Текст 9

Wedding – the Scottish way

Dear Sirs,

Having read the «Scottish Issue» of your magazine and having just come back from my daughter’s wedding in Scotland, I thought that your readers might be interested to learn of some of the customs and traditions in Scotland today in connection with marriage.

Some time after the engagement, the young couple have to decide the day and date of the wedding. It is considered unlucky for the couple to get married in the months of May and January and these are usually avoided.

Many Scottish girls think that it is a good idea that family and friends give the bride-to-be wedding presents before the ceremony. There are different customs related to the showing of presents in different parts of the country. In the west of Scotland, for example, they are shown on the weekend before the wedding, when home-baked cakes, sandwiches, tea, whiskey and sherry are served.

Another custom is the blackening of the groom a few days before the wedding. Male friends get together and, leaving the young man with only his underpants on, cover him with a mixture of oil, flour, coffee and other sticky substances and throw feathers over him. Then they might tie him to a lamp post or take him around the town in an open truck, hooting the horn.

On the wedding day, after the ceremony at church, rose petals or confetti are thrown on the bride and groom. They are also presented with silver horseshoes which are believed to bring good luck. As they leave by car for the reception, the groom throws coins out of the window, which are collected by small children.

At the reception, the bride and groom are the first to dance. Traditional music is played by a fiddler, an accordionist and a drummer. At the end of the evening, the young couple are pushed into the middle to the song For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.

Then everybody joins hands and ends the celebration of the wedding by singing Auld Lang Syne. Finally, the couple leave for their honeymoon in their own car decorated with balloons, cans and old shoes.

I hope your readers find these events interesting.

Muriel Williams

Glasgow

(adapted from The World of English)