The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-01-20
LADIES COLUMN.
A JAPANESE MARRIAGE.
Moist Marriage Service The Trous-
seau and Furniture.

II
cred a suitable dress for mean IN
derdress Of sage green silk ereps, q
kimono Of soft, green, striped silk
of darker shade, with fold of white
crepe, spangled with gold at the
neck, and q girdle of sage-green
corded silk, with the family badge
here and there upon it in gold. ]
went with the housemaster, Ito, to
his disgust, not being invited, and
his absence was like the loss of one
of my senses, as l could not get
any explanations itill afterward.
The ceremony did not cores
pond with the rules laid down for
marriages in the books Of etiquette
that / have seen, but this is &C
counted for by the fact that they
we're for persons of the sosNrai
class, while this bride and BRIDE
groom, though the children Of we'll
to-do merchants, belong to the
heimin.
The trousseau and furniture
were conveyed to the bridegroom's
house in the early morning, and /
was allowed to go to see them.
There were several girdles of silk
embroidered with gold, several
pieces of brocaded silk for kimenos,
several pieces of silk crepe, large
number of made-up garments. a
piece of white silk, six barrels Of
wine for sake, and seven sorts of
condiments. Jewelry is not worn
by women in japan.
The furniture consisted Of two
wooden pillows, finely lacqaered,
one of them containing a drawer
for ornamental hair-pins, some cot
ton futons, two very handsome silk
ones, few silk cushions, lacquer
work box, a spinnipg-wheel, a lac
quer rice bucket and lRdle, two or
namental iron kettles, various kitch-
en- utensils, three bronze hi60ehi,
some lacquer trays and sens, china
kettles, teA-pots and cups, some
lacquer rice bowls, two copper bs-
sins, a few towels, some bamboo
switches, and an inlain lacquer
etagsTe. AS the things are all very
handsome, the parents must be well
off. The sake is sent in accord
ance with rigid etiquette.
1t has often been written that
marriage must be solemRized by a
priest, but this is a mistake. jap
anese marriage is a purely civil
contract. No religious ceremony
is necessary. A marriage is legal
lied by its registration in the office
of the RocAo. These people were
but there was not even
a priest present on the occasion.
The bridegroom is twenty-five,
the bride seventeen and very
comely, so far as l could see
through the paint with which she
was profusely dIsfigured. Toward
evening she was carried in q D0ri-
non, accompanied by her parents
and friends, to the bridegroom's
house, each member of the process
sion carrying q Chinese lantern.
When the housemaster and 1 ar
lived, the wedding party was as
'embled in a large room, the pa
'ents and friends of the bridegroom
,elng seated on one side, and those |
If the bride on the other. Two |
young girls, very beautifully dressed,
brought in the bride, very pleas
ng looking creature, dressed entire
y in white silk, with a veil of
White silk covering her from head
o foot.
The bridegroom, who was al
eady seated in the middle of the
Dom near It's upper part did not
Use to receive her, and kept his
yes fixed on the ground, and she
at opposite to him, but never
ooked up. A low table was placed
n front, on which there was a two
Ipouted kettle full of sake, some
axe bottles and some cups, aud on
Tres representing a fir tree, q plum
rec in blossom, and q stork stand
ng on q tortoise, the last repre-
ienting length Of days, aud the
ormer the beauty of women and
he strength Of men. Shortly
placed before each person, and the
east began, accompanied by the
loises which signify gastronomio
After this, which was only a pre-
imInary, the two girls who brought
n the bride handed around q tray
With three cups containing sake,
Which each person is expected to
Train till he came to the god of
uck at the bottom.
The bride and bridegroom then
etired, but shortly reappeared in
'ther dresses Of ceremony, but
he bride still wore her white silk
ell, which one day will bs her
hroud. An cid gold lacquer tray
1as produced, with three sake cups,
Thich were filed by the two brides
maids, and placed before the pa
and the bride. The .
ather-in-law drank three cups, and
anded the cup to the bride, who,
fter drinking two cups, received
rom her father-in law a present in
box, drank the third cup, and
hen returned the cup to the father
l-law, who again drank three cups.
ice and fish were next brought in,
tier which the bridegroom's moth
r took the second cup, and filed
nd emptied it three times, after {
hich she passed it 20 the bride, Z
no drank two cups, received
resent from her mother-in-law in 4
lacquer box, drank 3 third cup,
nd gave the cup to the elder lady,
no again drank three cups. SoHp
as then served, and then the bride
rank once more from the third
up, and handed it to her husbands =
.ther, who drank three more cups;
lie bride took it again and drank
20, and lastly the mother-in-lsw
rank three more cups. Now, if I
ou possess the cleRr-sightedness j
hich labored to preserve, you
i'll perceive that each of the three
Id imbibed nine cups of some gen. I
Gus liquor! a
After this the two bridesmaids "a
Used the two-spouted kettle, and -
it to the lips Of the mar N
L - IL 4