Wedding traditions in different countries are very diverse.
In some countries they are distinguished by modesty, in others, on the contrary, by luxury. In the East, there is a special attitude towards the wedding ceremony; all customs and traditions are sacredly respected here. Our country is inhabited by many nationalities and they all have different approaches to marriage. For example, let's talk about Dagestan weddings, which are the personification of severity and simplicity. Initially, in accordance with traditions, in Dagestan it was customary to have two weddings: for both the bride and the groom.
This is due to the fact that the girl’s parents cannot attend the celebration at the groom’s house. Events are held one week apart.
Wedding in Dagestan: 5 features of the celebration
Let's find out what national characteristics distinguish Dagestan weddings:
- A wedding in Dagestan is celebrated for two days: first in the bride’s house, as in the case of an Azerbaijani wedding, and seven days later in the groom’s house. The bride's relatives are prohibited from attending the wedding in the groom's house, so a separate celebration is held for them. Marriage registration takes place before the second banquet.
- Dagestan weddings are always distinguished by their special scope. Up to one and a half thousand people are present at the celebration, and even uninvited people (neighbors, city residents or acquaintances) can come to congratulate the newlyweds.
- Parents begin fundraising for the wedding immediately after the birth of the child. That is why, after many years, Dagestanis can afford to organize a luxurious celebration.
- Parents and newlyweds have the right to decide exactly how to celebrate. This could be a wedding with alcohol, loud music and a lavish feast, or a holiday taking into account Muslim traditions and rituals, i.e. without all of the above (since two different religions coexist peacefully in Dagestan: Christianity and Islam).
- It’s hard to imagine a Dagestan wedding without national music and Lezginka.
Hadise Achikgoz
This beautiful girl is a Turkish and Belgian pop and R&B singer. She is half Lezginka and half Kumyk by origin. Hadise was born on October 22, 1985 in the Belgian city of Mol. Has a brother and two sisters.
As a child, Hadise was fond of horse riding and took music lessons, as she always wanted to become a singer. However, the girl began to practice vocals professionally as an adult - at the age of 17. In 2002, she won a local beauty contest in her hometown, but nevertheless refused the offer to become a model.
As a singer, Hadise Açıkgöz released 7 albums, 4 songs of which entered the top 20 of the Flemish hit parade:
- Düm Tek Tek;
- My Body;
- Milk Chocolate Girl;
- Sweat.
With her popular single Düm Tek Tek, which took 1st place, in 2009 the girl represented Turkey at the next Eurovision Song Contest, held in Moscow. There she performed successfully and took an honorable 4th place. Hadise's talent is not limited to vocals; in addition to Turkish, she also speaks 4 languages: French, German, English and Dutch.
Dagestan wedding scenario
Dagestan marriages are considered the strongest and most often last a lifetime, which is associated with the pronounced religiosity of the people. That is why weddings are celebrated on a grand scale, sparing no expense. Svadbaholik.ru is ready to tell you about the most colorful customs and main stages of a Dagestan wedding.
Matchmaking in Dagestan
In Dagestan, matchmaking is a secret ceremony that takes place in the evening among the closest relatives. Several options for carrying it out are known, namely:
- The custom of infant betrothal or lullaby agreement, in which an agreement is made between parents when the potential newlyweds are still children. This custom is considered outdated, but is still found among the Lezgins.
- The custom of adult betrothal. It is relevant for today's youth. Representatives of the groom present the bride with gifts, and her parents show off her dowry. If both parties agree, an engagement takes place, a visit to the bride, followed by a return visit to the groom’s house.
- Bride kidnapping. It is an eccentric tradition of the Dagestanis, which is gradually becoming a thing of the past. However, it occurs in cases where parents forbid a young couple to marry.
First day of the wedding celebration
On the eve of the first day of the celebration, the parents of the newlyweds perform a sacrifice in honor of the newlyweds, honoring deceased relatives (as in Armenian wedding traditions). Musicians for the celebration are invited in advance; most often people are chosen from other villages. Ritual music opens the celebration, ritual songs with special prayer power are heard.
At exactly noon, the groom and his female relatives begin their journey to their beloved. They bring gifts and sweets with them, which the newlywed will soon take to her husband’s house.
On the first day of the wedding celebration, the bride is prepared for the moment when she leaves her father's house. A farewell ceremony is held with crying and ritual songs. The bride's mother collects the dowry.
Second day of the wedding celebration
Since the second day of the wedding takes place on the groom's property, the first thing he does is pick up the bride from her parents' house. On the threshold he is met by his beloved's sister, performing a traditional dance. The mother treats the newlyweds with honey, urging them to live a long and happy married life. The bride is brought to the groom's house at noon, where she is showered with sweets, nuts and coins. From this moment on, noisy fun begins with many interesting customs.
Of course, the most important tradition at a Dagestan wedding is the first dance of the newlyweds, before which the bride dances with each man at the celebration.
