In the life of any ethnic minority community, weddings are always one of the customs closely associated with traditional cultural beauty. They are a place where values bearing the strong imprint of the ethnic culture converge. Similar to many other ethnic groups in Hoa Binh, the traditional wedding customs of Tay people in Da Bac contain many unique and distinctive cultural features.

In the past, the traditional wedding of the Tay in Da Bac was organized quite elaborately with five main ceremonies: the introduction ceremony, the proposal ceremony, the engagement ceremony, the wedding date request ceremony, and the wedding ceremony itself.

 

Image of the groom's family escorting the bride to her new home during a traditional Tay wedding (Image: illustrative; Image source: danviet.vn)

After setting their sights on a particular girl, the groom's family prepares a gift of tea, sticky rice, and alcohol. They then ask a family member to bring the gift to the girl's house to propose. If the gift is not returned after a few days, it means the girl's family has agreed.

After the introduction ceremony, the groom's family asks a matchmaker to inquire about the girl's family's opinion. The matchmaker must also bring a small gift, enough for the girl's family to prepare two trays of food for guests. At this ceremony, the groom's family requests the girl's official "birth chart." After this proposal ceremony, the couple can be considered officially engaged.

Next, the groom's family decides on the date for the engagement ceremony but must inform the girl's family at least one month in advance. At the engagement ceremony, the groom's family sends a matchmaker with gifts to the girl's family, including: pork, a pair of castrated chickens, green bean sticky rice, some pieces of glutinous rice cake, and a jar of wine. At the ceremony, both sides discuss and decide on the quantity of gifts for the wedding. The wedding day is chosen by the groom's family, who asks a fortune teller to select an auspicious day based on the birthdates of the bride and groom."

 

 Five-colored sticky rice - A traditional dish often found in the traditional ceremonial meals of Tay people (Image: illustrative; Source: Internet)

 The wedding date request ceremony is initiated by the groom's family and must be conducted one to three months before the wedding. During this ceremony, the matchmaker visits the bride's family, bringing with them a gift of a pair of chickens, four bottles of wine, two packages of sticky rice, two packages of bark, a woven blanket, a beautiful dress, and two silver bracelets as gifts for the mother-in-law. On the way, if they encounter a snake, it is considered a good omen. If they encounter a funeral or thunder and lightning, they must turn back and choose another day to continue. In this ceremony, the groom's family gives a cash gift to the bride's family (the amount is agreed upon during the engagement ceremony). Both sides together determine the date and time for the grand wedding ceremony at the bride's house, the date and time for the groom to pick up the bride, and the time for the bride to return to her husband's house.

Among all the ceremonies, the wedding ceremony is the most festive. Both the groom's and bride's families prepare a feast and celebrate for three days. The gifts that the groom's family brings to the bride's family include four pigs, three hundred kilograms of rice, and four jars of good wine. They are also responsible for cooking and cleaning up during the wedding. At the end of the wedding, the host family and neighbors gather together for a joyful and warm celebration with dancing and singing.

Although the wedding ceremony is completed, according to Tay customs, the groom must live with the bride's family until the end of summer before he can bring his bride home. The daughter-in-law must also host a feast similar to the wedding feast before she is officially accepted into the family.

Over time, the traditional wedding customs of Tay people in Da Bac have undergone some changes to adapt to modern life. The gifts have also been simplified to reduce the burden on both families. However, the beautiful aspects of traditional culture, such as wearing traditional attire at the wedding, the customs of respecting both families, and the bride and groom loving and respecting each other, are increasingly being preserved and promoted by the Tay in Da Bac.

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