How are the weddings of the Crimean Tatars

A traditional Crimean Tatar wedding is a rarity these days. Few people have the luxury of hosting week-long celebrations. And it's not even about money, but about free time and the fact that it is not easy to follow numerous ancient rituals. Yet some customs are still maintained today.

Playing a wedding by mutual consent of the bride and groom is a centuries-old tradition of the Crimean Tatars. In the old days, during the first visit of the matchmakers to the bride's house, she stood behind the screen and listened to the proposal of the messengers. If the bridegroom was to the girl's liking, she gave a secret sign to her parents, and they agreed to the engagement. Modern lovers for the most part do without matchmakers and screens.

The duration of the festival was reduced from a week to two days. But even now this time is divided into two parts. The first feast is held in the bride's house without the groom, the second - in full force in the groom's house. In the interval between these events, marriage registration takes place.

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Until the beginning of the 20th century, the groom was not present at the official marriage ceremony. The mullah came to the house of the bride, who was in the room behind the curtain. In the presence of witnesses from the side of the groom, the mullah asked the girl three times if she wanted to become the life partner of such and such a person. Having received consent, the mullah documented this fact.

Now the bride and groom, accompanied by friends, visit the mosque, where the mullah talks with the newlyweds and conducts the marriage ceremony. Then the company goes to the registry office, for a walk around the city and a photo session.

An interesting custom has practically disappeared from wedding practice, when the bride dyed her fingertips and hair with henna. Modern suitors, in turn, almost never perform ritual shaving, although this was widely practiced a hundred years ago. Before the arrival of the bride, the guests gathered at the groom's house, and the hairdresser solemnly shaved his beard, and the process was lengthy, as it was interrupted by dancing.

A modern Crimean Tatar wedding gathers many guests. If less than two or three hundred people came to the wedding, she will be called modest, even poor. It is a matter of honor for parents to play a rich wedding for their children, as well as to help them with building a house and organizing a household. They do not spare money for this, because a large “harvest” is usually collected at a wedding.

The custom has been preserved to present the newlyweds with money during the dance. At modern weddings, you can see a line of guests holding bills between their fingers and waiting for the opportunity to enter the dance floor. They give so much money that the bride and groom need an assistant to accept and carry the bills aside.

1. The bride listens to the instructions of the mula.

2. They start celebrating at home.

3. The groom is going, and relatives and friends from his side can still drink coffee.

4. The groom's parents (as well as the bride's) stay at home. They will join the young only in the evening at the banquet.

5. In cities, weddings often take place in the same way as in other cities of Russia. The groom came to the bride and now must redeem her.

6. Neighbors also came out to look at the ransom. But no one blocks the road and does not require vodka.

7. After the ransom, they get into cars and go to the registry office.

8. They sign there, a hired photographer captures this important moment in detail.

9. Only after the registry office can you go to the mosque.

10. Girls are not allowed to enter the mosque with open legs, shoulders and bare head. Therefore, at the entrance they are given special capes.

11. The ceremony lasts about 20 minutes. After the bride, groom and their witnesses must certify the marriage.

12. Bridesmaids carefully observe the process.

13. After hugging and congratulating her. Now the union is sealed in heaven.

14. Friends, respectively, congratulate the groom.

15. At the exit, you can finally take off your capes to reveal your beautiful dresses to your eyes.

16. After that, in the cities they usually go for a walk to take a few more photos. And in the villages they go to the groom's house.

17. Girls also dream of becoming a bride.

18. There are usually no banquet halls in villages. Therefore, they put up a tent in the courtyard.

19. Invited guests wait their turn to dance and give money to the parents of the bride and groom.

20. Each guest orders a song for himself and hands over the money during the dance.

21. Young people and their witnesses sit in the center of the tent on a dais.

22. Every wedding should have a musician or DJ. They also set the table for them.

23. Dances with money usually last a couple of hours, since it is not customary to invite less than 200 guests to a wedding.

24. A rich guest with his son is standing in line for a dance.

25. Great-grandmother and great-grandfather were put on the sidelines. Then they, too, brought and set the table.

26. The guests are clearly tired.

27. It is considered chic to invite artists to the wedding.

28. After the usual disco begins.

29. Only dances differ from what is customary to dance in Russia.

Photo: Mikhail Mordasov