Uzbek wedding
Wedding Celebration in Uzbekistan
Uzbek wedding reflects the traditional Uzbek social and legal relations, family structure, beliefs and religion. The main base of the wedding ceremony in Uzbekistan, like in other parts of Central Asia as well, includes the following stages: matchmaking, wedding and post wedding ceremonies. A wedding ceremony is traditionally a very significant celebration for Uzbeks. Today Uzbek young people have an option to choose their partner, though the custom to rely on the choice of parents is also preserved, particularly in rural areas of Uzbekistan but mostly depending on the families.
Engagement party (Fatiha-Tuyi)
Fatiha-Tuyi means engagement or affiance and it is one of the main procedures of Uzbek marriage. By mutual agreement of both parties, the eldest persons of the families fix the day of betrothal. Well-known old men of the neighborhood, together with the chairman of Mahalla, relatives and the girl’s friends gather in the girl’s home this day. After intermediaries state the purposes of their coming, “non sindirish” (“a flat cake piecing”) rite starts. From this moment the newly married couple is considered engaged.
Fatiha-Tuyi ends with setting the date of marriage and wedding. All the guests will be presented with the dastarhan (A celebrative table of food) comprising of two flat cakes, sweets and the presents made by the girl’s family are handed over to the groom and his parents. After intermediaries return to the room’s home, they hand over trays with presents and “sarpo kurar” (presentation of presents) ceremony starts.
Wedding party (Nikokh-Tui)
The Uzbek wedding party is called Nikokh-Tui and it is the holiest and largest of all Uzbek ceremonies. A wedding tradition traditionally is a prominent event in the life of Uzbeks and is marked as an important day. The main moment of the wedding ceremony is the moving of a bride from her parent’s home to the home of the groom.
On the wedding day, at the bride’s home, guests eat wedding pilaf, which is cooked at the groom’s home and handed over to the bride. Next, the Imam of a mosque blesses the couple by performing the “Khutbai nikoh” (marriage prayer) ritual. Then normally the newlywed head to the registry office for registration of their civil marriage. Today most couples celebrate their wedding in restaurants combining all these rituals and welcoming even 400 – 500 guests.
More about Uzbek culture
Page updated 28.9.2022
