I've always heard that Dai weddings are special. I have been in Xishuangbanna for nearly 20 years and have no chance to attend. Until two years ago, a new teacher, Zhuang Yi, was transferred to our school. She is from A Dai, and her home is in the stockade near our school. One day Yizhuang's cousin got married, and she invited all the teachers in our school to attend. When I heard the news, I was very happy, thinking that my dream of attending Dai's wedding had finally come true.
At noon on cousin Yizhuang's wedding day, after school, we went to her cousin's house with her on her behalf. On the way, I asked Yizhuang, how much is the gift you wear? Yizhuang told me that they don't mind this in the stockade, ranging from 20, 50 and 60, depending on their own situation. This gift is so human! We Han people need at least 200 yuan to attend a wedding.
When I first arrived at cousin Yizhuang's house, I saw many men and women in the stockade gathered in her yard to help. Cooking, cooking, cleaning tables and chairs, greeting guests and so on, they are as busy as a bee. It's really a family matter, and the whole village helps.
After we finished the ceremony, Yizhuang took us to the wedding scene. The wedding scene was set in a bamboo building, and the bride and groom knelt beside the old man who presided over the wedding at home. There is a round table in front of them. There are many fruit wines on the table, and relatives and friends at home sit together. The priest chanted prayers in front. After chanting, the host took out the white line already prepared on the plate and tied it on the wrist of the bride and groom. Then relatives and friends tie strings for the bride and groom; Finally, the old man tied the thread to the couple. The old man tied a long thread from the groom's left shoulder to the bride's right shoulder. While tying the thread, he read a congratulatory message: I wish them love and happiness all their lives.
After the binding ceremony, we began to eat. Looking at a table of Dai food, I swallowed. There are grilled fish with citronella, roast chicken with sour bamboo shoots, fried cowhide, skim beef, chopped raw pork and so on.
This is a unique wedding I have attended. It showed me the unique wedding of the Dai family. It is true that every nation has its own unique folk culture.