Rituals for the Red Dao Wedding
The blessing ritual:
Before the main wedding ceremony, the groom’s parents present the bride with silver jewellery as a mark of acceptance and a way to bless her entrance into the family. The bride would have to wear the silver presented to her on her wedding day.
It is said that the silver jewellery is not only of aesthetic value but it shows the depth of love the family has for the bride. The silver used is usually made by local craftsmen in the Dao community, and the pure silver is purchased at State banks or as silver bars. Historically old colonial silver coins are melted and shaped into matching sets for the new couple.
The music ritual:
On the day for the bride to go with her family to the groom’s house, they set out early in the morning, as it is believed that all good things start early in the morning. About seven to eight houses away from the groom’s house, the bride’s family announces their presence by playing melodious tunes using the flute and the drum. This ritual would also involve the wedding escort of the bride to go through fire and follow the footsteps of the music players to enter the groom’s family house. After this, the bride’s family would then pass her belonging onto the groom’s family, as this would now be her new home.
The entrance of the bride:
Once the bride’s family reaches the groom’s family, the bride stands at the threshold of the groom’s house, and a magician conducts rituals to rid her of every bad luck and evil spirits that may do her harm. This ritual is done to ensure that she would bring good luck as she becomes one with the groom’s family.
The Hop can ritual:
This is performed by a magician who uses magic to put the couple’s soul into two cups, he then gives the cups to the bride and the groom. The cups are then turned upside down and placed on an altar, this signifies that they have officially become a couple.
The naming of the groom:
The male in the Dao community has three given names; the birth name, death name and the marriage name. The marriage name is chosen by the groom’s family and the magician. On the day of the ceremony and after the acceptance of the bride, the groom is given a new name.
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