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Marriage being an important event of social life, the act of
wedding in the old Azerbaijan society was enhanced with a great many ceremonies and rites.
These were to prevent the future spouses from harm, diseases and venomous forces.
Traditionally the wedding cycle is divided into three stages: 1. Pre-wedding period During the pre-wedding period the family of a man chose a girl,
matchmade, got the consent of the girl and her family, then the engagement (nischan
in Azeri) followed. The engagement ceremony was arranged in the bride's house with the
bridegroom's relatives coming and bringing gifts for her. These gifts mainly were national
sweetmeats, remnants, shoes, silk and woolen jorabs (stockings) and sugar-loaf.
They were put on big salvers wrapped in embroidered covers and were called Honcha.
A ring was given to a bride during the engagement. The period between the engagement and
the wedding by itself could last from 2 months to 2 years, according to current situation.
This time was used to prepare the dower of a bride. Several days previous to the wedding
such a ceremony as Parcha Bichini (cutting the wedding dress) was observed, when
women of the both parties came together to entertain and cut out the wedding dress for the
bride. One day before a bride was to leave her home to move to her husband's house her
bridesmaids made her toilet. Among the rites of this day was Khna yahti that is
putting khna on bride's hands and feet. The essence of the rite was to mark that a girl
becomes a woman and lives the childhood behind. Dancing and singing accompanied making the
bride's toilet and Khna yakhti. The wedding party usually was held either in spring, around Novruz Bayram, or in autumn after the harvest yielding. In
early times a wedding party could last from 2 to 7 days. On the last day of the wedding
the bride was brought to the bridegroom's house where she was met with sweetmeats, coins
and corns rained over her head. The bride was to overstep a piece of metal at the
threshold of the house - this was the symbol of tenacity and faithfulness. The younger
brother of the bridegroom or his cousin belted the bride's waist threefold. The magic
force of a belt was used here. Also, a 2 or 3 years-old boy was put on the laps of the
bride to wish her first-born to be a boy. The post-wedding period began with Usa Chihdi - the
rite of the bride coming out to public and taking the veil off. The guests gave the newly
married couple valuable things and domestic utensils. The final event of this stage was
the couple visiting the bride's father's house in three or four days after the wedding. Now the wedding procedures became more simplified, being
strictly observed either. For example, almost all the above rites are observed now
depending on the way of life of the future spouses. Another tradition, necessarily
observed in Baku, is the wedding train driving around the city and stopping on the seaside
boulevard and Kirov Park.
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