❶ Secrets Of The First Wedding Night: Ceremonies Of The Peoples Of The World

Almost all peoples had traditions concerning the first wedding night. And almost all of them, in one way or another, are associated with the virginity of the bride. True, everyone approached this issue from different points of view. In some countries, keeping virginity was mandatory, in others it was treated more easily, and in others, virginity was considered a shame. Location: Location:

For example, our ancestors did not attach much importance to virginity. They did not see anything shameful in the premarital relationship, moreover, there was a so-called trial marriage. The bride and groom could live together for a while in order to understand if they fit together. Even a girl with a child could be a bride, in some ways even more desirable than childless, in this case it is known for certain that a woman can give birth. And these traditions could not be eliminated even in the days of Christianity.

Nevertheless, the wedding night was still considered something special and was accompanied by certain rituals. The young people were locked up in a separate room, but not left alone. All night, various relatives walked around and encouraged the groom, gave advice, joked … And naturally, in such an environment, the groom is no wonder to blunder. In this case, he was given two more attempts. If for the third time the young husband could not cope, they found a temporary replacement for him: an older relative, a godfather or the most honored guest.

There are even more amazing traditions.

In Europe in the Middle Ages the right of the first wedding night took place. The bride spent her not with her legal spouse, but with her overlord. Scientists give various possible reasons for the emergence of such a custom. In particular, it was believed that a certain danger is associated with deprivation of virginity, which goes back to the custom of giving virginity to deities. And the more experienced suzerain protected his subjects in this way. Perhaps the custom was born in this way, but over time it degenerated into the satisfaction of its own lust. So the suzerain could well refuse unattractive brides, but with beautiful girls this rule was strictly followed.

In some African tribes, the groom on the wedding night knocked out the bride's two front teeth. And in some countries (in the Philippines or in Mexico), on their wedding night, or even several nights, the newlyweds abstained from sex, as they drink alcohol at the wedding feast. In other countries, by the way, including Russia, on the contrary, newlyweds were forbidden to take intoxicating drinks.

And in other tribes of the same Africa, girls were deprived of their virginity even before the onset of menstruation, and an absolutely stranger had to do this. Most often some kind of traveler passing through the village. If by the first months the girl remained a virgin, it was considered a shame, and she could well remain an old maid.

In Samoa, the first wedding night is held at the bride's house, surrounded by sleeping relatives. And it must pass in complete silence so that no one wakes up. Otherwise, the passionate groom will be beaten. Men, by the way, with this in mind, smear themselves with oil before a date: it’s easier to break out and endure beatings.

An interesting custom in the Bakhtu tribe, Central Africa. There, instead of sex, the newlyweds are engaged in a completely different matter: they engage in a fight. And they fight until dawn, after which they disperse to their parental houses, to sleep off. After all, next night they will fight again. And so on until the young people feel that they have exhausted all their anger at each other for years to come. Sometimes such battles dragged on for a week. And it is extremely rare, but still there were deaths.

And the strangest customs associated with the wedding and the first wedding night are among the Nayars, a tribe in one of the states of India. That is, the wedding itself and the first wedding night (or rather three whole nights) differ little from the weddings of other local tribes. But for all peoples, a wedding is the beginning of a life together. In the same tribe, on the fourth day, the husband leaves his wife and then each of them lives their own life, with whom he wants and how he wants. And he changes lovers the way he likes. And the next lover is responsible for the children born to a woman, until he is replaced.

This is how differently they treat such an important event in life in different countries and among different peoples.