Tajik marriage customs

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Tajik marriage customs

Applicant: Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Project No.: 1007

Project No.: X - 100

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Protected by: cultural center of Tajik Autonomous County, Tashkurgan, Xinjiang

Introduction to Tajik marriage customs:

Applicant: Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

The marriage custom of Tajik nationality is an important custom of Tajik nationality, which is mainly spread in the towns of Tajik Autonomous County, Tashkurgan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is composed of the procedures of choosing, proposing, betrothing, drumming, greeting, wedding ceremony, three days after marriage and so on. Each procedure has its own unique cultural connotation. For example, the drum beating ceremony reflects the Tajik people's mutual understanding in life. The ceremony will be held in the family where the wedding is to be held. If the master wants to hold the wedding, he must obtain the consent of the bereaved family among his relatives and friends. If the relatives and friends agree, he will beat the tambourine to show that he will kill the sheep to entertain the bereaved relatives and friends.

The Tajik people believe in the ismayi sect of Shiite Islam, which is unique in China. This also makes the Tajik people's music, dance, clothing and food culture have distinctive characteristics, which are embodied in the Tajik marriage customs. For example, the wedding music does not use large musical instruments, but mainly plays Eagle flute and hand drum, creating a happy atmosphere with national characteristics; the bride's dress is not only colorful, but also has many decorations, showing the characteristics of plateau nationality. In Tajik wedding, no matter the bridegroom, bride or best man or bridesmaid, they have to draw facial makeup on their faces and point more than 60 white dots to show good luck, which is also rare among other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. The marriage period of Tajik is as long as three days. In this process, there is always a happy, harmonious and warm atmosphere everywhere, which makes every participant intoxicated.

The marriage custom of Tajik nationality has a long history and rich cultural connotation, which has the research value of folklore, aesthetics, ethnology, sociology, religion and so on.