At a Tatar wedding, the goose is divided and the chest is presented to the bride. Goose in a sleeve in the oven: recipe

Tatar wedding ceremonies are about worldview, poetry, and musicality. The collection, study and preservation of the folklore of the family and everyday rituals of the Tatars of Zakazanya is carried out by a senior researcher at the Republican Center for the Development of Traditional Culture, candidate of philological sciences Zalia Brusko. She told KV about folk Tatar wedding traditions.

"A girl in a cradle - a dowry in a chest"

The most favorable time for a wedding (tui) is the end of summer and autumn. And in order to reveal the features of the wedding, you need to divide the ritual into stages. The first is matchmaking. The fact that it is the matchmaker who is heading towards you can be determined by his appearance - he is holding a stick in his hands. One leg of the trouser is wrapped above the knee, and in the case of the matchmaker it is extended over the top of the boot. For a fateful dialogue, the matchmaker sits in the house under the mat that holds up the ceiling. This is the place where spirits live - guardians, patrons of the house. It is important to enlist their support. Also, for good luck in matchmaking, he placed a pillow or his hat, feathers, and wool under himself. Spirits are the guardians of the family.

Among the Kryashens of the Pestrechinsky district, the matchmaker, before entering the house, had to... urinate in the bride's yard - leave a mark, occupy the territory. And in the Baltasinsky district, before the matchmaking began, the groom visited the graves of his deceased loved ones so that they would support him in such an important matter.

Monday and Friday were considered favorable days for matchmaking. Saturday and Tuesday are unlucky days. These days the bird does not even build a nest. And in order to hide the true purpose of the visit from evil spirits and ill-wishers, the matchmaker begins the conversation with hints: “You have goods, we have a merchant...” Among the Tatars of the Order, they have a special connotation, reflecting the common bride price. Such important decisions were not made immediately by the girl’s family. The matchmakers came repeatedly for an affirmative answer.

After a positive outcome of the case, conspiracy follows. Relatives of the bride and groom negotiate all issues, including the bride's dowry.

“A girl in a cradle - a dowry in a chest” - from forty days the girl’s mother began to collect the bride’s chest. Embroidered textile items, gifts for the husband's relatives... The bride's chest was always accompanied by a pair of livestock - a pair of geese, a sheep with a pair of lambs.

The silent sacrament of nikah

Nikah is a religious wedding ceremony, the main point of a traditional Tatar wedding. It is carried out mainly in the bride's house secretly. Doors, gates, windows must be closed during nikah. “During nikah, the wind should not pass, otherwise there will be no warmth between the young people.”

In the distant past, among the Kazan Tatars, the bride and groom were not present at the process of reading the nikakh; they were represented by witnesses. After the nikah, the groom legally stays overnight with the bride for a necessarily even number of days - two or four days.

The wedding stage is marked by fun, a test not only of the groom’s prowess and inquisitive mind when passing obstacles, but also of his wallet. On the wedding day, the groom rides the wedding train to pick up the bride. The wedding train must certainly arrive at an even time during the first half of the day (10, 12 hours) - for a long family life. Noise, songs, cracking of a whip - these are magical rituals designed to put evil spirits to flight and not interfere with a fun wedding. Moreover, you must definitely approach the bride from the right side. If the bride lives on the same street, the groom drove around the village to stop on the right.

Meeting the groom is an exciting ceremony. Relatives and friends of the bride do not allow the groom into the house. The groom must pay the “cost of the gate” and distribute gifts. But the bidding doesn’t end there either. In the room where the bride is, his younger brother or sister is waiting for him with the “doorknob song”: “A doorknob costs one altyn, our sister costs a thousand altyn”!

Honey and bread for the young

Zalia Mansurovna, what does a bride’s crying look like at a Tatar wedding?

The bride's cry exists among the Mishar Tatars. Such a ritual was not encountered among the Tatars of the Order. In the bride's house there is only a farewell. They also go to the groom’s place on an even date - for example, at 14.00. Relatives who have been married for a long time meet the newlyweds at the gate. The bride gets off the wedding train, leaning on a gift of cattle - a heifer or a sheep. And at the porch of the house she is greeted with honey, butter, bread: “May the daughter-in-law be fine and her speech sweet!”

