Persian Wedding Traditions
Dating back to 550 B.C.
Hanna Bandan - تاتو حنا - (Wedding Eve)
The day before the wedding is the bathing day. The bride, the groom and relatives go to bathhouses. The bride and the other women would have manicures, pedicures and massages with special oils and perfumes. The groom had to have a bath, but his was much simpler. Later, at night there would be a ceremony called “Hanna Bandan”. Here, henna would be placed on the bride’s hands and feet. The fathers of the bride and the groom would then sprinkle esphand (a herb) on a brazier with hot coals that would produce a smoke with a pure scent. The fathers spin around the soon to be in-law with the smoke to ward off the “evil eye”.
Khastegari - پیشنهاد
(Proposal)
Khastegari is the first step of a Persian marriage. The family of the man will look for potential brides or he himself can do so too. Once a potential bride is found, the man along with his parents and sometimes a few relatives will go to the bride's house with flowers and ask permission from her parents to date their daughter. The bride's family receives the guests, offering tea and sweets "shirini". The bride usually walks around with the tea and sweets and offers it to each person one by one. After the visit both the bride and the groom consider whether they want to pursue the relationship. After a few visits, the second khastegari takes place. Here, the two families talk about the qualities of their daughter/son. Examples are; cooking, modesty, education/career. With the permission of his parents, a proposal will take place to the bride's parents at the second "khastegari". The bride and the groom will have time to talk alone about the future.
