoral areas often cattle, horses, sheep and other livestock for the bride price. Herdsmen regard "nine" as an auspicious number, bride price to "nine" as a starting point, from "one nine" to "nine nine", up to Not more than eighty-one head, take "nine" for the meaning of longevity. If the poor herdsmen do not have nine number of livestock bride price, you can also choose the odd number of less than nine, to three, five, seven head of livestock as bride price, but never choose the even number.
Dowry: the dowry is a gift from the woman's family to her daughter. The Mongolian people are very particular about the dowry. How much the man sends as a bride price, the woman has to send a corresponding amount of dowry. Usually, the woman's dowry is more than the man's gift to the woman's family. Therefore, there is a Mongolian saying: "If you can afford to marry a daughter-in-law, you can't afford to hire a girl."
Choice of auspicious day: one of the Mongolian wedding customs. It is also known as choosing a happy day. Before the liberation of the two sexes, after the betrothal, first of all to ask the lama divination, choose the auspicious day, to determine the date of marriage. After choosing the auspicious date, the male family sent a matchmaker and friends and relatives with gifts such as khata, wine, candy, etc., to the female family, with their parents to discuss marriage matters. After the negotiations, the two families began to prepare for the wedding. Generally, they clean the wedding room, or build a new yurt, slaughter cows and sheep, prepare the bride price, dowry and other wedding supplies, and notify friends and relatives of both sides to come and congratulate the wedding.
Seeking the name of the bride: one of the procedures of the Mongolian marriage. Asking for the bride's name is also known as asking for the seal. It is an interesting theater activity. Married in the female family to stay the night, to be set up in the bride's boudoir sheep five fork or the whole sheep feast, also known as the name of the feast. The groom and the bridegroom, the bride and her brother and sister-in-law, sisters, all peers, to participate in this feast. At the banquet, everyone teased the groom, forcing him to kneel or half kneeling, asking for the bride's breast name or milk name. The bride is too shy to say anything, or deliberately does not answer. The bride's sister-in-law and sisters also do not answer, intentionally delaying the time. At this point, the male celebrant and the woman's sister-in-law to answer each other, and sing songs, until the woman said the real name of the breast, the name of the feast is over. Ask the name of the geng, in fact, is an intellectual competition, as a way to express the Mongolian young men and women's wisdom and intelligence.
Marriage: In the past, the Mongolian marriage is very grand, and retains the traditional marriage customs of male to female home to sleep and marry. Marriage is usually the day before the wedding day. Groom in the joyful atmosphere, wearing a colorful Mongolian robe, waist tie colorful belt, head round top red tasseled hat, foot high leather boots, wearing bow and arrow. The best man is also dressed in festive attire. Together on horseback, carrying a colorful car and gifts, to the woman's home to marry. When the bridegroom arrives at the woman's home, he first goes around the yurt for a week and presents the woman's home with one "Bumper Sheep" and other gifts. Then, the bridegroom and his best man hold the khat and wine in their hands, and make a toast to the bride's parents and elders one by one and perform the prostration ceremony. After the ceremony, the bridegroom and bride's family into the meal. In the evening, and set up sheep five fork feast. And hold the traditional ceremony of asking for the name of the geng. The next morning, when the bridegroom set off, the bride by the uncle or aunt to hold on the colorful car. The groom will ride around the bride riding the colorful car three times. Then, the bridegroom and the bridegroom take off together.
Diao hat: also known as grab hat. In the past, the Mongols in the marriage on the way, marrying and sending the bride to the horse, chasing each other, all want to be the first to home, to become the winner. To this end, both sides on the way to Tiuhat competition. Usually the bridegroom to find ways to marry the hat to snatch over, pick on the whip, or thrown to the ground, forcing the groom to get off the horse to pick, in order to affect the line speed. The bridegroom to cover each other, and not let the bridegroom to snatch the hat. Along the way, you chase me, play with each other, with a rich atmosphere of grassland life.