Honey at the wedding of Kazan Tatars is a ritual dish. Wedding bread is a ritual treat, a symbol of a prosperous life. Before entering the house, the bride's hand is sprinkled with flour to make it hospitable. Having completed all the rituals, the bride stands on a white scarf, pillow or sheepskin coat turned inside out - for a rich life with her husband. The stove in Tatar folklore is the habitat of spirits and brownies. They took the bride home to the groom - they lead her around the stove so that the brownie would accept her. The bride, entering the house, was careful not to look out the window - it was tearful. The first thing you need to look at is the oven - the abode of the spirits of the tribal community. The room is decorated with the bride's dowry, and the mother-in-law's things are removed.

The climax of the wedding is when the goose is carried out. The master dividing the goose must solemnly divide it. The head is for the groom, the neck is for the bride. Wings - for unmarried sisters. Legs are for brothers. And the goose butt - for the mother-in-law, so that she can hold her tongue. From the wedding feast with songs and dances, the newlyweds were taken to the cage, or “groom’s house” - a rented house. The bed was made by a woman with children, with wishes: “Lie down together, get up three!” Young people must be together for at least two days. If the groom went to his home earlier, this spoke of the young woman’s dishonesty. The groom could express his dissatisfaction when visiting his parents “on his son-in-law’s pancakes.” Make a hole in the middle of the pancake - tell everything without words.

Post-wedding bath

The post-wedding stage began with a joint trip to the bathhouse. Once upon a time it was customary to wash a soiled sheet in a bathhouse. And throwing the used water on the stove is a sacrifice to the owner, so that the young people can become dearer to each other. Particularly interesting is the ritual “Show the way to water” - a test of the ability to work. The acquaintance with the “Master of Water” - the source - was fun and harmonious. The girl was escorted by a procession of young people. Before drawing water, the young woman asked permission from the “Master of the Water.” And to appease, she threw a coin into the water and left a towel as a gift. “Coming out into the world” is a difficult test. You need to bring the rocker with water without spilling it. Thus, the young woman joined the circle of married women.

A wedding is the most solemn, bright, memorable holiday. The feast is an obligatory part of it. Even decorating a goose for a wedding affects the atmosphere of the celebration and the mood of the guests.

At the wedding ceremony itself, guests will appreciate the outfit of the beautiful bride, the impressiveness of the groom, and the festive surroundings.

At a banquet, the main thing will be the decoration of the table, the variety of dishes, their taste, and the unusual design of the dishes. All guests should remain well-fed and satisfied, only then is it considered that the wedding was a success.

Features of the holiday menu

There are no strict rules about what exactly should be served at a wedding reception. However, there are certain differences between the wedding menu and the menu of other holidays.

Bird as a symbol

Every holiday or event has a specific symbol. For example, a spruce is a symbol of the New Year, and woven rings are a symbol of the Olympics. And one of the wedding symbols can be a goose, because it, like other waterfowl, is considered a symbol of the head of the family, personifying love, family well-being, fidelity and fertility.

The goose is a symbol of motherhood, thriftiness, and the desire to “warm under the wing” the members of one’s family.

In addition, the goose symbolizes femininity, beauty, and caring. But at the same time, she is distinguished by a superficial mind and a habit of gossip.

Goose is an exquisite, festive dish, it is served on special occasions. This is why goose often becomes the signature dish of a wedding table.

• Interesting beliefs are associated with the bird in different countries.
• At a Korean wedding, guests tried goose with rice. Rice symbolizes prosperity and wealth.
• Baked goose is traditionally served at English, Irish, and French weddings.
• In Tatarstan, one or two geese are prepared for a wedding - the personification of the newlyweds.

Serving Ritual

The bird was usually brought by the groom's relatives. Often relatives from both sides participated in the preparation of the goose.

The finished goose at the wedding celebration was butchered by a man appointed by the newlywed's parents or, sometimes, guests. When the goose was carried out, the newlyweds were presented with gifts and money. This is one of the culminating moments of the celebration.

The goose was cut with a special knife, long and wide. The bird had to be cut very carefully so as not to damage the bones.

There were many ways to share a goose at a wedding. Often the head was cut off first, and it was said that “the wife should not step over her husband’s head,” then the wings and paws were cut off, so that “the husband would not beat his wife.”

The groom could receive the neck, and the bride - wings; or the right paws and wings were given to the bride, and the left to the groom; or the bride was given the neck, and the groom the head.

The handing over of the piece was accompanied by traditional parting words and wishes to the newlyweds. For example, when the head and paws were given to the groom, it was ordered that he “not go to the side.” The wings were given to the bride so that she “could not fly away.” Interesting!

Separate parts of the goose could be distributed to the newlyweds’ relatives. Unmarried sisters received wings. The legs were given to the brothers. It’s interesting that the mother-in-law got the goose butt so she could keep her tongue in check.

