A GAY WEDDING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16320, 8 January 1921, Page 4

A GAY WEDDING.

BRETON CUSTOMS.

HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MARRYING.

Weddings are generally looked upon as necessary nuisances in a modern com munity—even by the two persona most concerned- But the other day I was invited to one by an ex-poilu, down in the West of France, on the Preaqivile <le Ithuys, that I thoroughly enjoyed (writes a correspondent of the “ Daily Chronicle sf ). There were eighty guests. Each youthful ** eavaliere ” had her * c cavalier,” and all were in the gala dress of the Breton peasant, with the bright flowered waistcoats and embroidered silk aprons of georgoous hues that become family heirlooms. The wedding in the Maine and the church was only the beginning of the ceremonial, for wo marched four kilometres hy fours, arm-in-arm, bride, bridegroom and concertina man leading, to the bridegroom’s home, one man intoning a song, line by line, and all singinglt after him, antiphhually, and in every village we visited throughout the day we danced country dances in the street, holding hands. in a bilge circle round the indefatigable conceifcina man, and drank at every cafe and buvette the place boasted, joined by the local villagers. The tunes are hundreds of years eld, and the steps, when done properly, are quite complicated. The prettiest footwork. T noticed, was by old women who bed become expert in the days of their youth, when conn try dancing was even more popular than it still is among the Breton peasantry. SYMBOLIC BRANCH.

Outside the bridegroom’s hamlet we were met by a group carrying aloft a symbolic branch decked with fruit and ribands, and bearing with them meat and drink, which was presented to the newly-wed pair. The cider was passed round the company, and tho branch was carried thereafter by the gareon d'honneur. Of what age-old. pagan. custom nmv this not be a survival! Long boards on trestles were, spread out for us on the green facing the bridegroom’s hamlet, and great cauldrons stemming on wood fires beside them. We cut up our bread and meat sailor-fashion, with our own jackknives, and began with pot-au-feu, followed by “ Irish ” stew, bouilli, and then rot-i, with unlimited cider, and coffee to wind up with. Tho peasant-bridegroom had killed a fat beast for the occasion, and a week’s output, of butter had been used in the cooking. The delicious brown, bread was his own corn, threshed with flails outside his own door, ground in the farm windmill, mixed into dough in his own house, and only taken to the bakery in the bouvg to be baked into great round loaves. %>ANCE AND SERENADE.

There were no speeches, bub the bridegroom’s relation??, who had prepared the feast and now waited on us, kept coming round the long tables and hospitably urging us to ‘‘Eat! Eat!” and “ h’ill up your glass!” After dejeuner we danced in a field, then marched to another village to dance there and drink with the local farmers and their households. In the evening we returned and had an excellent dinner, a repetition of the midday feast.

As darkness fell we repaired once more to the nearest village to dance on each peasant’s threshing ground till we were tired out—and ray unwonted feet were blistered! In the humble buvette where w© had our farewell drinks the women of the house, ns the custom is, serenaded the bride in a tune as old as European music, strongly reminiscent of the queer harmonies and quartertones on© hears in tho East. By the light of tho flickering oil lamp, in this Rembrandtesqu© interior, or.e caught glimpses of a score or more of rugged old brown faces, girls’ beautiful oval faces with blue eyes and pale red bair, and youths’ handsome cameocut, black-haired faces, full of good hufnour and gaiety, forgetful for a day of the hard toil that is the lot of the cultivator. To just such an eartherntioored kitchen living-room, with big canopied bed in it, and per ha pa two more rooms above, would the bridegroom take his bride. A GALLANT HOST.

He was reputed a wealthy man ; hi* bride an heiress. He had married, his aunt told me, because his father was bedridden and his mother was now to<> old to do the work of the house and look after the cows as well. Yet he could kill a beast for bis wedding breakfast, and had entertained eighty folk to dejeuner and dinner, and as many to wine and cider, not once, hut a score of times that dav, and His concertina man had cost him 100 francs. His hospitality and consideration towards his guests was no finer than his courteous gallantry towards his demure and silent bride- He had the manners of a prince, this ex-poilu, and not one of his many guests was guilty of a single rude act or offending word. Mhey all had the natural dignity and perfect, manners that haT© long since fled tho modern ballroom.

My “ vienx soklat,” who had he.cn stationed for a time in Boulogne during the war, guessed my thoughts. 1 here.” he said, as 1 bade him er.d his bride good-nighi. "and don’t vou think w© Breton folk behave nicely and enjoy ourselves thoroughlv at our weddings ?’• .

Ah!! mon vieux. you are ono of the little landed proprietors vho form tho backbone of the population of France, and, added to that, you hare a Celtic anccstrv and. Celtic traditions! Thus was It olive, 100. jIX Ireland, before iVEnglish shamed her and the Irish mad© bar weep.