Socially active youth of Crimea continues to gather around a discussion table. On February, 22nd, modern wedding of the Crimean Tatars became the topic of the debate-club "Emel". The meeting interested many people. More than hundred participants of the discussion learned about some traditions of the Crimean Muslims before the deportation and discussed modern position of the Crimean-Tatar weddings.
Wedding ceremonies, organizational moments, gifts and fun – all these are a part of a holiday of newly-married couples and they speak about the culture of the people.
As it was found out at the last meeting of the debate-club, weddings of the Crimean Tatars (Muslims) before the deportation were held in a different way comparatively to the present time.
For example, bride money (marriage gift to the bride) made, by modern measures, some thousand dollars, not counting tens of heads of cattle. The groom proved his ability to build a strong family and to provide to it worthy future by such gift.
Weddings lasted from 3 days up to the whole week, men and women rejoiced separately from each other, and the groom and the bride did not see each other almost till their first night. About it was told in the first part of the action.
The basic part of the meeting was devoted to modern position on weddings.
As a bright example of the modern reality were shown shots from the TV- program "Four weddings" in which one Crimean-Tatar couple displayed "culture of the people".
The example appeared to be evident. Everything in this wedding seemed to the participants of the given television-competition surprising. After all it is the culture, much from which appeared to be lost.
So, big misunderstanding caused the presence of alcohol unusual for a Muslim feast, and immodest appearance of girls who were present on the wedding.
While three other participants of the project tried to dress modest clothes, many local guests were dressed in a very revealing way. It was possible to brag of relative modesty of girls in a mosque during "nikah". But in general the wedding passed not the way usual for the Crimean Tatars.
Participants of the debate-club agreed with the fact that presently more than 90 % of the Crimean-Tatar weddings pass approximately the same way - not in accordance to Islam and the Crimean-Tatar traditions.
The youth explained such state of affairs by the troubles which have fallen upon the Muslim people after annexation of the Crimean Khanate and deportations.
"Public opinion concerning what should modern wedding look like, has already strong taken roots in the people, and the one who recedes from the developed norms is exposed to criticism", the participants of the meeting complained.
Thus they noticed that before all who are getting married there is a choice how to spend the wedding.
The organizational questions, concerning the wedding ceremony, caused a lot of various comments and allowed to think of the given topic more deeply.
As it was found out, the wedding issue still awaits for almost all participants of the discussion-club in the future. And, by and large, on each wedding depends in what party the correctness or error bowl will be declined.
Staff reporter.
