Close-up of the unique wedding ceremony of the Red Dao people

Unlike in many cities, the wedding customs of the Red Dao people have many unique features, passed down through many generations and still retain their very own identity.

In the context of an increasingly developed society, many customs of ethnic minorities have been lost over time. However, the rituals and customs in traditional weddings containing cultural and historical values ​​are still maintained and passed down by the Red Dao people in Lai Chau province to educate future generations.

Red Dao brides often wear traditional costumes with many elaborate and complicated elements. In the photo, bride Tan May is being prepared by her uncle and aunts for her wedding dress. The turban wrapping alone took nearly 2 hours.

The turban is the most time-consuming part of the preparation. Six layers of turban are placed on the head, along with strings and silver bells attached to ward off bad luck.

The bride and groom's outfits both have intricate, multi-layered patterns, creating a highlight on the big day. This is also a traditional outfit made of indigo fabric used by the Red Dao people on important holidays and festivals.

In the past, weddings usually took place over 3 days and 3 nights, but now, according to the new lifestyle, many families have shortened the time of organization. Accordingly, in 1 day and 1 night at the groom's house, the bride's family only organizes 1 happy meal and takes the bride to her husband's house. Before that, to proceed to the wedding ceremony, the groom's family had to visit the bride's family at least 3 times. The first time, there was no gift, the matchmaker was chosen by the homeowner to be knowledgeable about customary law, virtuous, and prestigious with the villagers. After asking, if the bride's family agreed, they would return to inform the groom's family to prepare. The second time was the engagement ceremony. The third time was the stage of bringing gifts including pork, chicken, rice, and wine to the bride's family to prepare for the wedding ceremony.

The time of the bride's departure and "entry" into the groom's house is also carefully chosen by the Red Dao people. The time of departure and arrival at the groom's house must not coincide with the birth time of all members of both families. That is the reason why many weddings are held at night or early in the morning.

Tan May's wedding ceremony took place at 4am. At this time, the mountain and forest scene was pitch black. About 100m before reaching the groom's house gate, the procession stopped to change the bride's clothes and head scarf.

A Red Dao bride usually uses 3 types of headscarves: a 6-layer head scarf at the bride's wedding, a full head scarf during the wedding ceremony, and a 2-layer traditional scarf after the wedding is complete.

The Red Dao people believe that when a girl gets married, she should not be seen by the sun for fear of losing her soul and having bad luck in her future life. Therefore, Tan May wears traditional clothes and covers her head with a scarf all the way to her husband's house.

Before the "entry" ceremony, the bride does not step through the main door of the groom's house but must wait outside. Before going to the groom's house, the bride carries a new face towel, symbolizing the change in her life when getting married.

The priest performs the ceremony and recites Sanskrit scriptures at the Red Dao wedding. The walls in the groom's living room are now filled with colorful patterned fabrics and ancient scriptures.

The priest respectfully informs the groom's ancestors. From this moment on, the bride and groom officially become husband and wife, and the family has a new member.

Then the bride and groom entered the house, knelt before the ancestral altar, received the cup of pink wine and jewelry given by the parents-in-law. At this time, outside, the bustling music of drums and trumpets resounded. Family and guests congratulated the bride and groom on their happy day.

After changing the turban to a 2-layer daily towel, Tan May went to the pool to get water to perform the face-washing ritual. The bride brought a basin of water for the host on both sides to wash their faces at the main entrance, then the other guests.

Vietnamnet.vn