Unique wedding custom (1) Dai people: Love gets nourished beside fireplace

Yunnan’s diverse living environment and cultural deposits have contributed to the evolution of a great variety of marriage customs. From marriage customs of various ethnic groups, we can feel the charm of Yunnan ethnic culture. Today, we introduce u to the Dai wedding custom.

In Jingmai Mountain in southwest Yunnan, Dai people keep a tradition that a hole of finger size is especially left in the floorslab in the room of girls. When a girl is old enough for getting into a relationship, the young man who falls in love with the girl will cover his head with the bed sheet prepared by his parents and come to the downstairs of the girl’s room quietly, and wake up her by putting a stick into the hole. By hearing the voice, the girl can recognize the young man who knocks at the floorslab. At that time, whether the girl loves the young man or not, she needs to get up, make a fire at the fireplace and invite the young man to sit aside the fireplace.
 If the girl adores the boy, she will put out the fire, with a glow live charcoal left. Besides, she will move the stool, sit near the boy and then whisper with him.

After a period, normally a couple of years when they reach the legal age for marriage and as long as they hit it off, the boy will ask the girl with great care, “Will you marry me?”The girl replies happily and shyly: “You should ask my parents.” With these words, the boy’s proposal is half successful. If the girl’s parents agree, two families will select a special day to hold the wedding ceremony.

On the morning of the wedding day, the groom’s family will invite dozens of young males to go with them to the bride’s family with gifts. Also, village officials and senior villagers wil be invited to witness the wedding. In the house, a senior will hold a thread-binding ceremony for the couple. Usually, the couple will kneel before the bride’s parents, and seniors will tie a thread around their wrists. Dai people believe that only after the thread-fastening ceremony can two persons be a couple. During the ceremony, white threads are coiled around the groom’s and the bride’s wrists. Three to seven days later, the couple would remove the threads and keep them carefully.

By Yang Xiujie (Daguan Weekly)

Photo by Luo Weiqi