While half of my friends are talking about the fact that registering a marriage is state interference in the privacy of two loving hearts, enlightened esotericists are in favor of bonding love through tantric practices, and not a stamp in the passport, some radical feminists propose to cancel the wedding as an act of fixing the slavery of women , at this time in the Caucasus, people still celebrate weddings on the principle of "a feast for the whole world", they have been preparing for this event for years and attach great importance to it. After all, marriage is one of the most important events in the lives of Caucasians, especially women.
This spring, we were lucky enough to attend a typical Dagestan wedding celebrated by residents of the highland village of Gunib, located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, southwest of Makhachkala. Today it is a mono-ethnic village, in which the majority of the inhabitants are Avars, and 150 years ago, in addition to the Avars, Russians, Jews, Kumyks, and Tatars lived here. This place became in its time the stage for fierce battles and political strife, mainly because of its unique strategic position - Gunib is a natural high mountain fortress.

We arrived in Gunib at about 10 am, and Murtazali, the organizer of the wedding and the toastmaster, already met us there. It is to him that we owe the fact that we were able to get to the wedding, and it was from him that we heard the most interesting things about family Dagestan traditions.

First of all, we went to the groom's house, where a large motorcade of cars was already being prepared for the bride's house. In the Caucasus, the peak of “steepness” is considered a car with a low seating position - and here, on a rural dirt road, this cortege resembled a noisy caravan in the spirit of Kusturica.

Murtazali told us that earlier in Dagestan the wedding was celebrated twice: in the groom's house and in the bride's house, but now this tradition is observed if the future newlyweds live in different villages or cities. Our newlyweds were born and raised in the same village, so the wedding was organized alone - in their new home.

Parents in the Caucasus begin to prepare for the wedding of their children almost from their birth: they collect the dowry of the bride, invent the style of the dress and hairstyle, the grooms learn to dance, drink and eat a lot - without this, there is nowhere in the Caucasus! When young people are engaged, they can only get married after their own house is built. Siyana met her future husband a year ago at one of the weddings celebrated in Gunib, and when they decided to get married, both families started building a house together. The house turned out to be typical for this region: stone, quite spacious, equipped, as they say, "turnkey", it has everything to start a happy family life- starting from bed linen and ending with dishes and curtains.

So, our motorcade arrived at the bride's house, where from the very early morning they are engaged in her decoration.

Numerous bridesmaids and young relatives help with makeup, hair and dress, and at this time, mother and older relatives are finishing preparations for the traditional part of the “transfer” of the bride to the groom, while completely sincerely worrying and crying, since this is the last day of the girl in the walls of her native Houses.

When the groom enters the house of his future wife, he is met by the bride's sister and... dancing! In general, dance in Dagestan is an expression of joy, it is a transcendent action, a way of communication and an indispensable attribute of any wedding.

After the dance, the mother of the bride treats the young with honey, which symbolizes the wishes of a long sweet life.

The parents of our lovers initially blessed this marriage. But sometimes, as Murtazali told us, bride kidnapping still happens in the Caucasus, almost like in “ Caucasian captive". Although this is described closer to the truth by Ephraim Sevela in his book “Men's Conversation in a Russian Bath”, which tells the story of how a young beauty fell in love with an ugly old mountain guide, a former robber, and with her own consent (which is just very important! ) and was kidnapped by him, after which the family can no longer accept the defiled girl back and agrees to the marriage.
Until now, when concluding a marriage, the social factor of the newlyweds plays an important role - the groom should not be in a social and financial position below the family of his chosen one.
Another of the traditions that we, brought up in Western culture (or it would be more correct to say - in Soviet culture), are unusual, in Dagestan there is such a thing as polygamy. Until now, here, officially, a husband can have up to four wives. The only thing that often keeps a man from this step is the financial issue, since you have to be a very rich person to afford to support so many wives. Discrimination of wives is not at all welcome - if you gave a gift to one, then be kind to give the other three gifts equal in value.
Divorce in Dagestan is the exception rather than the rule. Traditionally, if living together the husband will say the phrase “You are no longer my wife!” three times, this means a divorce. In order to "register" it, the spouses go to the imam, who fixes their decision with certain actions. In general, in Russia today, according to the statistics of divorces, there are almost the same number of marriages. In the Caucasus (mainly in Muslim regions - such as Dagestan, Chechnya, Azerbaijan) they rarely get divorced: partly this is due to the traditionally important role of the family as the main institution of society, partly due to the fact that women hardly work, and therefore cannot provide for themselves, which is also an additional incentive to save the marriage. But I believe that here they simply remember and appreciate such a thing as love.
After arriving at new house newlyweds, two centers of fun were formed - the house itself, in which guests are treated, and a specially designed area in front of it, where the main fun takes place - namely, dancing.

