Celebrations > Weddings > THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIAN WEDDING BY SHABNAM REZAEI
An Iranian Tradition That Goes Beyond Religion
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The history of Persian weddings goes back to times of Zoroaster and traditions that have been celebrated for centuries. As such today's Iranians celebrate along the same lines regardless of what their faith might be. Much like Norooz, the Persian wedding is about celebrating life, wealth, health, and union, and is rooted in nature. So regardless of what you believe in, you will most like have a Sofreh Aghd at your wedding, to celebrate the union in a fun and traditional way.
The union of man and woman is considered sacred and exemplifies the ultimate joy and the greatest form of partnership. Man and woman are told to respect, love, and protect each other as described in this exerpt from an ancient Zoroastrian text:
'I say (these) words to you, marrying brides and bridegrooms! Impress them upon your mind: May you two enjoy the life of good mind by following the laws of religion. Let each one of you clothe the other with righteousness. Then assuredly there will be a happy life for you'.
[Yasna 53.5, ancient Zoroastrian textbook']
Persian weddings have also been duely influenced by the legal protection that is provided in Islam to the woman in the form of a “Mehr” which is the financial protection provided. Iranian weddings are celebrated with glory, distinction, and a large assembly of family and friends. Iranians consider this to be one of the most important of all occasions. In the past marriages were mostly arranged by the parents and older members of the family. This tradition is very dated and has not been practiced for over 2 generations, although family consent, as in any culture, is still valued. In ancient times, musicians announced the wedding to the town by playing the drums. The group that gathered for the marriage was called the assembly for the queenly bride. Traditionally, both the bride and the bridegroom dressed in white with garlands of flower on their necks. The color white is a symbol of purity, innocence and faithfulness. There are variations and differences in smaller villages and older towns, where some tribes hold on to older traditions and rituals, which may vary from the modern wedding.
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Persian Weddings are usually beautiful and elaborate functions that consist of many different traditions and parts. Before the wedding ceremonies and parties begin, the couple needs to get engaged. In modern times, couples decide to get married and usually the groom-to-be will ask the father of the bride-to-be for her hand in marriage. This is a tradition that many culture keep in showing respect for the elderly. It is important though to also respect the traditions of each person and family, so that other ways of celebration should always be considered.
The typical Iranian wedding these days consists of two parts:
1. The Aghd. The Aghd is the legal ceremony that takes place where the officiant declares the couple husband and wife and a legal contract is signed. Here, the elaborate 'Sofreh Aghd', which is the spread of union for the couple is displayed.
2. The Aroosi. The second part of a Persian wedding is the Aroosi, which is the wedding party that follows the Aghd, either immediately or some time later. Here families and friends gather to celebrate the couple's union. More on Persian weddings will follow in PersianMirror.
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