Rèiteach
A rèiteach () was a betrothal ceremony in the older Gaelic culture of the Scottish highlands. It is also attested in Gaelic-speaking Canada. Etymology. The Gaelic word "rèiteach", which was written "réiteach" until the spelling reform, means "agreement", "settlement" or "reconciliation" generally, and "wedding arrangement" in particular. "Rèiteach" also has the meanings "level place" and "disentangling", and the original sense may have to do with the idea of clearing away obstacles. ("Réiteach" is also the Irish word for "agreement" or "solution", but the Irish dictionaries make no mention of the ceremony.) Traditions. The custom was still in practice in  the first part of the 20th century, and involved the groom's party visiting the bride's house with an offer. Sometimes the rèiteach was divided into two parts, "an rèiteach beag" (the small rèiteach) or "a' chiad rèiteach" (the first rèiteach), which was more private and simple, and "an rèiteach mòr" (the big rèiteach), at which the details and practical issues were worked out. At the "rèiteach mòr", the whole community would be present, and the bride and groom would reenact for them the commitment made at the "rèiteach beag". In one tradition the suitor would ask his prospective  father-in-law for some gift, perhaps a boat or a cow, which was understood as a code for the daughter. An informant from Harris remembers: In another tradition, at the "rèiteach mòr", the groom would be presented with a series of "false brides", whom he would have to reject politely until the real bride was offered. Literature and popular culture. The custom has become known in the English-speaking world through the novel and films "Whisky Galore". In both the 1949 film and the 2016 remake, the rèiteach is depicted as a ritual in which bride and groom drink  whisky from a quaich in the presence of the whole community, after which there is drinking and dancing. The importance of whisky for the ceremony is a key element in the plot. In the original novel, Compton Mackenzie writes: In 1922 the Gaelic playwright produced a play entitled "Réiteach Móraig" (Morag's rèiteach), a companion to his play "Pòsadh Móraig" (Morag's wedding). The Scottish Celtic rock group Runrig have a song entitled "A reiteach" in their 2008 live album "Year of the Flood".