The food at the wedding is, of course, what made us forget about all the decorum and the basics of a healthy diet. Vegetables, fruits, meat, pies, dolma (grape leaves stuffed with meat), shish kebabs, chudu (a thin pie stuffed with meat/herbs/cottage cheese), khinkal (a complex dish that includes strong spicy broth, pieces of dough boiled in it, lamb, beef or poultry, as well as kefir, sour cream or tomato sauce), kurze (something like our dumplings, but even more reminiscent of Georgian khinkali, there are vegetable and meat kurze) with tomato sauce. All this is prepared by relatives, or rather, relatives who non-stop put freshly prepared dishes on the table for new guests, clean up after them and wash the dishes. Real hard work!

Toasts constantly sound at the table: long, masterly performed, interspersed with old parables and legends, with wishes of love and advice to the young. The most revered person at a wedding is the oldest guest or relative. By the way, the same tradition also applies to the priority of marriage - younger brothers and sisters cannot do this until the older brother or sister gets married / marries.

Another important part of the wedding takes place outside - dancing. It all starts with a dance tradition, reminiscent of our "brook" - the guests are given a few flowers, which they must give to the one they invite to the dance. You can’t refuse, even if you are tired, old, drunk - at least for 5 minutes, but you need to go out into the circle and dance. In the dance, the flower is passed on and the one who received it further invites someone to dance. Thus, the playground is never empty, the music sounds incessantly and during this time all the guests have time to dance with each other. Basically, this is how they find a bride or groom in Dagestan. At some point, Yanka was dragged to the site, who had to hastily learn lezginka. Some women, expressing either respect or joy at the fact that the Russian guest was dancing at the wedding, began to run up to her and put money into her hand. It was completely unexpected!
The dance of the bride and groom is one of the most beautiful and important points weddings. But first, the bride dances with all the men - close guests. She makes a small circle and the man dances around her and throws money on her head. The bridesmaid follows her and collects the money. This money is a gift for the newlyweds, it is not customary to give microwaves and kettles here! When all the men have danced, it is the groom's turn. Together with the bride, he makes several circles, then excited friends and relatives join him in a fit, and violent joy begins: the groom is lifted into his arms and rocked, thrown up, dancing uncontrollably and shooting into the air. A real holiday!

The wedding lasts three days, and in total it is attended by about a thousand guests: of course, not all at once, but during the entire wedding, all residents of the village and surrounding villages should come to visit at least for 15 minutes.
Murtazali told an interesting custom, how a newly-made spouse is checked. At the most inconvenient time - well, for example, at 4 o'clock in the morning - they come to visit the newlyweds. A good hostess should be ready to receive guests at any time and set khinkal and tea on the table. Such is it, the female share!
After toasting, eating and dancing, we tried to say goodbye delicately and leave, as they began to treat us with alcohol more and more actively, that after several hours of tasting all kinds of delicacies of Caucasian cuisine, we could no longer continue. We went for a walk. Naturally, walking around the village, we were immediately invited to visit, and we ended up in the house of a local mason who is engaged in engraving. He willingly showed us his work, and we took pictures with pleasure.

And then we slowly, for long interesting stories, Murtazali went to the very edge of the village, and the wedding sounded like an accompaniment to us in a distant echo.

Thank you for your attention.

A beautiful Dagestan wedding is a truly fascinating sight, where modernity is intertwined with ancient traditions and rituals of the people. About the amazing celebration in Dagestan, which can be described by the well-known phrase "a feast for the whole world," the Svadbagolik.ru portal will tell.

