Wedding feast in the Moldavian principality in the XVII century – the beginning of XIX century

Abstract

Feasts were part of the daily life of the inhabitants of the Moldavian principality. The meals organized on the occasion of certain events, accompanied the most important stages of the life cycle, including marriage. The purpose of this article is to present a wedding feast in Moldova in the XVII century – the beginning of the XIX century, based on available sources, which are not rich in the description of the wedding feast ceremonial. We will notice, that the Romanian national traditions and customs were respected, regardless of the social category; the difference consisting in the amounts allocated for the organization of the festive meal, for entertainment, gifts etc. The wedding feasts organized at the Principality Court or at the boyar courts, unlike those held in the families of other categories of inhabitants, were distinguished by luxury and abundance of products, by the quantity and diversity of food and drinks. The variety of dishes, their number and the splendor of the whole feast depended on the economic and financial situation of the families involved. In elite families, the feast lasted several days in a row, in ordinary families – one day. In the families of the elites, in order to entertain the present audience, various amusing activities were organized, while in ordinary families the activities were simpler – fiddle music was played, traditional hora was danced, etc