Wedding: Mongolians pay much attention to the wedding ceremony, although different regions, the form of each difference, but are very grand, lively. General pastoral wedding customs are: when the marriage back to the male family, the bride and groom do not go down the car and horse, the first three circles around the yurt. Then, the bride and groom, the bride and groom through two piles of fire, accept the fire god of dust. It indicates the purity of love and the prosperity of the new life. After the bride and groom enter the yurt, the first worship Buddha sacrificial stove, and then pay respects to parents and friends and relatives. After the ceremony, the bride's hair is combed by the combing forehead. After the grooming and dressing, wait for the start of the wedding banquet. Wedding banquet is usually set up sheep back or the whole sheep seat, a variety of milk food, candy everything. Wedding banquet, the groom silver pot, the bride held a silver bowl, to the elders, friends and relatives, one by one, offering Hada, toast. The boys raised silver cups, openly drink; girls accompanied by the Ma Touqin, singing. Wedding banquets often continue for two or three days, friends and relatives before they leave one after another. And the female party to send the bride to stay with the bride to stay one to three days. Sometimes, the bride's mother also sent relatives, to live more than ten days. Separation, mothers and daughters embrace, weeping, expressed reluctance to part.
Fire worship: an important ceremony in the Mongolian wedding. Although the form of fire worship varies from place to place, it is an indispensable part of the wedding ceremony. But in the wedding are indispensable content. Bride married to the groom's home, the first to hold a fire ceremony, the bride and groom from the two piles of fire between the two pass through, accept the baptism of fire, so that their love is more pure, unswerving, life is full of happiness, and grow old together. Dulbert Mongolian fire worship ceremony is unique. When the bride into the in-laws, the yard was based on a pile of fire, the groom and the bride to the fire altogether to sprinkle milk wine, and kneeling kowtow. Standing on the side of the master of ceremonies recited the "fire hymn": the holy lord Genghis Khan found the flint, Hahoelem mother Mrs. preserved the fire, with white khaddar, milk wine offerings, the fire of the nation from ancient times to the present day. Invite the bride and groom to pray! The sacred fire is the witness of your marriage! Invite the bride and groom to bow down! The Buddha's light passes on for you.
Characteristics of Inner Mongolian Marriage Customs:
More begging is expensive, less begging is cheap
Mongolian marriage customs start from the begging of marriage, the man has to beg the woman's family many times in order to get the promise from the woman's family, and there is a Mongolian marriage proverb that says: "More begging is expensive, less begging is cheap." After the marriage agreement, the male party to bring the khata, milk wine and sheep to the female family "hired", the female family invited friends and relatives to drink with the guests, said the formal betrothal.
Mongolian engagement gifts
If the Mongolian young man saw which girl, before the engagement, to entrust the matchmaker with a symbol of harmony, sweetness, prosperity, such as sugar, tea, gum, wrapped in a piece of white handkerchiefs to go before the matchmaking, if the woman accepts, the marriage can be carried out. Subsequently, the man's parents and I have to bring the hata, milk wine, sugar and other gifts to propose, usually several times to be engaged. After the woman accepts the betrothal, the man has to send three times to the woman wine, such as the woman will be all three times to accept the wine to drink, the marriage will be finalized. When close to the wedding date, the male party to the female party to send a gift, usually boiled a whole sheep, and wine, tea, Hada. The female side of the gift giver hospitality, both sides of the toast, the mouth of the auspicious phrases, the song to celebrate.
