The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-30
PECULIAR DUTCH CUSTOMS.
Lavish Entertainment of Betrothed
COuDJes.


Weddings are entered into in Holland
with boisterous enjoyment. Two weeks
Delofe marriage takes place, cards are
sent out declaring that the banns have
oeen published. This is called an under
marriage. The card also announces
%nen tne Mai marriage is to take place.
The wedding itself is a small affair. and
nized by law.
church wedding is usually looked up
on as concession to either fashion or
sentlmenta1ity, and is called .'cousecra-
ton of the marriage" The couple enter
the church behind the family members.
bridesmaids and other attendants. They
are shown to seats before the whole az
sembly and the clergyman comes in with
TWO witnesses long after the others have
been seated. He first makes a prayer.
then delivers a sermon on a suitable text.
winch usually brings the bride to tears.
A1ter that the couple are married in
t ah me same manner as they were il,
Tue Stadnuis. Then a hymn is sung and
the blessing given. The whole occupies
ABOUT an hour and Il quarter Before
leaving the church huge Bible is prr-
| scented to the groom
During the two weeks of waiting be-
tween the under marriage" and the real
marriage: all the wedding festivities take
place; The happy couple are literally sur
feited with dinners, balls. and t6eater
parties, and all manner of practical Jokes
are played on the pair. At the dinners
toaSts lnnumerable are given. and at each
tne whole company rises from the table.
70 sound and touch glasses with the
. 1rlue ana groom, VINO never rise. Then
len re leyen in hun gloria Among the
peasants the idea Of this continued revel-
ing is not to allow the couple night of
sleep, II possible, before the wedding day.
In place of wedding cake wedding can
dies are bruid-zuikers,' they are
called. They are handed around by chill
dren, and are served in fIower-trmmed
baskets: When the married pair denart
for their wedding trip there is no froiick-
ing or fun such as throwing rice and old
SHOES. 1t is not often that there is dane
ing at wedding festivities
After the honeymoon is over the couple
come home to quiet existence. and
no more dinners or parties arc given in
thelr honor. They settle down to the
home life which is the strength of Ho,-
lands people, the three chief attributes
OF when lie are economy. comfort and
cleanliness.
The regularity of the housekeeping is
disturbed by nothing when once begun.
Servants are so trained to the customs
and hours for each special line of work
that nothing but death would bring about
change, SO that even if a young woman
On her marriage has not learned the sys-
tenn, her maids habits and movements
will soon put her into the household track.
hey baskets are as numerous among
weddings gifts as pieknives in America.
for lock up is the keynote of advice
given to the daughter as she departs from
the maternal care. a "doofpotje,' tan
eAtlnguisher for a smoldering turf. CON
sisting of handsome brass pot with a
I'D that hts Tight, is often in miniature
given by the father of the bride. with the
good-natured request to have it set on the
| mantelpiece of the new home From this
has arisen the saying, Put it in the
doofptje.' when family differences arise.
Hague Correspondent in New York