Wedding of the Tay Ethnic Group in Vietnam

The Tay people consider marriage an important event of the family and the whole clan. In the past, almost all Tay marriages were arranged by their parents. Nowadays, the Tay boy and girl are free to love and to date each other and their marriages are resulted from love. If the boy and girl want to get married, the boy’s parents will send an uncle or patriarch to the girl’s family to talk about the couple’s relationship and ask for the girl’s horoscope to compare with that of the man.

Tay-ethnic-group

Based on the horoscopes of the girl and boy, the boy’s family will choose a good day to bring offerings to the bride’s family. The two important representatives of the 2 families will discuss about wedding gifts. Normally, the groom’s family has to pay almost all the wedding costs and the bride’s family contributes a small sum. And the groom’s family has to try to provide all the wedding gifts the bride’s family asks for which included of money, pork, rice, cakes, and wine. All main courses include pork. The groom’s family must bring not less than 100 kg of pork. Poor families, who can’t prepare enough themselves, ask their relatives to help them.

Traditionally, Tay marriage ceremonies begin in the afternoon. The groom’s family have to bring all the offerings to the bride’ house on this day. In the evening, in colourful dresses, everyone gathers in the bride’s house to join the wedding ceremony.

After the wedding, the bride will bring all cloth, clothes and blankets made by herself as her dowry to the groom’s house. When the bride arrive the groom’s house, the bride and groom will come to the altar to light incense and pray respectfully in front of the ancestral altar. Two brides maids will stay at the groom and bride’s house, only returning to their own houses after 2 days.

Tay-people-wedding

You will learn much about the Tay people and also other minorities when joining our motorcycle tours Vietnam. Riding with us, you will enjoy the ride very much because the trip will reveal the hidden layers of the local Vietnamese culture.

On the way of our Vietnam motorbike tours, you will find the Tay ethnic group in Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Kan, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang and Bac Ninh. If you have a chance to join a traditional Tay wedding, you will find it very unique and interesting.