What Are Some Albanian Wedding Traditions?
The most common Albanian wedding tradition is the jav’ e nuses, which is a week long celebration before the wedding. It celebrates the union of the two families and involves inviting everyone from the local community.
It is still a tradition in Albania for the bride’s family to give the groom’s family a dowry. The tradition varies from region to region, but the dowry is composed of items like pillows, blankets, carpets, and pieces of furniture. The groom is also required to give the bride’s family money as a dowry payment and is expected to give the bride special gifts like clothing and jewelry.
During the jav’ e nuses, the bride will be presented with honey and bread by her future mother-in-law. This tradition symbolizes that the bride’s marriage will as sweet as honey. On the day of the wedding the best man will bring the bride her shoes and it is tradition that they be filled with rice and candied almonds.
It is a strict Albanian tradition that only close family members are allowed to give material gifts to the bride and groom. It is expected that all other guests leave envelopes of money for the bride and groom. In certain regions of Albania it is tradition to attach the money to the bride and groom during the ceremonial wedding dance.