Wedding in Dagestan: 5 features of the celebration

Let's find out what national features Dagestan weddings differ in:

1. 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 forbidden to walk at the wedding in the groom's house, so a separate celebration is arranged for them. Registration of marriage is carried out before the second banquet.
2. Dagestan weddings always differ in a 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.
3. Parents start collecting funds for the wedding immediately after the birth of the child. That is why, after many years, Dagestanis can afford to organize a luxurious celebration.
4. Parents and newlyweds have the right to decide how to hold the celebration. It can be a wedding with alcohol, loud music and a magnificent feast, or a holiday taking into account Muslim traditions and rituals, i.e. without all of the above (since two different religions peacefully coexist in Dagestan: Christianity and Islam).
5. It is difficult to imagine a Dagestan wedding without national music and lezginka.

Scenario of the Dagestan wedding

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 large scale, sparing no expense. Svadbagolik.ru is ready to tell you about the most colorful customs and the main stages of the Dagestan wedding.

Matchmaking in Dagestan

In Dagestan, matchmaking is a secret ritual that takes place in the evening among the closest relatives. There are several variants of its implementation, namely:

1. Custom of betrothal of babies or lullaby conspiracy, in which an agreement is made between the parents when the potential newlyweds are still children. This custom is considered obsolete, but is still found among the Lezgins.
2. adult engagement custom. It is relevant for today's youth. The groom's representatives give the bride gifts, and her parents show the dowry. If both parties agree, an engagement is made, a visit to the bride, after which there is a return visit to the groom's house.
3. Bride theft. 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

On the eve of the first day of the celebration, the parents of the newlyweds hold a sacrifice in honor of the newlyweds, honoring the deceased relatives (as in accordance with Armenian wedding traditions). Musicians for the celebration are invited in advance, most often people from other villages are chosen. Ritual music opens the celebration, ritual songs sound with special prayer power.

Exactly at noon, the groom with female relatives begins his journey to his 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 lamentation and ritual songs. The bride's mother collects the dowry.

Second day of the wedding

Since the second day of the wedding takes place on the territory of the groom, the first thing he does is take the bride from her parental home. On the threshold he is met by the sister of his beloved, performing a traditional dance. The mother treats the newlyweds with honey, urging them to live a long and happy life. The bride is brought to the groom's house by noon, where she is showered with sweets, nuts and coins. From this moment, noisy fun begins with many interesting customs.

Of course, the most important tradition at the Dagestan wedding is the first dance of the newlyweds, before which the bride dances with each man at the celebration.

Dance competitions among the Dagestanis are a colorful spectacle. This part of the program is opened by the main dancer, to whom all men join. From the side of the female half, the sister of the bride begins to dance, after which all the women go to dance. 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, barbecue, khinkali, etc.

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.

Dagestanis love to celebrate weddings lavishly and cheerfully - with songs, dances and lots of treats. Although quiet religious Muslim celebrations are held, where there is no noisy music and alcoholic drinks. A wedding in Dagestan gathers a lot of people - from several hundred to a thousand people and even more. Everyone comes, including distant relatives, colleagues and neighbors. Any fellow countryman can drop in without an invitation.

Of course, the celebration is not without folk traditions and customs, however, many of them are no longer observed:

• In the old days, a girl could not afford to choose her betrothed herself. Her parents did it for her.

• The Dagestan wedding began with the theft of the bride. Now this happens when the father and mother do not want to marry their daughter. Since a girl who spends the night with a man brings dishonor to the family, the parents have to give their consent.

• The bride was obligated to cover her head with a scarf and open it only the next day after the wedding fun.

• Previously, the blood of a ram was shed on the bride's feet in front of the groom's house.

• Toward the end of the festivities, the girl was taken to the newlyweds' room. There she waited for her future husband, who entered at midnight. After the wedding night, the bride's relatives carried out a bloody sheet to prove her innocence.

Similar customs can be found among other peoples. Now, if they are observed, then rarely. At the same time, it should be taken into account that many ethnic groups live in Dagestan with their own national culture and traditions. Their wedding customs may differ.

One of the well-established customs of this people is a two-time wedding. The main action takes place in the house of the betrothed. The bride's parents are not present. Therefore, the Dagestanis celebrate before this one more small wedding - at the house of the betrothed, so that her father and mother participate in this fateful event in the life of their daughter.

Preparation for the holiday

The Dagestan wedding begins with the main preparation - fundraising - as soon as the child is born. This explains the scope of the holiday. Before its onset, young people should not meet often, and even more so sleep together.

Immediately before the wedding, all relatives are engaged in predetermined duties. There are chores associated with choosing a venue for the holiday, buying wedding dresses, compiling a list of treats, inviting guests, etc.

