Tibetan Wedding Custom

Brief Introduction of Tibetan Weeding Costum

As for the Tibetan Wedding Custom, there are two categories, one is the old and the other is the new. According to the old wedding custom, the marriage was arranged by the parents, because they had the responsibility of fostering and solving the marriage of their sons and daughters, and the offspring only had the obligation of obeying and looking after their parents. In the old times, the offspring had no right to bother about the marriage. According to the new wedding custom, the marriage is much freer, when the boy and girl fall in love with each other, they just need to tell their parents and after a series of process, then they get married.

Old Wedding Custom

As a result of the arrangement of parents, when the bride marries and gets to her husband's home, she even can't doesn't know what her husband looks like.

New Wedding Custom

Marriage Proposal

Making an offer of marriage is the first necessary procedure. Before this, they should make a divination of their animal zodiacs and send hadas to each other's family for the formal making offer of marriage.

Engagement

The engagement of marriage, after the approval of both sides, they choose a good day to draft out the certification of marriage contract. Generally, the certification is written by people full of wit, and the content is about the love, respect, consideration between men and women. Some even include the inheriting of properties. All the marriage contracts are written in the form of poems and can be read aloud with expression. On the day of the engagement, the men's side should give a hada to each member of the women's side, and at the same time, he should give some money to the women's parents. Of course, the men's side should give present to the women's family, including an apron and the cost of that day. After serving the tea, they would put the marriage contract in duplicate on the compote. When the attestor of one family reads it, the attestor of the other family would collate it. After that, the two attestors would seal the contraction. But on this day, the young men and woman would not attend in it.

Wedding Ceremony

One day before the marriage ceremony, the man's side would dispatch someone to send a beautiful dress, pahchu, Gawu, bangle and some other ornaments to the woman's side for the dress-up of the next day. On the day of the marriage, the man's side would find a posted man to lead a group of people as well as a horse, being decorated well, the colour of which is matched with the bride's animal zodiac and pregnant. Another important thing they bring with is a colorful arrow, decorated with a mirror, jade and jeweler. Before the bridegroom gets to the bride's home, the bride's side would hold a farewell ceremony. When the caravan gets to the bride's home, they would put the arrow on the bride's back, implying that she has been one member of the bridegroom's family. Then they put the jade on the top of the bride's head, suggesting that the soul of the bridegroom has been entrusted to the bride. The bride only brings one accompany with her, and when she left the home, one of her family members would hold a colorful arrow in one hand, and a gigot in the other hand, standing on the upstairs, shouting loudly with don't take away the good luck of her family. When they start off, the leader is someone wearing a white robe, riding a white horse and lifting a Eight-Diagram picture. After the leader, it is the representative, then the bride and her accompany, and then the other followers. On the way, the family members of the bridegroom should toast the caravan three times. Before the arrival of the bride, the bridegroom should decorate the gate and prepare a cushion for the bride to get off the horse. The cushion should be a bag filled with highland barley and wheat. The traditional ceremony of getting into the door is very complicated. From the dismount, entering the door, going upstairs and going int oteh hall, each time should be with a canticle and hada. When the bride gets into the hall, she sits by the bridegroom and the other people sit in order. Then the new pair toasts the Buddha statue, give hada to the parents and hang hada on the pillar. The other people sing songs for the congratulation. The masters send hada to show their gratitude. After this, the bridegroom sends the bride to the bridal chamber and the others eat and drink as much as they like. These activities last for three days, during which the relatives may go there to send hada and presents, and the masters treat them with wine and tea, but the bridegroom should not go out.