How to celebrate the wedding of the Nenets Bashny.Net

The Nenets are now increasingly touring the tundra reindeer are not, and snowmobiling. They live in cities and towns, not to the camp. With future wives acquainted on the Internet, rather than through matchmakers. However, they prefer to celebrate the wedding as did their ancestors. Because of this issue, you'll learn how to organize a wedding Nenets in full accordance with the traditions.

Times are changing: the traditional Nenets wedding organized by all the canons and rules, is now rarely celebrated. However, today, pre-registering at the registry office, many Nenets decide to celebrate the triumph of the customs of their ancestors.

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Of course, not, like their great-grandmother and prapradedushki and a simplified scenario. Yet the key elements of the rite are saved - otherwise the marriage is blessed by the spirits do not get, and without young family will not be happy.

When my daughter was studying in college, she met Andrew. Some years they were friends, then decided to get married. They said that the ripe to start a family and children. My husband and I met with the parents of Andrew and collectively decided that we wanted to have a wedding was on all the rules. Without the three-storey cake and Coca-Cola, as well as it should. We have a lot of relatives in villages, have agreed with them that there should be noted. I believe that our ancestors knew how to enter into family life, to live to old age in peace and harmony. And we must preserve traditions of our people. Those who they should not, divorce. And in our family no divorce was not, because we respect the traditions.



A century ago, the wedding ceremony was preceded by not one year courtship and determine the degree of relatedness of the intending spouses. Then he would begin negotiations with the relatives of the amount of bride price, dowry preparation. Then, a special wedding train carrying the groom to the bride for hundreds and even thousands of kilometers from the other camp.

In the Nenets there was a strict ban on marriages between members of the same family. Therefore, the degree of relationship found out very carefully in advance. If such constraints was not, we send a matchmaker. Usually it was a respected man, who a few rounds of negotiations had to obtain the consent of the relatives of the bride. And then I began negotiating on the amount of ransom for her. Often it used a very interesting form of bargaining: the bride's father took a long wooden stick and made it notches, the number of which corresponds to the size of the ransom. A matchmaker, if it did not suit the conditions, cut off the excess with a knife nicks. When the parties came to an agreement, the staff split in half. One part was stored before the wedding in the bride's family, the other - the groom.

Now everything is easier: getting married - assign a day of celebration. Sew Special wedding dresses are not necessarily, you can do without them. If you really want to emphasize adherence to the traditions of ancestors, the bride can complement a special outfit bandage on head of beads, and the groom - to wear a red woolen shirt over malitsa of reindeer skins. All you can invite guests.



By the way, guests are invited to a wedding in the Nenets bit, but the very triumph of the mark only one day: life in the tundra has always been harsh, to arrange multi-day festival just once. Pre-set the tent in which to dwell, young. If the bride and groom live in the city, they spend there only one night, and then return to a modern well-equipped apartment. But tundra engaged in traditional crafts, this is a temporary dwelling and now could well become permanent.

For Nenets wedding tent - a mandatory element. You can do without the matchmaker, foreclosures, festive dresses, but without the plague - no way. It is the center of the universe, a symbol of world order, and all the rites of initiation, one of which is marriage, associated with it.

Before you enter into a sacred dwelling, the couple go through the rite of purification by fire. Pass in the most literal sense - step over the fire at the entrance to the tent. And right after that the bride throws the first fire of his own in their new home.

Fire Nenets, like most other nations, has always been considered sacred. The most destructive of the four elements feared and revered. It was believed that the fire purifies from worldly filth and heals. He was seen as a woman, and thus communicate with whimsical and capricious creature was just another woman, homemakers. Spirit of Fire Tu Hada knows the deepest secrets, and it affects the well-being in the house.



Beyond that, as the bride of the first Kindle Fire in the oven, watching closely. From the way he breaks out, it will be seen whether the Tu Hada bless this marriage. Caught fire at once - then everything will be fine. Can not ignite - expect problems. Bright high flames crackling logs - the good, the smoke - to misery.

After that comes the time to sit at the festive table. The procedure and composition of foods are strictly regulated and not subject to change. Main meal - shurpa venison.

Spoiled Europeans to taste this dish would have hardly. In the traditional version in Shurpa reindeer do not put any spices or seasonings, no roots. Even onions banned. Only meat and salt. Quality of food entirely depends on the freshness of the meat. And it is on this criterion Nenets kitchen give 100 points ahead of any European. Hart slaughtered just before cooking. After removing the foam meat is cooked for a long time at very low boil. It turns a thick, rich broth with chunks of fragrant meat. If we abandon the stereotypes, you begin to realize that this shurpa very tasty and dainty.



Previously, the bride and groom had to be sure to eat the heart and tongue of a deer. However, today's weddings, they can not do without eating these by-products is the same as the other guests. In addition shurpa invited required to treat the northern fish, salt and salted. Especially popular is the tenderest steak from fish or meat.

But strong drinks are discouraged strongly from herder's life depends on a whole herd, in the morning he should be on his feet, and with a clear head. Of course, the modern realities brought about changes in the once-strict rules and alcohol began to appear at the wedding tables, where previously it had no place. But now it is believed that a drink at the wedding - a shame.



When young and guests tasted the food, it comes time for the cultural program. In traditional weddings Nenets and prefer traditional entertainment.

On our wedding was a lot of competition. First archery. Then he competed in jumping over sledges. We put them in a row and watched the highest sledge jump. Then stick overtighten. Even throwing ax who throw farther. The main competition was throwing a lasso - tynzeya as we call it. He had to throw in the ferrets, vertically supplied stick. I really wanted to have a race on the reindeer, but it did not organize them. Still, it was very interesting.

The key moment of wedding fun is jumping on argish - so-called Nenets kind of train, consisting of linked to each other sleds. In the role of a locomotive are the deer. Argish things are loaded to capacity, so that they towered over the sleds, and then chased several times around the site of the celebration. The task of the guests - to jump on any of the "cabins" and try to stay on it. If you tear the ropes tying the sledges together - is a very bad sign.



While the guests having fun, the bride and groom not allowed to join them. They have to keep a low profile, not to show emotions - they are not welcome in the tundra.

We were told that we have to stand by and watch, in any case not to take part in the entertainment. And do not laugh - it lead to no good. It was very difficult to resist when my friends rolled with Argish. And the most ridiculous competition proved pulling sticks. We Natalia only each other's hands tightly clasped, so as not to burst out laughing. Nothing stood the test, because we have wanted everything to be in the statutes.

When the celebration is over, the bride and groom can be sent to the tent. From this moment it is believed that the tundra has a new family that will continue Nenets race. They will not ride on deer and ATV, to communicate on the Internet, and send their children to institutions, but will keep the traditions of their ancestors.



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