The groom is tested by breaking the neck of the sheep
Ordos Mongolian groom as well as welcoming the bride's family arrived at the bride's home, will always be the woman's family as the guest of honor hospitality, everyone together and eat and drink and sing and dance, very lively, at this time, the male celebrant will quietly leave the banquet to lead the groom to the bride's room. After they sat down on the guest seat, the accompanying women will serve up a boiled sheep's neck to entertain the bridegroom, and asked the bridegroom to break the sheep's neck from the center, to test the bridegroom's strength size. In order to tease the bridegroom, the escort women have long been a red willow stick or an iron rod cleverly inserted into the bone marrow of the sheep's neck. If the groom is instructed in advance, he will recognize the mystery and take out the willow stick or iron rod and easily break the sheep's neck. Some grooms do not know the secret, so they make a lot of effort, sweating all over, like a dog biting a turtle, anxious and ashamed. The bridesmaids took advantage of the opportunity to use very spicy and mean, but not malicious language sarcasm, make fun of the groom.
Marriage on the way to the first
Marriage on the way, in accordance with custom, each other want to get home first, men and women chasing each other to tease. Sometimes, the woman's relatives to send the bridegroom's hat, pick on the whip, or thrown on the ground, the bridegroom could not, had to dismount and pick the hat, which delayed the time. Sometimes, the smart men also have a way, not far from the groom's home to set up a table, hospitality to send relatives, the female side of the hospitality is difficult to refuse, had to dismount and drink, the male side of the opportunity to take advantage of the first to home. All the way to the horse like this, you catch up with me, the atmosphere is warm.
Not worship heaven and earth worship fire
The day of the marriage, by the male side to kill the chicken divination selected. On that day, the girl's parents sent her to the groom's house together with the introducer. The groom's family prepares wine and meat for the reception. After the bride arrived with the groom to hold the knife to kill a chicken, to see the chicken liver lines show how auspicious, such as inauspicious by the bride and groom to kill another one, to be killed to the chicken liver appeared auspicious lines until. Then, the bride and groom held a drinking ceremony, each person in front of a bowl of wine, bowl edge smeared with ghee, they first drink a mouthful, and then drink a cup of wine. Bride and groom drink the cup of wine, but also *** with the reception of the introducer and all the guests. Then both guests, as well as relatives and friends to congratulate together constantly drinking, singing and dancing until all night.
Mongolian wedding customs in different regions:
1. Erut Mongolian wedding customs
Erut Mongolian wedding customs roughly have such a few processes: matchmaking, betrothal, under the Hada, to worship heaven and earth to become married. First of all, the man's parents bring askan wine to the woman's home, in order to show askan, recognize each other. The second step, the man selected friends and relatives in the prestige of the person, with wine to the woman's home to propose marriage, to determine the marriage relationship, and agreed on the number of dowry and send the date of the Hadar. Thereafter, the girl cannot see the man and his family until the marriage. The third step, the next Hadar, that is, send the bride price. Erut people send Hadar, according to the betrothal banquet agreed on the number of species of bride price, according to the date set to the woman's home. The woman's home to organize a small-scale banquet to determine the auspicious date of marriage and some matters.
The wedding is the highest ceremony, the son-in-law in the first day of the wedding to the woman's home to stay, to participate in the girl feast and entertainment. The son-in-law goes on horseback and carries a bow and arrows, as well as a chaperone and a welcoming party. After morning tea on the second day, the bride-welcoming and bride-sending teams set out, the girl in a caravan, the son-in-law according to a certain target, shooting three arrows after hitting the horse first, to the home to report ready. Welcome the bride team to go on the way, the man sent people to send wine and meat tea and so on, in order to lunch on the way. When the girl arrives at the new home, the sister-in-law who accompanies the girl dresses the girl, releases the many pigtails that were combed when she was a girl, combs them into two pigtails from the center, puts on silver hairpins and other accessories, and dresses in a colorful dress with a long-breasted coat and a kangshi. Then, set up tables in the courtyard, men and women to worship heaven and earth into marriage, the wedding banquet that began. The next morning, the new daughter-in-law boiled milk tea, drink the tea boiled by the new daughter-in-law to send the relatives back, only the sister-in-law to stay, accompanied by the new daughter-in-law until the third day of the province.
