Unique and colourful marriage ceremony in remote village
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- (27 Feb 2017) LEADIN:
It's traditional wedding season in one of Bulgaria's most remote towns, with whole communities joining in the celebrations.
The mountain village of Ribnovo dates back to 1478 and marriage traditions there are a unique and colourful event.
STORYLINE:
In the misty mountain air, the women of Ribnovo stop and chat about the upcoming wedding party.
They are dressed in traditional clothes and are waiting for the bride and groom to arrive.
The vast majority of Ribnovo's 3,500 inhabitants are Pomaks - Slavs who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule.
The village dates back to 1478 and records show that the weddings in Ribnovo have been this way for centuries.
The bride's dowry - mostly handmade knit-work, sheets, tablecloths, carpets and rugs - is displayed for the whole village to see.
"The bride's dowry takes years and years to be prepared. Ten years and even more, bit by bit, it's gathered by handmade by the mother to finally be displayed here," says Fatme, a local Pomak woman.
Displaying the dowry is just one of a string of features that make up the two day wedding celebrations, a weekend most memorable for 20 year-old Pembe Hadzhieva who married her fiance, 20 year-old Feyzi Sirakov.
While the mandatory civil ceremony takes place days or weeks before, the traditional part of the wedding is shared with friends, family and villagers where the bride and groom receive presents, often in the form of cash.
The whole village celebrates with music and the traditional "horo" dance on the streets.
Local villager, Kadrie Cholakova explains the wedding process: "We celebrate our weddings over two days, usually on weekends. The first day, guest are accepted by the groom's family and the bride's family is open for guests on the second day. The bride's dowry is arranged in front of her father's house, sometimes with furniture - all the gifts made and collected over twenty years are displayed so that everyone in the village is invited to come and see. On the evening of the second day the bride's face is decorated by making "gelina" with white paint and sequins and she is taken with eyes closed to the groom's house."
While the tradition dates back centuries, the ceremony has evolved over time.
"We see that even our traditional weddings changes over the years. Two years ago, some of the dowry, usually clothes, hung on a wooden stand were carried by young boys accompanied with musicians - zouria and drummer players along the streets, but we don't do it anymore. The important and main part of the ritual is still observed as always," says Cholakova.
On the second day, the bride's family invites friends and relatives and shares the best pieces of the dowry.
This habit is considered important, as the neighbours will later evaluate and comment on their generosity.
The evening of the second day is the most spectacular part of the celebration.
The bride's face is painted white to symbolize her purity and then decorated with bright sequins. She wears flowers in her hair and her eyes are painted shut before being presented to her husband-to-be.
The bride is only allowed to look at a small hand mirror. It is still believed that painting the bride's eyes shut will protect the couple from the "evil eye."
Finally, the groom leads the bride to his home for their new life together.
Winter is the preferred time to get married in Ribnovo, because in the warmer months many of the village men work all over Bulgaria and Europe, returning home only for a few months to spend with their families.
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It may look strange to our modern world, but this is a very old ceremony, loaded with symbolism, and we are lucky that it has survived in a handful of remote Bulgarian Muslim (Pomak) villages. The bride is covered with a white mask, symbolizing the death of her previous life and transitioning to a new phase of married life. There are three major phases of life - birth, marriage and death. She is not allowed to talk, or eat, or drink from dawn till she enters her husband's home - again a symbolic rebirth. Her husband washes the mask off her face. The decorations are also symbolic - moons, suns and flowers for fertility, straight lines for long life and good health. The silver strings on her face have protective functions - shiny objects reflect the evil eyes of ill-wishers. She is not allowed to look directly at anyone or anything and can only see using a mirror, as she is going through a sacred phase of death and rebirth.
Well thank you for explain. Where come it from ???
I saw this tradition in Kerçova ( north Macedonia ) didnt know that Albanian cover their face for marriage, never seen that and im albanian by myself hahaha.
From WHERE is it ?? Is it an Balkan tradition or it cames from the ottoman ??
@@beratmaliqi6158 It's mostly found in a few Muslim villages in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo... It probably originates in Muslim tradition but has been lost over time and only the most conservative villages still do it. I've seen similar decorations in Ottoman illustrations, but it has been lost in modern times. It also may have local roots in the Balkans with a mixture of Thracian, Hellenic, pagan and Christian symbolism.
@@BoyanDobrev1
I think its and old balkan/ pagan tradition. Because one girl told me its an old tradition and very rarely now.
But well balkan its really interesting about culture , i love my place 😍
Thanks so much for explaining. I kept wondering why the bride looked like a dead person. It all makes sense, now.
@@BoyanDobrev1 its not a Muslim tradition but a tradition that was practiced by Albanians. All other minorites that do this still lived amongst Albanians. Now in Albanian territories it is not practiced due to Islam banning it. Most Albanian/Illyrian pagan traditions and festives are not practiced because islam banned them and it became taboo or harm to practice, also the ottoman emprire played a big part on destroying everything of Albanian Pagan Culture. Now you can only see such culture in weddings but that is fading away too.
People in the comments need to grow up. This is a tradition. I don't see anyone mocking your wedding traditions and customs. Let people live ffs
Some traditions are very stupid, but this one I must admit is beautiful.
Yes ignorant uneducated ppl
Love Muslims around the world 🌎 from Albania 🇦🇱
thanks
Selam nga Sanxhaku
MashaAllah.... love my brothers n sisters in Islam all over d world... greetings from indian occupied Kashmir.
Is this muslim wedding?
@@mevithabiku9203 Yes . Muslim are a minority in Bulgaria about 15% .
