Wedding in the deep south of Spain

It takes a village

 The first weekend that Jose and I were back from the States we attended his oldest cousin´s wedding. She lives in the small village where Jose´s entire family (both sides) all resides. We knew that it was going to be a big wedding, an all day affair (and it was). We arrived around noon and I proceeded to get my hair done. Then we had lunch as a family and caught up with both sets of grandparents while aunts and cousins ran around getting ready. It was kind of a madhouse while we bounced between different residences saying hello to family we hadn´t seen all summer. 
Jose´s cousins with his grandfather, waiting for the bride
About an hour before the mass was about to start the bride´s family and friends all headed over to her house in order to accompany her across town to the church. Jose´s aunt asked him to escort her since he is her godson as well as being the oldest cousin. This small village has maintained a lot of their traditions and I was interested to see where the day would take us. As we walked behind Jose´s cousin and the father of the bride (his uncle), I only wished I had worn more comfortable shoes.
Get me to the church (but not exactly on time, the bride should get there after everyone else)
After the mass the newlyweds took photos by the altar and then walked out to a hail of rice and confetti. It reminded me of getting pegged by about 10 lbs of rice at my own wedding. Then the bride and groom danced sevillanas (typical southern flamenco-styled) to celebrate their nuptials. It was beautiful! They are both good dancers and looked very happy.

Time to eat

 After the mass came another typical event in this village, the refresco (the refreshment). This entails renting out the hall that is located in the town square and opening it up to the entire community. People come and have a beer and a tapa at the long banquet tables set up lengthwise in the spacious rooms before giving the newlyweds a gift in a small envelope. They are in and out pretty quickly.
The entire town seemed to turn out
The aftermath
At first I was not sure what to think about this tradition. It seemed to me like a lot of money to spend and a lot of people to feed. People go to the refresco who were not invited to the wedding itself, to the mass or to the reception. There were a TON of people there! Basically everyone comes and leaves some monetary gift for the couple. In a way, this is the community giving the bride and groom a loan to help them get started in their new life together. Eventually they will pay it back (and then some) since they will attend other people´s weddings and other life events. When I think about it that way it makes more sense. People here are very much guided by the idea that they must "cumplir." They must meet their social obligations, they live by sort of a social contract. If someone has died, you go to their funeral and pay your respects. If there is a sick person, you visit them. If there is a wedding, you make an appearance at the very least and leave a token. It is a way to remain very connected and close as a community.
Some of the delicious tapas 
Later came the reception itself with over 500 guests. The sit-down dinner started around 12:30 at night and I was already tired. The food was typical with several different courses and obviously dessert. It didn´t end until around 3:00am. And only then was it time for music and cocktails. By that point I was so exhausted that I didn´t even make it to this final event. My feet were wrecked and it was time for bed. It was a long but beautiful day. 
Congratulations Marta and Chema!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Simple Spanish recipe: Chipirones a la plancha

Image
Ok so I know this picture is a bit blurry and I apologize but it is the final result of my having cooked chipirones a la plancha for the first time. Let me explain, chipirones are small squid and a la plancha means grilled. They are served in an olive oil, parsley and garlic sauce. At first I wasn't sold on the idea of this recipe but believe me, it is pretty awesome and super healthy. It is a really typical tapa that you can order at almost any bar here in the south of Spain. Chipirones a la plancha is usually served on a bed of lettuce or with a small side salad. Yum! Here's the how: First you need the chipirones (small squid that come with the heads and tentacles attached). I can buy them at my local grocery store in the fresh seafood section. I bought a package of 400 grams though the good thing about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little as you like. Allow me to also explain that here in Spain people tend to eat a lot more fish and seafood than...
Read more

La mesa camilla

Image
The mesa camilla is a very Spanish invention (in fact I believe it to be a very southernly Spanish invention). It consists of a table, a heater and a heavy, long tablecloth-like fabric that drapes over the sides. The idea is that you put the heater under the table and when you sit down you put the fabric over you like a blanket. The truth is that it does keep you quite warm. The downside is that once you get up and move, you lose the heat. Since the houses and apartments here in the south of Spain are not created for the cold (no central heating) a mesa camilla can be found almost every where.  We didn't have one last year and survived with blankets, space heaters and flannel pajamas throughout the winter. This year Jose decided we needed to get a mesa camilla. I fought the good fight (since often times they look very similar to the option in the picture above) but we ended up ordering one not too long ago.  Typically the mesa camilla is made of wood and can be stored ...
Read more

Spanish names

Image
Maaaaaaaria, I just met a girl named Maria Hopefully you just read that and sang the song from West Side Story in your head. Let's just say that from what I have experienced here in Spain, people really, really like this name. In fact, there are times when it seems like EVERY woman or girl is named Maria (or Maria de/l something) and though they might go by the second part of their name, their given one is still Maria. People definitely opt for traditional names here, unlike the US where names go through trends.  Recently a friend on Facebook posted a link which contained a GIF  (originally from The Atlantic)  showing the different female names that had been popular in the US since 1960. It is interesting to see how a name like Jennifer would be popular in one region and then would sweep the nation. Such a map would not be as cool here in Spain since not a whole lot would change. Maria. Maria del Carmen. Miriam. Marian. Mirian. Variations on a theme. Religious...
Read more