The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-11
A Syrian Wedding
Ceremony.
YOUTHFUL LOVERS.
Rachael Elan and Salim
Sard in Matrimonial Bonds.

/ Two loczl subjects o Tie sultan o.
Turkey were -narrisd wiki al the pomD
Of the Gr=eE Catholic church, last even
/ ing, a. = Bloorning1zIe road, II what
IL commonly styled The long block. ="
The contracting parties were Miss
Rachael EhaE. Il -ears Of age and
Selin Sard- z years old Of Wcousocket,
P I. Both vera naive syrsans and Pre-
scented : very youthful appearance
| The Ceremony Tas performed BY ReT.
Z Constantine Pappsgeorg= q Lowell
The bride vac attsnd=d b. Nrz. Nzzsby
Ghiz, while Lalel Gaiz performed z ike
service Tor the groom
! The ceremony vas unique IN 5hs ex-
/ IRENE. and vas participated IN By all
guests o [Es evening. 1ho numbered
about ;. AS < the usual case. the course
/ u true love did aoy run quite smoothly
| and II looked at one tine as though the
youthful lovers would never taste the
! Joys q connubLaI felicity. The relatives
Of the contracting parties usually have
| more 70 say IN & matter OF this kind
than the principals. and they exercised
| their prsrogatlEes last evening and de-
iayed the ceremony e good three hours
! and er=n threatened % call the mar
r1age OF. The groom however, took the
/ bit In his teeth and dehed his relatives
I and stoutiy asserted his right 70 be
/ married. Sesing MS determination, they
| allowed the ceremony 70 be performed.
| Early in the svening the guests began
/ 20 arrive. As each one entered he
! salute1 and was given a word Of wei
come. He then passed about the house
] shaking hands with the gusgls present.
/ The women folks retired 20 the bride
/ chamber, whore elaborate preparations
| for the ceremony we're going on. Soon
the women began chanting q weird
| song which took q very mournful tone,
gradually changing into psan Of
/ gladness.
The bride was alfred for the cere-
Enony and the relatives Of both bride
! and groom passed in 70 inspect and
! give advice. They Trangled for z couple
( OF hours over the brides dress, bat
I finally subsidized
The priest then entered with the
groom He returned. leading the bridal
I party followed by the women all chant
! ing song Of gladneEs. Everybody bore
a lighted candle, both rnen and women.
! The priest stationed himself in the
center Of the room with q small table
! between him and the bridal couple.
I They were surrounded by Syrian men
/ and women, some dressed in native
! cOstume, the whole presenting a strange
sight The priest, who is q picturesque
I old gentleman, with flowing iron gray
/ hair and beard. was attired in vest
ments Of blood red
/ He opened the services by char1fng a
/ prayer which was answered by the peo-
pie. He then took ring and rubbed
I il upon the forehead Of the bride and
groom and slipped it upon the groom S
/ index finger Of the right hand. He re-
| peated the performance only slipping
another ring on the finger OF the bride.
/ The priest then took the incensory and
shook incense over the heads Of the
( throng He then crossed the arms Of the
1 couple, and afterwards hooked the lit
/ Tie fingers Of their right hands together.
/ He touched the foreheads Of the cou-
pie with bracelets and laid them upon
their heads like q crown.
The groomsman the. took the brace
| lets off the couples heads and crossed
and recrossed t9ea three times, put
ting them back in ps cg. The bride and
groom kissed the Bible three times, and
the bridal party walked about the
table three times The priest
chanted a song and offered wine
! to the bridal party who slipped of it in
/ turn. The bracelets were again re-
moved and held TO the foreheads Of
the couple The groOmsman then kissed
| the bride and groom. The ceremony
| was completed by the bridal party kiss
| ing the priests hand and pressing it to
| their foreheads.
Following the ceremony, music and
dancing were INDUCED in until dawn.
! The newly welded couple viii reside
in Woonsosket, r. l., leaving for that
! city tomorrow.