The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-04-15
Marriage Customs in Different Parts of th
n World.

-... .N. WOrlds
MARRIAGES IN SIcILY.-Here we have a mar
riage solemnizsd according to the rites OF the
Greek Church, at Pana die Greci, a district at
Palermo, psopled by Abanians.
The bride, atlirsd in the ancient costume OF
gold and silver brocade, enriched with precious
stones, and trimmed with gay ribandS, walks to
church. leaning on her husbands arm. Musi-
clans, marching in front of the cortege, play
national oirs. In their midst walks boy in a
long white robe, who carries on his head bas-
ket, wherein are deposited thenuptial crowns
and two wedding rings, one OF gold and The 9TH
or of silver. At the moment when the priest
gives the gold ring to the man and the silver one
TO the woman, the crowns are placed on their
heads, and they promise to love and cherish one
another all their lives Then the sponsors OF the
newly married throw thick veil around Them
and the priest takes goblet of wine. blessss it,
and causes the husband and wife to drink from
it, and to eat of the small morsel OF bread.--
Then he lays his hands upon the welded pair,
and pronounces the blessings of the church up
on them. The veil which had hid them from
the gaze Of the spectators is Withdrawn, and
the ceremony terminates with--a mystic dance,
in the church itself ths organ and the orches-
ira playing and the priest and his clerks, the
happy pair and their friends, all take part in
IL. 7a
When we say dance, however, our readers
quick step of ths mordern ballroom but to a
grave csremonious movement, The custom OF
having two weddingrings, instead OF only one,
as in English marriages, prevails in several parts
of the continent. In many of the German
States in particular, the husband. while he gives
his bride ring receives one from her in re'un,
and this ring he wears as constantly as the
bride wears hers. After the conquest ol Sicily,
Latin Blshopric was established there but
xphp he In
Greeks were allowed to have bishop of their
own, dignity which still exists, but the prero-
gativss of which much diminished. On one
day in the year they rehearse their own tenets
on Others. they conform to the Latin ritual.
MARRIAGE IN EGYPr.---When an Egyptian
bride leaves her fathers house for the dwelling
of her husband, all her female friends and re-
lations accompany her, veiled like herself, and
marching under dais, preceded by musicians
and tumblers. After a sort of triumphal pro-
gress through the principal streets in the town,
the procession stops at the husbands door,
Here the visitors are received with all honor by
certain members of the husbands family who
conduct the bride to the nuptisl hall, where her
husband. who has never yet seen his brides face.
ihough the marriage ceremony is over, is wait
ing 10 receive her.
Now, at length. the husband is permitted to-
Hsdysncs ind lift the veil that has hitherto hid
den the features of his bride; and SO perfect
command of countenance have the Mussulmen
in general, that they seldom betray signs of
pleasure or dissatisfaction, even when they dis
cover the beauty or uginess OF the partner to
whom they have allowed themselves to be ut
terly married. At the worst the husband may
console himself, if he should find his wife es
specially Questionable, with the prospect Of 81
divorce, or consultations afforded in country
where polygamy is allowed, while lady ia Ia.
king the veil, has produced a result directly op-
posite to the effects OF such proceeding in
Christian country; she has not taken the VOW
OF celibacy, but has. on the contrary, escaped
the possibility of an old maids fate.
OF course. the only male spectators of the
ceremony are the brothers aud father of the
bride herself; for in Egypt the women are so
jsalousy guarded. and so completely secluded
from every eye, that from their earliest girlhood
70 their death. no man is allowed 10 gaz. upon
their faces, with the exception of the persons
enumerated above. II, as is universally allowed.
the degree of liberty enjoyed by the female por
tion of the community is 10 b. taken as the cri-
terion Of eountry's civilization. Egypt must
be in a low condition indeed for. ,xcept among
the entirely savage tribes. no woman is so en-
tirely sacrificed as the victim OF nirri,ge in |
Egypt. The coalition o. ths womsn M EIypt
- h,ri snl degraiing. bat ,h'y do not expeci
anything else.