Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-11
NO. 112.
An Armenian Wedding.

A lady living in Constantinople gives
very interesting account of Turkish, or
rather an Armenian, wedding. The bride,
although the possessor of two houses and
one hundred thousand dollars, was to mar.
ry poor clerk. Lucky clerk some one
Will say but when we read that the bride
was an Armenian and that 'pretty Arme-
nian" is Turkish for fool, there is doubt
after all about the clerks luck. OF her
dress and appearance, we quote the lady's
account: 1.-The bride was dressed verv
prettily, and was covered with a most Gu
rious veil made of long slips of gold tin
sci which reached to her feet. Through
this you could not see, except the bottom
| OF her dress. She was dressed in white
silk, brocaded with silver and pearls. and
around her waist was wide belt con-
tanning fortune in precious stones. Her
cheeks were painted deep crimson. laid
in on heart shape, and another heart
was artistically put on the chin, while the
rest OF the face was as white as the lumi-
nous cosmetic could bring it. The eye
brows met and also stretched to the hair
on each side of her temples, and were a.
black as they could be painted. The in
side of her fingers ends and finger nails
were stained deep crimson. Her hair.
which was long and thick, though coarse.
was braided full Of little jingling coins.
The outlines Of her form were, as usual.
totally hidden by the clumsily.made
clothes. Her feet were encased in velvet
slippers. embroidered with pearls. Large
solitaire diamonds constituted her ear.
rings. Four priests performed the cere-
mony and the wedding company waited
from A. NJ till nearly 2 P. M. for them
to come. The priests were decorated with
gold embroidery from head to foot. and
the chief priest wore sort ofmitre on his
head literally blazing with jewels. The
carpet was now covered with one far more
elegant, having tassels of pearls at each
corner. The chief priest took his place on
the centre OF this, and the other three be.
hind. The father of the bride took her by
the hand and led her forward to the bride-
groom and the two then stepped before
the priest. Two boys brought cushions
with green wreath on each for the bride
and bridegroom. The brides was kept IN
place by the tinsel veil, but that of the un-
fortunate Haskar kept sliding forward and
backward all the time, making him yery
uncomfortable. The bride was under
rather than over the ordinary height for
women, and the bridegroom very tall
man, and they were obliged to stand with
their foreheads touching each other dur
ing the whole ceremony, which took cer-
talnl an hour. 1t seemed to consist most
ly OF swinging of the censers and singing
by the boys and sort of monotonous
chant by the three priests. AT last it was
finished by Haskar handing a plain gold
ring to his bride and receiving one from
her in exchange. and then both kneeled
Tor a few moments while the priests
chanted and the boys swung the censers
around very close to the heads Of the un-
fortunate couple. They then rose, and
the priests departed, after having regaled
themselves in the supper-room alone. The
party then adjourned to the supper-room;
the bride was lifted by the men and seated
astride small barrel OF wine, and the
feast commenced. She had TO sit there
till all the wine was drunk out ofth bar
rel, which was nearly two hours. She
looked tired enough before all was over,
for she got nothing to eat at all. The Ar
menians are good eaters. and it was day.
light before the feast concluded. and the
guests allowed to depart.