Dance competitions among Dagestanis are a colorful spectacle. This part of the program is opened by the main dancer, to whom all the men join. From the female side, the bride's sister begins to dance, followed by all the women. This action can continue until late in the evening.
During a magnificent feast, guests present gifts to the newlyweds, and the bride is obliged to give gifts to everyone who helped her in organizing the wedding. On the tables you can usually see national treats: dolma, pilaf, shish kebab, khinkali, etc.
Gulnara Alimuradova
Gulnara was born on December 5, 1989. She is the leading model of the Azerbaijani agency “Fashion Model school” and the favorite model of the famous photographer R. Nabiyev, with whom she has been working successfully for a long time. Gulnara has a musical education - she graduated from the Baku Conservatory in violin. In 2010, the girl confidently won the Miss Azerbaijan competition.
By the way, Gulnara doesn’t consider herself beautiful. She says that she is pretty and has a completely normal figure, but she doesn’t find anything special about herself. She has not yet found her chosen one, because, as she explains, she loves serious and frank people and expects that she will meet just such a person and win her heart.
Dagestan wedding dresses
If we consider a wedding as a modern celebration, Dagestan brides are not limited in choosing a wedding dress, the main conditions of which are:
- floor length;
- covered shoulders;
- use of expensive fabrics when sewing;
- luxurious decor with precious stones.
The most popular wedding dresses among Dagestan brides are loose-fitting simple silhouettes, high-waisted models, dresses with a corset and a full skirt.
The most popular color of the Dagestan wedding dress is white. Less often, brides choose a milky, beige or coffee outfit. Mandatory attributes are gloves and a veil. Dagestan wedding hairstyles are always especially sophisticated. Traditionally, these are high hairstyles with collected hair.
You have just learned about the most exciting customs and traditions of Dagestan weddings. They are the ones who can best tell about the culture of the people, their values and lifestyle. You can also read about equally interesting facts about weddings of different nations of the world on our website.
Aminat Mirzakhanova
Aminat was born in Makhachkala on January 26, 1995 into a poor family. Lachka origin. In 2003, she and her family moved to Austria, where she grew up. Because of her beauty, the girl chose the profession of a fashion model.
In 2012, Aminat won the national beauty contest, and also represented her country at more serious events:
- Miss World (same year);
- Miss Universe held in 2015
In her country and the world, Aminat is known as Amina Dagi. His girlfriend chose, as she explains, in memory of her historical homeland. In addition to his attractive appearance, Aminat also has intelligence, as he speaks 4 languages: Russian, French, German and English.
Dina Mereutsa
The young Dagestan singer and beauty Dina Mereutsa was born on November 24, 1994 in Derbent. On the professional stage since the age of 12. The girl quickly earned the love of the public and is now one of the most popular and recognizable singers in her homeland. Her repertoire includes lyrical songs written by famous Dagestan songwriters.
Components of Dina's success:
- an unforgettable voice that cannot be confused with any other;
- subtle sense of style;
- captivating charisma and charm;
- continuous work on oneself;
- love for the audience;
- quality arrangements.
At the end of 2011, the girl earned the “Song of the Year” award, organized by the Dagestan television channel RU TV STAR. She was awarded the award for her undoubted skill and significant contribution to the development of national culture and popular music.
Alisa Ganieva
This beautiful Dagestan girl was born in Moscow on September 23, 1985. Her origin, as she repeatedly emphasized in interviews, is Avarka. Alice grew up in the homeland of her ancestors, but since 2002 she has lived in the capital of the Russian Federation. In the same year she graduated from the Literary Institute. A. M. Gorky. Her debut as a journalist occurred 2 years later, when the Moskovsky Vestnik magazine published her first article.
Now the girl combines several professions. She works:
- editor at NG-Exlibris;
- TV presenter on the Russian TV channel “Top Secret”;
- literary critic;
- prose writer.
Alisa writes in Russian, but her works have already been translated into several other languages. For her work, she was awarded several literary awards founded by newspapers and magazines, as well as the Debut and Triumph youth awards. More recently, in 2015, the British “The Guardian” included the girl among the 30 youngest and most talented residents of the Russian capital under 30 years old.
Khatima Nisredova
A native of Makhachkala, Khatima Nisredova is not just a beautiful girl from Dagestan, but a famous and talented journalist. In 2010, she graduated from Dagestan State University, where she studied journalism. Currently she is a special correspondent for the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Dagestan", but previously worked in newspapers:
- Makhachkala News;
- Present tense.
Khatima's reports are always distinguished by high professionalism, objectivity and depth. Her achievements in the field of journalism were awarded by the Union of Journalists and the Public Chamber of the Republic of Dagestan, as well as the State Prize of Dagestan for Journalism. The girl earned high awards through selfless work and dedication aimed at the benefit of society.
In November 2012, the girl won the All-Russian competition for young journalists “Challenge - 21st Century”. She received first place for informative interviews presented in the “Economics” and “Politics” nominations.