Then the goose was taken to the kitchen, where it was butchered by the bride’s relatives, and then taken out into the hall, where it was treated to the rest of the guests. The goose was served with pilaf and fresh vegetables.

How to decorate

When serving food, not only its taste is important, but also its beauty, originality, and harmonious design. There are many options for how to decorate a goose for a wedding.

Berries and fruits

A beautiful design for a goose for a wedding can be achieved using berries. A composition with strawberries, raspberries, grapes, rowan berries, and cranberries will look great. You need to first put the goose on the dish, and then make the decoration. A good example of how to decorate a goose for a wedding is in the photo below. The dish will look especially attractive and bright if you use berries of different colors.

Berries can be combined with fruits - pears, apples, apricots, kiwis, citrus fruits.

Decorating a goose for a wedding can be made from lettuce leaves, dill, cilantro, parsley, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes. To get an appetizing golden crust, before placing the bird in the oven, rub it with lemon juice and then with vegetable oil.

Wedding planner

Goose meat will go well with fresh or canned berries and fruits laid out for decoration. Using a knife or special pastry cutters for cutting, you can make interesting figures or flowers from vegetables or fruits with which to decorate the finished dish, for example, flowers from carrots, beets, oranges, lemons, roses from tomatoes, etc.

Elena Sokolova

Decorator

If two geese are served on one dish, you can dress them in the newlyweds’ outfits, sew the outfits from fabric or cut them out of waterproof paper.

Angelica

Sauces

To decorate the bird, you should use a variety of sauces: mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise. The food will look original and unusual. A good example of such a goose decoration for a wedding is the photo on the right.

Using a special confectionery device into which sauces are poured, various figures, letters, and hieroglyphs are drawn on the slightly cooled bird. Then you can take a variety of berries (grapes, rowan, viburnum, gooseberries, raspberries) and place them on the carcass. To complement the composition, vegetables are cut into circles and placed around the goose.

Other design options

There are several other good ways to decorate a goose for a wedding. We list them in the following list.

• The carcass can be tied with satin ribbons and decorated with colored paper rosettes.
• Crow's feet can be decorated with pompoms made of multi-colored or plain paper. You need to cut fringe or loops along the edges, put them on the paws and secure them. In this case, the food will take on a more interesting, representative appearance. When handing out the cut-off paws, pom-poms will help keep your hands from getting greasy.

Approach the organization of the wedding feast with all your heart, and the guests will leave the celebration happy, and the holiday will leave a lasting impression.

It would seem that the original Russian bird is the goose, but the “goose” wedding tradition came to Rus' from Lithuania. Initially the custom was: the newlyweds were given a pair of live geese decorated with wedding ribbons. The geese were chosen to be well-fed and well-groomed, since they symbolized prosperity, well-being and fertility of the future family. After a beautiful ceremony, the geese were fried, the dish was richly decorated and served to the newlyweds on the first day of the wedding festivities.

Photo of a wedding goose

In the modern wedding world, game is not always used for these purposes: sometimes it is prepared as a symbolic alternative. wedding cake in the shape of a pair of geese. Taking out a roast goose or goose as a dessert is accompanied by the presentation of gifts and money by the guests: the richer the gifts, the easier it will be for the newborn family to resolve their financial issues.

A man butchers a roast goose at a wedding; there is a whole set of rules for ritual cutting

Often they prepare for a wedding stuffed goose– the cooking process is simple, but it takes time to marinate the meat well. The filling can be simple (buckwheat porridge, mushrooms, potatoes) or more sophisticated. For festive celebrations, it would be more appropriate to prepare a goose stuffed with dried fruits, citrus fruits, pears, and walnuts. A beautiful ruddy goose carcass with stuffing not only looks solemn and very elegant on the table, but also exudes a subtle, breathtaking aroma - not a single guest will be able to resist such a magnificent dish.

How to decorate a goose at a wedding?

Photo of goose decoration for wedding

Exists several options for traditional decoration of wedding game– roasted or baked goose, which vary according to local customs:

• For any serving option, greens are certainly used: lettuce, cilantro, and parsley are placed on the dish around the goose;
• It looks beautiful to frame the goose with circles of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, onions, boiled potatoes and other vegetables;
• Fresh fruits and berries are recommended: grapes, lime, grapefruit, orange, seasonal berries (cranberries, lingonberries, cloudberries) - tender poultry meat goes well with them.