The newlywed selects furniture for the future home and generally equips the home environment. Most of the pre-wedding troubles go to the parents of both. On the eve of the holiday, they, in particular, commemorate the deceased relatives, and also make sacrifices so that the young ones live happily.

Pre-wedding engagement of newlyweds

Engagement traditionally begins with matchmaking. It's also called collusion. Dagestanis make it unspoken, only close relatives gather. They usually meet in the evening so that no one can see. First, matchmakers from the groom visit the house of the betrothed. They come with gifts. After that, the parents of both parties agree on holding the wedding.

Among other things, such details as dowry, the size of the ransom (kalym), the day of the celebration are discussed. A Dagestan wedding should not fall on other celebrations - the birthdays of the future spouses, their parents and Muslim ones, like Eid al-Fitr. Then the groom himself comes to the companion's house, the newlywed with her father and mother also visits her future spouse.

Modern Dagestan weddings are distinguished by such an engagement. There is another option - matchmaking takes place when the future newlyweds are still children. Their desire is not taken into account. This is the so-called "lullaby" conspiracy. The groom's father receives a gift from the bride's parent, which is a kind of vow for a future marriage. The first option is now much more common. After the engagement, the future spouses go to the registry office and submit an application.

Features of wedding dresses

There are no special prescriptions for newlyweds' attire now, but it is worth noting that Dagestan wedding decorations are one of the most expensive in the world. The bride's dress is certainly long, puffy, it is decorated with jewels, it looks very elegant and is quite expensive.

As already mentioned, the modern Dagestan wedding bypasses some of the customs and the head of the betrothed is now not always covered with a scarf. Often, on the contrary, girls are given chic hairstyles. However, the young woman stocks up with two outfits - a modern white Wedding Dress and another traditional Dagestan. The fun doesn't just last one day.

The groom wears any modern suit, which should be stylish and solemn. As in the case of the bride, there may be one more - national with a hat. In it, the newlyweds perform a folk dance.

Traditions of celebrating the first day of the celebration

According to the tradition of the Dagestan wedding, the holiday takes place in two days. The interval between them is equal to a whole week. The first day of the holiday is modest. All females are invited to the bride's house, including bridesmaids and neighbors. They sing songs of the Dagestan people and "mourn" the girl who is leaving native home. For her, there comes an exciting moment of parting with her former life.

In the middle of the holiday, the groom arrives with a company of relatives. Under folk songs they present the betrothed expensive gifts, like jewelry, fabrics, clothing, and treats. The gifts are then placed in the wedding chest. Their cost depends on the wealth of the groom. Then the betrothed will take this chest to a new house. As long as she doesn't go anywhere.

Traditions of celebrating the second day of the celebration

The second marriage begins seven days later. There are different options here:

1. The groom's father goes after the bride in the afternoon. He pays her parents the so-called ransom, and also gives the girl a mirror and a candle - for a happy life for the newlyweds. She is dressed in a wedding dress. Then, according to tradition, she leaves with the groom's father and his other relatives to the house of her beloved. There, the newlyweds are sprinkled with sweets and coins, sometimes with flour, they give honey to taste. All this in order to make life sweet and happy.
2. According to another scenario, the groom comes with a noisy meeting of relatives to the bride's house. Here they are given honey. Then he takes his beloved to him.

The real fun begins in the boy's house. Although the holiday can be celebrated in a restaurant or a banquet hall. Dagestan rural marriage may even take place on fresh air. The place, in any case, looks luxurious. The tables are set large quantity meals and treats. Men and women sit separately.

Throughout the evening, the Dagestanis dance. Lezginka reveals the national character of this people. Such events are not complete without it. And everyone can dance it - from young to old. A specially invited person starts - aravul. Then the men pick up, then the sister of the newlywed, and after her other women.

Second day

There is a tradition according to which the newlywed dances next to the men. Those, in turn, circle around her and load the young woman with money. In general, guys and girls dance separately. Contemporary music is also often played at the festival. The wedding is marked by the dance of the newlyweds.

The event is supervised by an invited toastmaster. Previously, this role was performed by one of the relatives. Various competitions are held. Guest artists perform. The case is not complete without national toasts. At a noisy celebration, men, as in the old days, shoot into the air. According to popular beliefs, this drives away evil spirits.

