Uzbek customs and tradition

Fatikha-Tuy (Engagement)
Nuptials are held with permission and blessing of parents and is held in several stages. When one’s son comes of age, parents start searching the suitable girl for him. Close relatives, neighbors, friends are involved in this process. Having found a girl, aunts by mother or father come to the girl’s house under some excuse, in order to look at her, to get acquainted with her parents and home settings of potential bride. After this neighbors and friends gather information on the family of chosen girl. In case of positive references, matchmakers are sent. Fatikha-0tuy (engagement) is one of the major rituals in matchmaking. Matchmakers designated the day of engagement.
On this day mahalla’s elders, chairman of the mahalla, girls are gathered in the bride’s house. When intermediaries explain the goal of their visit, the ceremony of «non sindirish» (literally «breaking the flat bread») will start. From this moment the young people are deemed engaged. "Fatikha Tuy" finishes with appointing the wedding day. Each intermediary is given the dastarkhan with two flat breads, sweets, and presents from the girls side for the groom and his parents are forwarded. Upon return of intermediaries to the groom’s house the trays with presents are accepted from them, and the «sarpo kurar» ceremony (presents show) starts. Usually, dastarkhan is unfolded by a woman with many kids. All present enjoy the cookies and sweets brought from the bride’s house. This ceremony completes the engagement ritual. From the moment of «fatikha tuy» and until the wedding ceremony the parents of the young people resolve issues related to dowries and organizational issues related to the wedding ceremony. Several days prior to the wedding party the «kiz oshi» ceremony («girls only party») is held in the bride’s house, to which the bride invites her close friends and relatives.

Wedding
Wedding ceremony has traditionally exceptional place in Uzbeks’ lives and is celebrated with particular splendor. While having common features, this ceremony still has its specific aspects in various regions. Brides transfer from her parents’ house to the groom’s house is the main moment of the weeding cycle. On the wedding day the wedding palov is served to the guests at the bride’s house, and such palov is cooked in the groom’s house and then sent to the bride’s. same palov serving is conducted at the groom’s house as well. On the wedding day the mosque’s imam reads the “Hutbai Nikoh” (Prayer on Nuptials) for the young couple after which the latter are announced the husband and wife before the Allah. Imam explains the rights and obligations of the husband and wife to the couple. Usually, after ceremony of nikoh the couple goes to the Wedding Registry Office for registration of their civil marriage. On the wedding day the goom puts on the new clothes at the bride’s house (clothes and shoes presented for the wedding), then the groom goes to the bride’s parents to greet them and get their blessing. Upon return of the groom and his friend, the bride arrives as well. Before sending the bride to the groom’s house the ceremony of bride’s farewell with her parents takes place at the bride’s house. She is accompanied by close friends. The sing songs (“Ulanlar”, “Yor-Yor”).
The wedding party starts with the greeting of the bride at the groom’s house. After the wedding party the groom sees the bride off to the room for newlywed. “Yanga” (usually woman close to the bride) meets her in the room, bride changes clothes and prepares for meeting the groom staying behind the curtain (“Gushanga”). Some time later the groom accompanied with friends appears at the entrance of the room and accompanied with “yanga” he approaches the curtain, where the bride waits for him. In order to see the bride, the groom should symbolically purchase her out from “yanga”, for which the negotiations are set. Then the groom and the bride are left alone for the night. Early in the morning the “Kelin Salomi” ceremony (“Bride’s Greeting”) starts. By the beginning of the ceremony the groom’s parents, all close relatives, friends and close neighbors gather in the yard. Everybody approaches the bride by turn with their wishes, gists and blessings. Bride is obliged to greet each of them by bowing lowly. Thus the celebration finishes and family life begins.
Most young people in Tashkent officially register their weddings in special government offices called “Bakht Uyi” accompanied by their friends and close relatives. It is fashionable to arrive in stretch limousines. Before or after the registration they usually make excursion to one of the well known sights in the city (On Fridays one may see a convoy of luxurious Mercedes cars of wedding couples putting flowers on the monuments of heroes). The Islamic Nikoh takes place mostly at the home of the bride when the certificate of official registration is shown (This is by decree of Uzbekistan Muslim Board).
Quda oshi and navcarlar. It is tradition to give a big pilaw to people on the wedding day in the home of the girl. Later it became a tradition to make pilaw for people at the groom’s home too. Nowadays it is customary to have only one pilaw and for the parents of the bride groom to provide this.

On the wedding day the bridegroom and his accompanying friends visit the house of the bride. They eat pilaw there in a specially prepared room where they will eat 9 kinds of meals served by the wives of her brothers or other relatives. After eating the meals amid humor and laughter, the friends of the bride groom will pay a symbolical amount of money to support the function. In Tashkent this ceremony is mostly held in homes. Most people invite musicians to the function and they usually play classical music and sing classical songs.