Decorating geese for a wedding is not only ritual in nature, but also makes the dish more presentable. It is for this purpose that you can often find a wedding goose with its legs decorated with paper. White or colored paper is rolled in a certain way, most often into cylinders, with fringes or loops at the edges. The cylinders are put on the crow's feet and are subsequently convenient to pick up with your hands, without fear of getting dirty with fat.

Photo of wedding goose design

Since wedding fashion is now quite loyal to the emergence of new trends and practically does not limit the imagination of the newlyweds either in the choice of outfits or in the design of wedding premises, is it any wonder that more and more new solutions are also being found for decorating a goose at a wedding. For example, modern Tatar weddings can boast a creative idea that has quickly become popular: a pair of roast geese decorated with miniature dresses of the bride and groom. What does it look like? There is nothing complicated in this design: a pair of goose carcasses of approximately the same weight and dimensions are placed on a common dish, and a stylized wedding dress with a veil is placed on top of one (“bride”), a symbolic tailcoat or tuxedo is placed on the other (“groom”), complemented by a butterfly. Such a dish will become the highlight of the table and will be appreciated by both the young people and their guests.

Additionally we offer video on how to decorate a goose for a wedding. Design ideas are easy to implement even in a home kitchen, and the dish will look great:

It should be remembered that wedding goose - a ritual dish, symbolizing family wealth, aimed at maintaining and increasing the well-being of the newly formed unit of society. For this reason, fried or baked goose should be given a place of honor on the table of the newlyweds - it is both a decoration for the wedding presidium and a symbol of the couple’s material security for many years.

The Muslim wedding ceremony is called nikah, which can be compared to a Christian wedding. Traditionally, this ceremony is carried out by relatives in the bride’s house, with the efforts of her relatives. Today there is also a tendency to hold a nikah in a mosque, but in most cases the mullah or imam is invited to the house. Any alcoholic drinks are prohibited on the festive table on this day. There are certain traditional dishes that must be on the table during nikah. The first course is soup made with homemade noodles. The second is served with boiled meat, boiled potatoes and a dressing made from onions and carrots. Also on the table there should be belish, which is the name of the pie, the filling of which includes meat and potatoes.

Tatar cuisine is famous for its wonderful, unique dough dishes, therefore, at a festive celebration there should be a variety of pastries on the table. Among such baked goods is Gubadiya, that is, a delicious pie filled with raisins, dried apricots, rice or sweet, evaporated cottage cheese. Also on the table must be present the attributes of the wedding table, such as chak-chak, honey and triangles - these are such special pies with potatoes and meat. On the festive table, there must be a gift on the groom’s side, which consists of two baked, stuffed geese. One of them is butchered by the groom's father (or another representative of the stronger sex) during the meal, and the second is carried away by the groom's relatives. This is a special Muslim custom. Two geese on a nikah symbolize a young, established couple.

Goose is a mandatory and indispensable dish on the wedding table during a Tatar wedding. The goose is brought to the bride's house already plucked, after which it is boiled. There is an opinion that a bird, especially if it is a waterfowl, carries a certain meaning; it is considered a symbol of fertility and family well-being. The ritual goose at nikah is a fairly ancient tradition; people’s memory still retains the idea that the bird is the ancestor of the clan. They will help you look at the ones presented in this article.

To cook and decorate a goose on nicks, you must first scorch the bird to remove any remaining fluff and feathers. Next, soak the carcass in salt water and keep it like this for eight hours. After this, you should prepare the filling. For the filling, rice is boiled and combined with dried fruits such as prunes and dried apricots, as well as fresh green apples. Then the goose is taken out of the salt water, rubbed with salt and pepper, coated with mayonnaise, and you can also add a little spicy adjika. After this, the goose is filled with filling, placed in the oven (the oven temperature is 140 degrees), and aged for two hours. Then the oven temperature is increased to 180 degrees. After thirty minutes you can take out the finished, stuffed, baked goose. All that remains is to serve the dish beautifully, that is, to decorate the goose for the wedding banquet.

According to legends, only a male representative, who is appointed by the groom’s parents, can butcher a goose at nikah. Taking out the dish is also accompanied by the presentation of money and gifts. In most cases, stuffed goose is cut using a special knife; it is slightly longer and slightly wider than a standard knife. You need to cut up the bird quite carefully so that its bones do not deteriorate. There are many ways to butcher a ritual goose at nikah. Basically, the head is cut off first, and one must say: “so that the wife cannot step over her husband’s head.” Then they cut off the paws and wings, saying: “so that the husband never beats his wife.” Sometimes the groom is given a neck, and the bride's wing is cut off. It also happens that the bride gets the right wing and right paw, while the groom gets all the left. In some cases, the bride receives the neck, and the groom receives the head of a goose. Presenting young people with any parts of a goose is always accompanied by special words.