2. Buryat Mongolian Wedding Customs
The process of marriage after betrothal is as follows:
Begging for a bride: no matter whether the parents are the masters of their own affairs or they are free to fall in love, they all go through the step of begging for a bride. The first by the male clan elders choose an auspicious day, with Hada morning to the woman's home, kowtow to the Buddha table, accept the woman's home after tea, explain the intention, and to the Buddha table to clear, who will be the daughter of the family to be hired as a daughter-in-law of the family, and so on. After the explanation is clear, the hatha is offered on the Buddha's niche. After the woman's family agrees and accepts the Hada, the two sides discuss matters related to the wedding.
Girls visiting relatives: A few days before the wedding, girls visit their relatives' homes as guests and stay there. The girl invites two of her boyfriends and two of her girlfriends, and the invited companions take care of the girl from the start of the visit to the wedding. On the first day of the wedding, the girl went back to her own home, hosted the girl's wedding banquet and party, entertained with the meat of the sheep recommended bone, sang the recommended bone ritual songs, taught the girl to live a good life in her in-laws, and wished for happiness and fulfillment.
Wedding Banquet: Choose the appropriate season and auspicious date to hold the wedding banquet, the man proposed the date of the wedding, and by both sides of the discussion to determine. And then, the woman invited friends and neighbors, explaining who in a certain month on a certain date to marry a daughter-in-law, please come, or who in a certain month on a certain date to marry a daughter to invite you to be a guest to send off the family. When inviting them, they should take off their hats and bend over with their hands spread out to show their respect. On the day of the wedding, the woman sends the girl to her mother-in-law's home, three times around the room, the man in the southwest, the woman in the northeast, respectively, dismounted.
Then, the male and female in-laws of the male side were greeted separately, receiving the horse to greet each other, perform a meet and greet salute to honor the seat. Both sides from the clan relatives in the selection of elders for the chief Huda (male in-laws), side by side in the main seat, the left side of the two sides of the chief Huda Gui (female in-laws) side by side into the table, the right side of the two sides of the maternal uncles side by side into the table, the other guests divided into seniority or seniority in order to be seated. First on the milk tea, pastries, and then on the cooked sheep's head, horse head, sheep, horse head facing the guests dedicated, guests with the right hand to pick up the knife exchanged to the left hand, from the right side of the knife to cut the meat, the first to honor heaven and earth, and then to the right side of the pass, pass to half a circle after the dedication to the dedicatee, and then dedicate the rest of half a circle, after the withdrawal of the sheep on the recommendation of bone parts, ribs and other meat. The wedding can be over in one day, not much wine is used, and it is conducted in a polite and orderly manner. Uninvited persons are not allowed to participate. At the end, the female elders to the son-in-law to present clothing, the male party to the guests gifts.
Buryat newlyweds, the man prepared a new yurt, built on the east side of the parents felt slightly back. Inside the eastern half of the package put cupboards, the middle of the iron stove and other cooking utensils, the center of the back for the Buddha. The woman prepared for the four seasons with clothing, beds, bedding, pillows, wool HuLai car (items cabinet car) and prepare silver saddle and other harness horse, conditions can also give a certain amount of dowry livestock.
Girls visit relatives: Buryat girls after the first month of each year to visit relatives, the first year can live a month, and then gradually reduced. When the daughter goes back to visit her relatives, her mother's family cooks the recommended bone part of the sheep or cattle, tibia-based cooked meat, as well as dairy products, pastries, sweets and other gifts to bring back. For reasons such as the girl's age and other reasons do not save the family, the family will be special meat, cakes sent specially.
3. Balkhu Mongolian marriage customs
In the past, the Balkhu young men and women to form a couple by their parents, even if the parties involved in the love affair, but also must go through the parents agree. Parents for their children to find objects, the main condition is to see each other's family economic situation, therefore, "the door is right" is the most common in the past engagement. Secondly, the lama to read the trigrams. Young men and women into marriage, on the one hand, to listen to the views of parents, on the other hand, also want to get the lama's consent, such as to see whether the two sides of the eight characters are suitable. In case of incompatibility, a pair of young men and women who love each other will probably not be able to become a couple.
