Throughout history, Azerbaijan’s ancient wedding customs have embodied the national spirit, way of life, and cultural values of our people. Every wedding is a sacred ceremony that unites not only two families and hearts but sometimes even two regions. In an interview with AZERTAC, Ilhama Gasabova, a leading researcher at the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), PhD in Philology, and Associate Professor, shared her insights on wedding traditions in Karabakh.
According to Gasabova, Karabakh weddings have always been rich in tradition and carried out in several stages. The process began with the selection of the bride. One interesting custom involved the groom’s father. If he admired a girl at a wedding, he would either pour wheat over her head or tie a small token to the end of her shawl during a dance. If the girl accepted, she would keep the token; if not, she would return it within a week.
Matchmaking in Karabakh followed strict traditions. Before the formal proposal, women from both families would meet in a ritual called “araachma.” Only after this initial meeting would the matchmaking process continue. The matchmaking itself had a three-stage process, where the groom’s family usually did not receive consent on the first attempt. If consent was given on the third attempt, the groom’s family would bring sugar to the tea table. Serving sweet tea symbolized agreement; however, if the bride’s family refused, the guests would take the sugar back.
