Turkish Wedding

Ceremonies are generally start on Tuesday and end on Thursday, or start on Friday and end on Sunday. Costs and expenses of wedding are met by the bridegroom’s family. Despite differences in accordance with various locations wedding may be classified mainly as planting a flag, women’s entertainment of the night next before the wedding day the bride’s fingers freshly tinged with henna (Kına Gecesi), fetching the bride, bride’s veil. Before the wedding as is done in the course of engagement ceremony invitation is distributed and everybody is invited for the wedding. While the bride’s family tries to complete preparations for trousseau, the bridegroom’s family tries to complete articles which required to be bought for the bride and which have been previously determined.

A wedding flag is planted by men coming from the noon prayer and friends of bridegroom at the bridegroom’s home. At some regions such thins as apple, onion, mirror, etc. are placed on top of the flag. Thus the wedding gets started.

Night Next Before The Wedding Day, A Women’s Entertainment Where Bride’s Fingers Are Freshly Tinged With Henna ( Kına Gecesi): This night in which the bride will be together with her family, relatives and friends all of which are women is just before the day of fetching bride as known the main wedding day. This night which is called “Kına Gecesi” is celebrated in the bride’s home. The bridegroom’s family and other guests are met and

hosted in the bride’s home. Usually dry henna brought by the bridegroom’s family is broken to pieces in a silver or cupper vessel by

a woman whose father and mother alive, not experienced any separation. After preparing the bride, veil

ornamented with red flake is placed over her head, and she is brought into the middle with accompaniment of hymn, folk songs about henna. Hands and feet of the bride are dyed with henna. The bridegroom’s side is under the obligation to put money in the hand of the bride. Dying ceremony of henna is different according to regions. The henna so dyed has such names and types as “iplik kınası” (henna for yarn), “sıvama” (smearing), “kuşgözü” (bird eye). After leaving woman who came together for dying henna close friend of the bride remain with her and enjoy themselves till morning. In some of our regions henna dying ceremony for bridegroom is also held in the bridegroom’s home.