The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-29
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seco~d Lecture ON Syria and the syrians.
Mr.. GREooay n. woarEsAr delivered the second lee
Of the customs and Of the Holy
Land, at the Brooklyn Female Academy, on Thursday
evening. The subject was the interesting Of
fagcs and marriage ceremonies In the East After few
preliminary remarks the lecturer said that marriage In
the East considered the brilliant era In mans
Me-an event TO which the young man looked forward
With no small share Of impotence uponit he built hi
happiness-so much that the heartiest congratula
tons that can DO offered TO young man, the
manner Of returning him thanks for any favor kind
conferred by him. Ia to wish him an early marriage
He regretted that similar compliments not bestow
ed upon the daughters They he said considered In
feor 70 the and little notice is taken Of them In
speaking Of Syria the lecturer wished to be understood
that he did not inclsdc Beyroo where European mis-
souary influence had told much on the Inhabitants Re-
Stunning his subject the lecturer said that the wedding
generally lasted three four days viz: from Thursday
afternoon till early on Monday morning. Former
ly 1t lasted a fortnight more during which
time the bridegroom his his father used to send
the bridal sweetmeats to their friends. Now, how
ever account Of the abbre ceremony BRIDE
groom friends come TO his house and help themselves
a. will appear from the sequel In the interval from
Thursday to Monday morning the greatest sumptuous
ness and luxury are displayed by all parties according
tnc1r c0noiti0n, ana come by decking themselves
jewels. &c. which in many only borrowed 1t
is not uncommon thing for young lady gentleman
to borrow some of their neighbors' things In most
houses In Syria there are two reception sitting
fer the ladies and the other for the gentlsmen-so
that both parties enjoy the ceremony without mixing
with each other Many two doors for the diff
ferent that the ladies coming in from the
streets, envelopcd in their white eao covering which
wraps them up to foot enter the house Without
the men being even Of the fact. The veil which
The women their faces Is transparent enough
allow them to through it. but in return they
ba Tvaa@u Dl5o
proof the speaker referred Rebecca who yelled herself
at the well 1t would be impossible to give than
idea OF the method in which these bridal festivities
csredon Every body claters confusedy and
while the have their musicians to entertain them the
women have their songstresse and dancing girls oenven
their otherwise dull department Large supplies Of wines
preserves and oriental sweetmeats. continually sup
piled to the guests by the friends of the bridegroom
bride who become stewards of the feast and showing
their zeal and attachment to the bridal party they press
the guests not to the repast repeating
the same time an Arab pIoverb which says that the
more they eat and the they drink the moro they
SHOW their attachment the lord of feast During
these happy festivals the atmosphere the house is any
thing but agreeable especially to those who are not &c
eustomed to the efuvia Of tobacco for both and
women smoke voluptuouily Though the Syrian bacco
Is not strong, and therefore emts odors yet
Tho quantity Of smoke makes it hard breathe, and
thscsfore anything but agreeable The ladies mostly
SMOKE the argyle" the smoke of which Ii drawn by
means Of long tube through the water thus not only
cooling before it reaches the mouth but also purifying
soking apparatus paatabe to the agreeable
60 the ego Before Syria was conquered by Ibrahim
n YSEo wsrs s9ss dosroye d Sy tse
Sultan M.hmoud) stil prevailed, the bridegroom
~ TO pay s S t.. to the Of
the order that they might bridal party
N the streets and guard the house Of the bridegroom
como in armed TO demand presents If the welded pair
be not Of the sect Of Christians there is generally
great deal Of trouble about the marriage For instance
ps Of the two orders Of Roman Caholcs-the Maronte
and Greek Catholic both Of which admit the supremacy
OF the Be u.ted without deal Of bother
md a lint GraAk thndOY
cannot marry either OF the above there great ami
mostly existing between their churches These always
troublesome and generally avoided but not so
In Mount Lebanon where the clan rivalry still exists
The Syrian expects dowy with his wife, who only
according to her position in % but in marrying she does
not her right Of inheritance The SHARE of females
inheritance third of what male gets, Marriages.
N the East genery arranged the respective
parents in behalf Of their children who in nine cases
out Of ten have not each other. and, perhaps,
ct the time the arrangement is being concocted,
the interested parties know nothing about it. If the
mothsr sees pretty girl who. in her opinion, would
make fitting wife for her SON, she tells her husband
who dispatches her to enter into arrangement which,
being done, betrothal ensues. On betrothing, the
young man sends jewels and stuns according to his
he sends that the parents regulate the gifts to their
daughter. During the period of grace between the
engagement and which he all that he has
to the berOhed and should the girl break the engage
Elent. she must refund them equal value SO,
after ALL il is mere matter of pxstres and paras or
dollars and cents: and having each other,
there not much love lost The period between the
be othal and marriage is not limited The young man
sets the time when he pleases but never sees his
until the wedding This custom the lecturer SAID was
now falling into dsuse Early in the wedding week,
the female relatives Of the bride invite their friends to
assist az the ceremony and in doing present them
with candle and package of henna "a sort OF powder
with which females in the East dye their hands and fee
and the Friday following they accompany the brdeto
the bath where all bsthedan operation which takes
fully half day On their return home they attire the
bride like doll dye her hands and feet with hcnna and
seat her croseIegg on a raised cushion her hands
mad hoVE nasag and QF
remains in this position for length OF time suicent
to allow the company TO retire from her pre-,
sence in the Of the evening she rs mounted
on pair Of pattens stits) eight ten feet high and
supported by friend each side makes slight inci-
nation towards dance during which time the company
express their delight by clapping their hands and shout
ing the top of their voices After the bride all the
other ladies go through the performance At both
festivals (ether at the bridegrooms or brides never
ending series Of compliments are continually poured
them, and highly exaggerated songs chaunted In
praise Of the happy pair On The Sunday evening beng
the the MARRIAGE the bridegroom sends about one
hundred and City of his nearest relatives and most re-
spectacle guests to accompany the bride to the church
On arriving her fathers house they demand her in
formal manner and then sit down and smoke while she
Is being prepared The bride in going she church, is
accompanied by many women as the bridegroom sent
Before leaving the house, the bridal party call on
The parents Of the bride for their blessing and full con-
sent the union and then proceed to horse
back if il lis great distance from the house ana on
foot If by Whilst the procession Is passing
through the streets. rosewater Is sprnkled on the
bridal party from the windows Of various houses, and
presents distributed among the people who always
cOngregatc great numbers on such occasions. Inc
procession passes bath returns by the
streets through which might have passed its route
to the church-it being considered i'll omen to doso
ARRIVED At the church and the ceremonies concluded,
the married pair return home but not with each other
The bridegroom with some Of the guests goes one way
and the bride IL conducted to her husbands home by
another route The bridegroom reaches the house first
and when the bride arrives he accompanied ny his god
father enters the ladies' saloon and uncovers her face
either with . naked sword or with his hand, and as
token submission she kisses his hand In Aeppo the
veil Is invariably taken off with the sword-in some
other places with the hand the bridegroom standing on
emnence his future wife passing under his arm when
the veil Is raised which in the East denotes that the
woman Ia inferior to the The ceremonies are now
ended by the whole party wishing the happy couple an
abundance Of joy and all join in the marriage cry.
which Is discordanty yelped while the musicians hired
for the ocsason playing They then adjourn TO the
reesbments prepared for them leaving the happy pair
the cities Of their honey At the close Of the
lecture the speaker rapturousy applauded and the
assemblage separated