A week before the wedding-day the girl cannot go out. Every day during this week an old woman rubs oil on her body. This oil has a nice smell. The girl’s skin becomes beautiful and smells sweet. While the old woman is doing this, she also talks to the girl. She teaches her to be a good wife.
On the day before the wedding, the girl has a good bath. She sits on some colored pieces of cloth in the bathroom. All the older women in her family take some water out of a very big jug, and pour it on her. The water is mixed with flowers. When everybody has poured some water on her, the last woman ( usually an important woman in that place ) throws the jug on the floor, the jug breaks. After that the young girl run to get one of the pieces of cloth to keep. If they get a pieces of cloth, they will soon find a husband, after the bath the girl stays in her room. People paint her face and comb her hair. From this time she cannot look at herself in the mirror until after the wedding.
While the girl is doing all this, other people are busy. They put up things so that the house looks more beautiful. They put two banana trees, some bananas, and some young coconuts on both sides of the front door. The meaning is this. The new husband and wife will always live together and be good to one another.
One the wedding-day the girl wears a beautiful piece of cloth. The top of her body is covered with a bright piece of cloth. The most important part of the wedding, the meeting of the boy and the girl, is usually in the evening.
The boy wears the same cloth as the girl’s. He wears a black hat on his head. When the boy arrives at the girl’s house, the girl is led by two old women into the living-room. The boy is led by two old men and is followed by his family. He walks towards the girl. When the boy is about three meters from the girl, both the girl and the boy throw some leaves at one another. When they meet, the boy steps on an egg and the girl washes and dries his foot. It has this meaning.
The girl will follow her husband as long as she lives. Both the boy and the girl now go into the bedroom and here they boy gives the girl his presents. When this is done, they both go into the living-room again. They then sit on the knees of the girl’s father. The girl’s mother then asks, “who is heavier?” The father answers, “They both weigh the same,” The meaning is this : the girl’s parent will take the boy as their own son. Then they sit side by side on a beautiful chair, looking at the floor. Beautiful girls in beautiful clothes are busy. They give food and drink to guests.
