When a wedding becomes a village festival in Central Highlands

In the traditional customs of ethnic groups in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, a wedding is not only a private affair between two families but also a celebration for the entire village.

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Ethnic minority communities regard marriage as one of the most important milestones in an individual's life.

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The re-enactment features ethnic minority residents who live and work in the village. In the photo is the wedding ceremony portraying a marriage between groom A Chuong and bride Dinh Thi Nha, with the bride’s family from the Ba Na ethnic group and the groom’s family from the Xo Dang ethnic group.

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Representatives from the Ba Na and Xo Dang villages meet to discuss wedding gifts for the bride and groom.

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The wedding ceremony consists of two parts: taking the bride out of her house and welcoming her into the groom’s family.

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The bride's family warmly welcomes the groom and his family with lively sounds of Gongs and traditional Xoang dances.

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The bride’s family invites the groom’s family to share wine, while the bride’s mother offers advice to the young couple before the ceremony.

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The most important part of the wedding ceremony will take place at the groom's house.

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The groom's mother presents a bronze ring to the bride as a welcoming gesture, expressing joy and happiness while receiving a new member to the family.

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The two families conduct rituals to recognize the couple.

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The village chief offers blessings to the newlyweds, wishing them a prosperous, healthy, and happy new life.

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The bride and groom invite their parents and relatives to drink wine to express respect and gratitude, and perform a thanksgiving ritual to their parents.