Parents agree and after the lama read the trigrams, is engaged, there are two steps: one is to see the eight, when a family of men see another family of women, he will ask the matchmaker (mostly their friends and relatives) to take the male eight to go to the woman's home to ask for marriage. If the woman's family is also willing, they also take out the woman's eight characters, and the man's eight characters to the lama to see if they agree. If the lama also agreed, they still ask him to choose a day to get engaged; engagement day, the male father and brother with wine and satin to the woman's home, requesting the engagement, and invited female friends and relatives to eat wine, *** with the marriage discussions. After getting the woman's consent, the man puts the satin in front of the Buddha to testify and pours wine for the woman, and the engagement is finalized.
In the past, men and women married earlier, and marriage at the age of fifteen or six was common. In contracting marriages, they were mostly limited to relatives and friends, most notably cousin marriages, which meant that uncle and aunt cousins made good spouses. However, those who are directly related, have incurable diseases, or have the same surname cannot marry.
Marriage ceremonies must cost a fortune, and there are differences in the amount of money spent on ceremonies according to economic circumstances. The bride price of the richer most of the cattle and sheep, generally more than 40 head of cattle or a dozen sheep, the rich have up to more than a hundred. These bride price more in the marriage before the woman's home, but there are also sent after the wedding. Female parents when their daughters to get married, must give her to prepare for the wedding things. Usually there are animals, boxes, cabinets, beds, the number varies. The richest families even prepare new yurts for their daughters to get married, as well as giving their son-in-laws horses and clothes.
The day before the wedding, the female relatives and friends of the bride prepared a blue or black dress, shoulder flag and silver jewelry, in addition to a hat. The bride wears this dress while weeping. A dozen other women accompany her as she goes to the houses of her relatives and friends in the neighborhood to say goodbye. At each house, she cries once, showing that she is very much attached to them. At this time, the relatives and friends also kill goats and make wine for her to show their retention, and even keep the girl for a night. On this day, in the bride's own home, her father hosts a banquet for the man's father and brother and the groom, who have come to the house. Most of the materials for the banquet are brought by the man, usually cows and sheep, the number of which varies, but can be as many as 20 or 30. On the day before the wedding, the groom is accompanied to the woman's home by his father and brothers. In addition to the groom's father and brother to bring sheep and wine, the groom most often also brought a bow and arrow. When the groom enters the bag, he lights a lamp and bows to the Buddha. After that, they will bow to the woman's father and brother's family and friends, loaded with cigarettes for them, and to eat wine, but also for them to pour wine.
Wedding day, that is, the day after the man to the woman's home. The bride rides in a carriage and the groom shoots an arrow forward over the top of her carriage, meaning that the ghosts and monsters are shot away. There are people greeting the bride early in the day when she is still about 10 miles back to the man's house. Afterwards, a seat is made in the bag of the man's house. When the bride enters the bag, she also bows to the Buddha and pays her respects to the man's father, brothers, relatives and friends. The bride also pours wine for them during the meal. Until the feast is over, the bride and groom send these friends and relatives to the door. After sending the friends and relatives away, they come back to the bag to have the Hoho wine, which is accompanied by children.
After the wedding, the bride goes to the homes of her friends and relatives to introduce herself and let these people get to know her. Also shortly after the marriage, some after 3 days and some after 20 days, a trip is made to the mother's house. After completing these rituals, the bride labors like any other girl.
Balkhu, Buryat women in the unmarried before their hair are combed single flap (Buryat even have braided 8 flaps of the wind), after marriage, comb double flap, the new Balkhu women also in the marriage of the forehead hair (wearing a headdress) and then comb double flap of the custom. 1949, especially since the 80's, Mongolia's marriage customs, although it still retains a number of the old habits (especially in the pastoral areas), but has been a big change, tends to be simple. There has been a big change, tend to be simple and more practical, such as going to the hotel, and gradually transformed to the modern aspect.