20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Albanian wedding rituals (Influence of oriental elements... 627In Malësia e Gjakoves region, the muffin was cooked by a “luckywoman”, preparing the dough with milk. (Memia, 1962: 276) This womanwas supposed to be helped by a boy with his parents still alive and withmany brothers. The pop over of the dough was announced by shootings.The dough was prepared with white flour, but also with chick-peas. Forexample, during the time women used to crash chick-peas, a boy and a girlwere sent to get water from three springs or three wells. On their way, theyshould not to talk to each other or turn the head behind. Both these childrenshall prepare the dough in two dishes, one for the bride, and one for thegroom.Day of clothes of the bride is the day when were sent the groom’spresents. Usually, it was a Thursday or also a Sunday, depending onwedding day. In Malësi e Gjakoves, after the setting of the wedding day,groom’s family used to send five or seven days before the clothes of thebride and henna. The Northern Muslims used to send the token at the houseof the girl with a man. (Memia, 1962: 276-306; Tirta, 2003: 290-291)In Permet city is also prepared a box with the flowers of the bride, andthe girl’s family shall not return an empty box, usually it was filled withfruits. The number of the people sending the box had to be even.In Çameria region, day of sending bride’s presents was called “the dayof presents”. On this day, the groom’s parts send to the bride presents –henna, some food (nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, sweets, etc. Together with thepresents were sent also the presents of the groom for the bride. The presentsof the bride were always set by males.The dyeing of the hair custom or application of the henna is closelyrelated to the sending of clothes. The application of the henna was madetwo or one day before the taking of the bride. At the bride’s house gathergirls and women participating in this ceremony. They use to dye the hairwith color, whereas put henna in the nails of hands and feet and half thefingers of the hands, as well as paint a round seal on the palm. The orthodoxwomen used to dye only the hair.The custom of the bride’s house was not to bring meat, but only food,especially sweets and things.When all the guests were gathered, there were determined some peopleto go take the bride. The number of the people had to be even. At the headstands the top envoy, who cannot be a guest, but a friend of the groom, andnot his kin. A top envoy can be also the uncle of the groom. He had a toughtask and had to be a good expert of the customs and with a good sense ofhumor. The envoys to take the bride were men, but sometimes even women.