BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2749, 24 June 1924, Page 4

BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM

CURIOUS MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. In many parts of India, particularly Bptignl (says a writer in a London paper) after the wedding ceremony the bride and bridegroom are tied together by the corner.- of their garments and made to parade the full length of the village to signify to all that, they are united for life.

At a Cingalese wedding the men and women are tied together by their thumbs ami in parts of Northern India the custom is to li, a piece of string or thread round the bride’s wrist. Another very ancient custom that, is still observed in many marriages is that- of placing the yoke of a. bulloek on the head of the bride for a moment in order lo impress upon her the duly of complete submission to her husband.

Among the Kurds, the bridegroom —no doubt, thinking of the possibility of divorce, which is easily oYInined —stands on a stream or running wilier while pronouncing marriage vows. This signifies that lie washes away the binding nature of the promise, and therefore the breach of it is less sinful!

The marriage ceremony in Afghanistan is simple if nothing else. All the man has lo do is to cut oil a lock of the girl’s hair or throw si sheet over her and proclaim her his bride!

In Persia marriages frequently take place between hoys and girls. One of the hoys employed by the British army in Kermaiishali in 1919 was 14 years old and had been married twice!

When a Persian takes his bride home sheen are usually killed as she steps over the threshold. A similar custom is pravalent among the A rails and when the bride reaches the threshold of her new home a

sheep is killed and she has to step over a stream of its flowing blood. hi Turkey when the bridegroom unveils his bride to have his first, view of her after the marriage ceremony they both look into a mirror and knock their heads together so that the images may appear united. In certain parts of China the bride is carried on a servant’s hack over a slow charcoal lire, on each side of which arc arranged n pair of tho bridegroom’s shoes. Another custom is tliat of lifting the bride over the threshold of her new home. The men of Abyssinia usually carry their brides from their old hoihos to their new ones, no doubt imitating the ancient ensl/rn of taking wives hv force. Tn Somaliland they have a queer custom of shutting „p the bride and bridegroom for seven days after the wedding. After an Algerian wedding the bridegroom enters his home backwards holding a dagger in Ins hand, r.m! his bride follows him. touching 11,0 point of the blade with the tip ~t 1,,.,- finger. In 1 lie Gilbert Islands a man can demand his wiles sisteis in marriage, and lie is also expectc.l to take his brother’s widow.