A TURKISH WEDDING HOUSE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1681, 18 May 1904, Page 79 (Supplement)

A TURKISH WEDDING HOUSE

f A "wedding. House” is an' expression which seems somewhat unintelligible to the stranger who is: not aware of. the exclusive character of Ottoman society. Women must not" even enjoy a wedding entertainment in company with men. Marriages are not celebrated (says the "Queen”) with religious ceremonies: in church, as among Europeans. Men may celebrate a wedding among themselves with prayer, music and feasting, but they must do it in a particular part of a wedding. house which is assigned to them. It is- the women who have the Best time at weddings; it is they who hold a grand reception on the wedding day in the house where the ceremony takes place. The doors- of a wedding house are open to all women, both acquaintances and strangers, the rich as well as the poor. All the dowers and presents of the bride are exhibited to the visitors. The guests put on their best dresses and valuable jewels; none pay attention to complaints about treading on dresses or tearing lace, which accidents frequently occur. It may .be that a dress so spoiled has cost its wearer .£6O or .£7O, but who would mind that? Let anyone who cares for her dress retire- to a safe corner, and not eagerly push her way into the densely crowded part of the house. The honour shown to the bride and bridegroom is great. As a mark of .honour, people support the bride when l she moves from, one place to another, and they make room for her train, which requires tremendous space by pressing each other back. The bride feels more necessity for such a support towards the : evening, when she finds ctlie weight of her spangled dress and of her jewels—unost of which are borrowed for the occasion—almost unbearable. In a corner of the drawingroom or parlour musicians play and sing behind a screen. There may be some people in this tumultuous gathering who care to listen to the music, but it isi hardly possible to find anyone with a clear enough head to understand or appreciate it. Those ladies who wish to find wives for their sons go to weddings on purpose to see marriageable girls, of whom many are to be seen at every wedding. They find a free choice there.