The next day, the bride, if she was wearing a headscarf, is allowed to take it off. Her relatives come, incl. father with mother. They congratulate the newlyweds and eat. Parents of both sides after a fun celebration exchange gifts.

Real Dagestan weddings are a kind of wedding celebrations taking place taking into account the historical traditions of this people. At the same time, you should not mix all the ethnic groups of Dagestan into a single whole. Dagestan is a republic inhabited by the largest number of people of different nationalities, while each of them has its own characteristics of celebrating weddings.

However, there are also common traditions that are inherent in all nationalities.

At present, in the Dagestan Republic, few places have preserved the historical traditions of celebrating weddings. The Dagestan peoples give more and more importance to the European style, and their historical traditions are only in small parts entered into the general wedding plot.

Consider, nevertheless, the historical traditions of celebrating weddings in the Dagestan Republic, which can be found to this day.

Traditions of the Dagestan wedding

• Conspiracy of parents about the engagement of their children.

Initially, in the Dagestan Republic, the ceremony could take place in two ways:

1. the first way is “lullaby matchmaking”, in which the parents of the young agreed among themselves that their still young children would marry in the future. At the same time, to seal the oral contract, the father of the future bride handed over to the father of the future groom some valuable item.
2. the second way is for adult children, when the bride is first given gifts, then the pre-wedding engagement takes place.

In both cases, the parents did not take into account the opinion of the children before.

Currently, parents can collude, but final decision young people accept about the wedding.

Before the first day of the wedding, there is always an active one: the parents of the bride and groom honor the dead and make a sacrifice for the family happiness of their children.

The first day of a Dagestan wedding begins on the roof of the bride's house, where musicians play special music for the ritual.

At lunch, the groom's relatives, in particular women, go to the bride's house. They bring wedding gifts and sweets there, while singing songs. Then the gifts are put into a chest, which will later be in the house of the future husband.

On this day, following the traditions, young people do not see each other. The bride is prepared at home for transfer to her husband: they prepare, say goodbye to her by conducting a farewell ceremony with appropriate songs and crying.

Meanwhile, near the house, the brides gather from everywhere and notify everyone that they have arrived with the help of songs and music.

Second wedding day

On the second wedding day, the groom, having come for his future wife, meets her sister on the threshold of the house, who is dancing a traditional dance. Then the future mother-in-law treats her son-in-law and her daughter with honey. It is believed that this rite contributes to a happy and prosperous life for the young.

Then the bride arrives at the house of her future husband, where the fun begins with dancing, songs, which most fully reveal the whole flavor of the Dagestan people.

• It is customary to invite a lot of people to Dagestan weddings, so they are considered not cheap.
• Wedding celebrations in the Republic of Dagestan always take place in the afternoon.
• Traditionally, the bride should have two bridesmaids at the wedding - one of them is an experienced married woman who can tell the bride about life with her husband and the wedding night, and the second is an unmarried woman who will act as moral support.
• At Dagestan weddings, they shoot in the air, meeting young people going to a festive banquet. But historical sources disagree on how to interpret such shooting. Some say that this is a historical ritual for delivering newlyweds from unclean forces, others argue that such shooting symbolizes that the bride was not a virgin.

To this day, the tradition of dividing guests at a Dagestan wedding into a male and female part has been preserved.

Traditions and wedding customs different peoples very different, each has its own rituals, which they adhere to for centuries and centuries. Of course, over time, some of them may change or disappear altogether, but the main traditions remain to this day. Dagestan, like Chechen weddings full of various rituals and nuances, which are interesting to learn about.

Custom 1: Marriage planning and matchmaking

In Dagestan, a daughter's marriage is planned immediately after her birth. Parents immediately begin to collect a dowry for the girl, and save up for the wedding. From this, the Dagestan wedding is considered the most crowded and noisy, because it can gather from 300 to 1500 people, that is, the whole village.

The decision on marriage is made not by the girl, but by her parents in the male line, if she does not have a father, the decision is made by her older brother or uncle, and if the girl is an orphan, the judge. If the parents of the children agreed on marriage, the boy's father pledged some thing to the girl's father and the children from then on were considered the bride and groom. When matchmaking, the district, village and national family are taken into account. Marriages are arranged according to seniority, and if older sister not yet married, the youngest cannot do it earlier.