Fuck india 🇮🇳 live kashmir respect from Albania 🇦🇱
@@xhajaho832 bu bu ba ba
MashAAllah shum tradit e vjeter.
Assalamu Alikum
@@ShakeelAhmad-cc1yf are you indian?
a bit much makeup
They look more Ukrainian than Bulgarian.I was last year in a Pomak village in Xanthi/Greece and some women looked like northern European top models.
Such bulgarians exist aswell
@@noger1234 because they NEVER mixed with turks: they accepted islam and preserved their own ethnicity, also my people bosnian muslims are like this: many look pure slavic, also 1 head longer/taller then turks. turks also have these small legs, big butts, real turkic look, not slavic look: long legs, or white euro faces. Salam alajkum to everybody!
@@adopodrinje1499 modern Turks are mixture of Central Asian European and middle eastern
@@tarequlislam4216 I know, more then 4million of my people live in western turkey: Bosna hercek as u call that country. u were NOT there to help us in 1992-95. Bosnjak helped Ottoman empire 500years for supporting and creating Islamic state inside europe, which we PRIDE OURSELVES being Muslims. what did turkey do for bosnia?
Albanian aswell not mixed with Turks, only grecce people are mixed with Turks grecce people are half Albanian half Turks half Russian half arabs
The vast majority of Ribnovo's 3,500 inhabitants are Pomaks - Bulgarians who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule.
It's revrted
Even we too reverted from hindusim to islam when muslim scholars came to teach us islam from central asia ..... i cant belive Allah blessed us with his beautiful religion of truth .... islam is a beautiful and the only religion and we are proud of it !!!! May Allah unite the muslim world !!!! And may Allah bless the ottomans who worked hard for islam ...
WE ARE NOT BULGARIAN WE ARE SLAVS LIKE BULGARIANS BUT WE ARE NOT SAME
@@tazboy1934 nope converted
@@sweetalison007 reverted. Everybody born Muslim, it is the parents who turn them become mušriks
I would like to attend such a wedding this summer. Can someone help me with that?
İ can help to you
@@ribnovonet
Thank you .. please send me your email or number.
in Muslim Philippines this is similar tradition.
Doubt it.
انا سمعت الاذان ....يمكن يكونو مسلمين ....ياريت كان فيه ترجمه حتى افهم شوية مع انو ماعجبنيش ماكياج العروس وحابه نعرف واش عملولها لوجها حتى اتجبس
ايوة هم مسلمين من بلغاريا ويسمونهم البوماك
نعم هم مسلمين بلغاريا .. يسموهم البوماك
Yes, we are muslims
bridal makup are not good.
It look scary...also I heard this tradition is pagan
Im pomak but i agree ngl it doesnt look that good
@@tazboy1934There is a thing called culture. You must be a takfiri calling every culture you don't like "pagan".
Muslim and hindu tradition is best in the world
not hindu. only Muslim.
@@мувн-ш4ы Noting to do with Islam.
This has nothing to do with religion.
That's weird, still trying to figure out why they do that to the bride.
It's a pagan tradition
It's a pagan tradition and it was more common amongst Albanians. This is an Illyrian tradition and Albanians are the modern Illyrians today. Albanians dont practice this anymore due to islam banning it.
Seriously? I dont know where do you come from, but commenting like that doesnt make your culture has higher value. You really need to apreciate other people culture.
@@fluz2222 Albanians do practice is.
Super welcome to our channel 🙂
Horrible 🥺
You are gay
Stop doing that to a bride
Who asked you?
Abooo sis deliii
This is a tradition done by Albanians, a thousand years old.
It seems that people from Bulgaria are trying to copy that, and it is not good at all.
You can search for a Kosovar bride, if you want to see the original one. :)
It's a tradition that's pretty common to remote villages in the Balkans, it doesn't belong to any culture in particular. If anything it just shows how ancient the entire region is
It's a Thracean tradition that these Pomaks have kept
Soo y is it bothering you ...its there matter ..if they like it that way , let it be that way !!!
@@klmsps5576 qe nuk din ti shume per historine skam cfare te bej.
Ne fytyre i vizatohen nuses disa pika te kuqe permes tcilave i kan ururar te linde femije, ndersa permes te kaltertes i kan uruar shendet. Pastaj keta rrumbullaket kane formen e diellit. Keto jane elemente pagane. Shqiptaret ishin pagan. Prandaj ne e kemi Fline, ushqim tradicional i cili po ta shikosh mire e ka formen e diellit sepse ne ate kohe kane besuar ne diell e jo ne Zot. Kjo tregon se sa te lasht jemi.
Ti mos kritiko pa e dit sigurt. Hyn ne youtube dhe kerko kosovar bride e aty e sheh artin e vertet. Sepse kta bullgart kane dashur te naj marrin ate tradite mirpo ju ka deshtuar, shiko ne video sa keq duken.
Gresa G Un u nguta pak me gjykimin dhe t’kerkoj falje! Ket zakon e pash qe e kan edhe Kërçovarët dhe m’duket edhe zona e Dragashit ne Kosovë. Gjithsesi kët zakon e kishin edhe Pomakët Bullgar ca tregon se Goranët ose Terbeshet mund te jenē Pomak me origjinë dhe kanë përvetsuar disa zakone shqiptare. Vetëm shqiptarët rreth zonës së Sharrit pra ku jetojnë goranët e kanë kët zakon, që dmth se shqiptarët rreth Sharrit mund të jenë goran ose pomak për nga origjina. Ky ësht mendimi im mund të jem edhe gabim.