I want to tell you about the weddings that we got to go to!

They were really quite fun to attend with people that we know who were able to explain and tell us what to do. The weddings only happen 3 times a year, on certain days. This time there were 6 different ones that we had to eat or drink chai at each one!

They seem to be in two parts – the modern and the traditional.
The ‘modern’ part is during the day; the women cook loads of food (rice and meat) and then throughout the day all of the guests that stop by to give a gift (tea, money, whatever) are fed.
So we made our rounds… we could go to one, enter the house where you give the gift, receive a welcome of singing, cheering, sometimes dancing, and then give your gift. Someone would then take you to a place to eat and the guys would serve you food (normally girls serve). You could stay for a bit but since there were more weddings to be visited you move on. Come, give, get fed, visit, go. Even when we were really full we were still obligated to eat! Later on we learned the secret of experienced wedding hoppers… stay at one most of the day and then visit the other ones after 5pm because then they would listen to your request to just be given chai! We will remember that for the next wedding time.
The traditional part of the wedding started between 4 or 5pm. There are many things that happened and I don’t understand them all but it was very interesting to watch!

The groom shaves his head and then must go barefoot, wearing a white robe out onto the rocks to cut some special branches. He returns and comes to the ‘house of the camel’ (a round pen made of thorn branches – camels are very important so the ceremonies revolve around them). The women carry the new house into the boma (camel pen) and the father of the bride tells where it should be put inside the boma. The father, then the mother, and then the aunt or uncle bless the house with coffee. The women then start building the house for the new couple. The men start a new fire using the friction method with special sticks and elephant dung. Now this is the things that I think is funny! The groom has to stay up ALL night on his new ‘barchuma’ (big stool) infront of the house waiting for the bride. He is not allowed to sleep… and he is helped by other men who stay around and sing or tell stories. All the way until 5am! Then the girl comes. Now Barbara and I did NOT want to get up early enough to see what happened at 4 or 5 am, so we missed those parts.
Now for the next 4 days the couples have to stay in the house, but they are NOT allowed to talk to each other. Their separate families bring them food, and they can have visitors but they can’t speak to each other. I was told this is mainly because most marriages are arranged so the couples do not know each other beforehand.
So that is what we spent the chief of our time doing last week… tues and then Thursday.
By Thursday we knew a little more of what to expect so we spent the chief of the day at our friends house helping out with the cheering and welcoming of the gift givers.
Now I must mention the music! They like to have live music, a guitar player, a drummer and a singer. They have it all hooked up to speakers so it is VERY loud and everyone knows that they are celebrating! The way they hook up the guitar is genious! I don’t even know how it works but I poseted a pic. Basically it ends up sounding like an electric guitar. The guys who play are very good at the finger picking and it was fun to watch!
Anyways, thats all for now!
But I can say now that I have been to more weddings last week than I have in my entire life time!

The groom just back from cutting the branches.

Barbara and our good friend Sabdio and her youngest daughter Atho.

Live music, very good music!
I just love how they hooked up the guitar to the loud speakers!

Robe, Me, and Fathe eating... I think that was the 3rd meal of the day for me.

Barbara and Robe on the outside of the dancing circle... it was too hot to dance too much!

The women moving the new house for the couple to inside the house of the camel.

The groom sitting on his 'barchuma' while the guys are starting the fire.

The father blessing the house with coffee.

This made me laugh... a sheep escaped and it was fun watching the children run around trying to catch it, and then these guys carried it back to it pen. :)