The main problem is how to decorate the goose on nicknames. Around the bird you can place fresh lettuce, green parsley, chopped tomatoes (all in no particular order). However, the matter of decorating a goose on nicknames must be approached with taste, only in this case the wedding dish will become as attractive as possible. To make the goose crust a nice golden color, you can brush it a little with lemon juice mixed with olive oil. The bronze color of the crust will also be an excellent decoration for the dish. Goose meat goes well with various fruits and fresh berries. You can top the stuffed bird dish with orange slices, grape bunches, or lime slices. In this case, the festive dish will take on a certain summer tint.

Another way to decorate a goose on nicknames, the photo of which you see in this article, is to use a knife or a special mold with rather sharp edges. Using these tools, you can make interesting shapes or flowers from vegetables or fruits, which you can use to decorate the finished dish. In addition to the fact that it is necessary to beautifully decorate the ritual geese on nicknames, you also need to beautifully decorate the tables for guests. Shurpa soup, vegetable dishes and various sweets take pride of place at the festive banquet during a Tatar wedding. The only drinks allowed on the table are tea or compote.

At the end of the ceremonial feast, gulbadia is cut (this is the name of the wedding Tatar layer cake). Chak-chak is a must for tea at nikah. In modern times, at a Tatar wedding, a table is specially allocated for sweet dishes, which is also beautifully decorated. This table also acts as a place to collect money. Guests leave them on the table, taking a piece of the sweet treat. According to tradition, the nikah should last several days, while the guests move from the bride's house to the groom's home.

A Tatar wedding is a bright phenomenon, but at the same time complex, because it requires the performance of a large number of rituals, observance of Muslim traditions and customs. A large number of national rituals makes a wedding interesting and original. The mandatory preparation and traditional butchering of a goose is observed at every Tatar wedding. Giving the newlyweds gifts and money during the ceremony with poultry is also part of the ritual. This bird is a symbol of the well-being of a young family.

Traditions associated with a goose at a wedding

The wedding feast among the Tatars lasts several days, it takes place in the homes of both the bride and groom. Goose should be a must-have dish on the wedding table. Sometimes it is prepared by both parties, but more often, according to tradition, the groom’s relatives provided the bird, already plucked and gutted, and it was boiled or baked entirely directly in the bride’s house. In a certain sequence of serving traditional dishes on the wedding table, it was the goose’s turn. The removal of the dish was accompanied by the presentation of gifts to the newlyweds with gratitude for the invitation to the wedding.

For the ritual cutting of the bird, a special person was chosen, who could only be a man. He began to carefully separate pieces of meat with a knife, much longer and wider than usual. The bones of the ritual bird were supposed to remain intact without damage. Depending on the geographical location of the Tatar wedding, the order of the cutting sequence could be different:

• The groom was given a neck, the bride a wing.
• The bride has the right paw with a wing, the groom - the left wing and paw.
• For the bride - the neck, for the groom - the head.

The presentation of each part of the separated piece was accompanied by traditional words, the meaning of which boiled down to the fact that from this day on, the wings are cut, family people are not supposed to look around, at others, they need to honor and love each other. After the ritual cutting off of the legs, wings and head was completed, the bird was cut into portions and served to the guests.

How to decorate a goose for a wedding - design options

Lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes are placed in random order on a dish around the cooked bird. To make the crust a beautiful golden color, rub it with lemon juice and then olive oil before placing it in the oven. Ready meat goes well with fresh berries, grapes, lime, orange, laid out for decoration. To add juiciness to the meat, the bird is stuffed: citrus fruits are an excellent filling. Decorations carved from vegetables will help diversify the ritual dish.

Decorating goose feet with paper pompoms

You need to decorate the legs of the finished bird using paper pompoms. You can easily make them yourself from white or colored paper, making fringes or loops around the edges. Putting paper decorations in the form of cylinders on the paws, they are secured by pressing. The appearance of the finished dish takes on a more noble, presentable appearance. When distributing cut paws to the newlyweds, using pompoms makes it convenient to take them with your hands without the risk of getting dirty with fat.

Clothes for a pair of geese in the form of young costumes

Modern cooking makes its own creative adjustments to old traditions. An innovation at a Tatar wedding was the decoration of this obligatory dish in the style of the newlyweds. Impromptu wedding outfits of the newlyweds are placed on top of a pair of carcasses lying on one dish. A creative approach to the traditions of ancestors brings its own flavor to the decoration of an abundant wedding table.