Matchmaking was carried out through a man who was respected and performed the task of a matchmaker. A direct appeal that it was time to marry off a daughter was considered indecent, so the proposal came with hints. If the girl's parents agreed, then after such a matchmaking, the groom could give the bride gifts, these could be fabrics, and things, and it was obligatory to give a ring. After the marriage or when the groom refused him, the gifts belonged to the girl, if the marriage was refused by the girl, they had to return all the donated items in double size. By agreement, the groom could visit the bride, they could even sleep together, but before marriage

Interesting Facts: since preparations for the wedding have been going on for many years, it truly amazes with abundance and wealth. When celebrating a Dagestan wedding, it is customary to show all your wealth and be guided by the rule - the more expensive, the better.

Custom 2: Wedding

At the engagement, the parents of the bride and groom set the wedding day, the young go to apply to the registry office and pre-wedding chores begin. When the groom's parents can't afford expensive wedding, then in order to save money, the bride is stolen, otherwise one should negotiate with the relatives of the bride and pay them a large dowry.

When making a marriage, the groom must also pay kebin-hak or bride price. Kalym is the property that the bride received, such as blankets, bedding, fabrics, and outerwear which she wore on the day of the celebration. In some villages of Dagestan, money or livestock were demanded as kalym. Kebin-hak is a monetary security that was paid into marriage condition. In the event of a divorce by her husband, or his death, the bride was entitled to a payment, the amount of which could not be less than her mother received by marrying her father.

One of the brightest manifestations of the culture of Dagestan is the dress of the bride. The dress should have been as closed as possible, including the hands. The dress could have been white color, containing red and black colors. The red color symbolized purification and well-being, and the black one gave alms to the ancestors. The main decorations of the bride were silver products which protected from the evil eye and evil spirits.

Today, the traditions of the Dagestan wedding are a little forgotten, so after the young people have signed in the registry office, they go to the mosque to conclude a Sharia marriage. There were secret rites of maleficence against marriage that were performed during the period of marriage to harm the young. Therefore, as a protective measure against magical evil forces, there was a rite, for example, a special prayer of a protective nature was written on three hard-boiled and shelled eggs. The first egg was to be eaten by the groom, followed by him, the second by the bride, and the third they shared and ate in half. This rite was supposed to protect the young from illness and weakness.

After a short walk, the young people go to a restaurant for a celebration. The celebration begins with a bow and gratitude to the parents. On the holiday table there were many dishes, such as manti, dolma, khinkali, pilaf and greens. Young people accept long congratulations, hold dances. The solemn feast passes after midnight, but the wedding does not end, but moves to the groom's house, which he must have in order to marry.

In each village, a toastmaster was chosen, the host of the wedding, who was appointed for one year, he entertained the guests with jokes, held contests and dances. In some villages, it was customary to walk a wedding from 3 to 7 days, and the first three days the bride and groom spent at home, where preparations were in full swing, and on the fourth day the bride was brought to the groom's house.

Interesting Facts: if the bride is ready to go to the groom's house, a messenger is sent, who arrives with the head of a bull on the barrel of a gun. On the way to fetch the bride, the groom's friends often arranged horse races or gunshots.

Custom 3: Entrance of the bride to the groom's house

According to ancient customs, a few weeks before the bride enters the groom's house, the bride and groom are invited every day by their relatives, who treat them and the honorary retinue. All this is accompanied by dances to the tambourine, songs, comic poems. Currently, newlyweds are invited by relatives after the wedding.

One of the moments of bringing the bride into the groom's house is sprinkling her with nuts, coins and sweets. In some villages, on the way to the groom's house, flour was poured on the bride, which meant that she would not feel the need for anything in the new house. Upon entering the house, the bride was treated to honey so that the life of the newlyweds would be sweet. Closer to noon, the celebration began, and in the evening - dancing and gifts were presented to the bride.

As night approached, the mentor gave the bride advice on how to spend wedding night. When the newlyweds are left alone, the groom asks the bride if she really wants to be his wife. If the bride agreed, the groom fulfills his marital duty. On the fifth day of the wedding, the couple report that the night went well and the festivities continue.

Interesting Facts: Today, two types of weddings are held in Dagestan - an ordinary one, where the holiday is in full swing, music, dancing, fun, and a more restrained wedding of deeply believing Muslims, where alcohol and loud music are prohibited.

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