My sisters weding

Last weekend my sister married with her  beloved friend Maris. I and Elza were official witnesses of weddings.  In Latvian traditional weddings are official witnesses called vedējmāte and vedējtēvs as well, or in English it means sponsors of weddings, but they are not really the sponsors rather they are the persons who organize all activity as they should bee like an old Latvians peasant weddings . So it means that our responsibility was to help to organize every bit of detail of that event.

Wedding ceremony took a place in Orthodox Church somewhere in Torņakalns in Riga. After official ceremony when New couple exchanged rings and then all guests heaped up us with flowers. After church ceremony we went to Līgatne where some activities where prepared for Māris and Aļona,  crock hammering, childhood gates, life line drawing and many more.  On the way to main celebration place Jumurda, we were surprised by some friends who made a “gate” over the road. New Pair had to change underwear of  puppet.  Pants of puppet was dirt of lubricant of something, as if it was smelly shit .

Some of guests where in  quite a cheerful and funny mood,  when we arrived in Jumurda and checked in guest rooms, because many of them ride to Jumurda with rented bus and apparently started celebrating in bus . I and Elza were quite nervous because we were evening managers. I had to said first tost, which i made up out of the blue in the very last moment before I said it.  Despite some guests cheerful moods, initially atmosphere of evening was quite still. Thanks to musiciants who made the guests feel less tensed.  Till midnight continues dances and different games was played. And after as usual and according to traditions “mičošanas” ceremony took place. Newly weds red promises and wore a special attributes, all guest stood around newly weds and sang a song “Līgodama upe nesa” and burned candles.

After midnight newly weds cut cake and musicians sang funny song about “alumīnija tortīte” (aluminum cake) . Dances continued and different games were played till midnight.  At 3 – 4 am part of the guest gradually went to their room and fell asleep, including newly weds. The next morning was quite still. I and Elza oversleep a little bit, because of my mobile phone battery was low.  So new bride and bridegroom rose before us and traditional wake up ceremony didn’t take place. All guests ate breakfast and wrote bequest in newly weds bequest book.  All guest thanked for the great evening and slowly went home one by one.

Strange feeling now. My little sister is 4 years younger and married before me.  I wish to my sister and her husband Maris harmony, joy and many children.  And of course love for each other.

(Pictures will be available soon..)