The traditional wedding rituals of Tirana and Central Albania are almost the same.

The traditional wedding in Tirana usually starts on Thursday. When the doors of the houses are opened, people are welcomed with music and sweets. The groom does not dress as a groom until the day he goes to get the bride.

The bride’s dowry comes to the groom’s house on Thursday or Friday. Women come to see what the bride has brought and comment on whether she has embroidered beautifully or bought a lot of furniture. In most Tirana weddings, the bride throws candy, rice, and flowers into each dowry suitcase to symbolize a new and sweet start to life.

Saturday is called “bride’s day” for Tirana’s people. On that day, the bride celebrates the end of celibacy and dines without her husband, as it is considered her last “free” time. According to custom, dinner starts around 20:00 and occurs in one of the largest courtyards in the neighborhood. Nowadays, it is primarily held in a bar or restaurant, but here we are talking about wedding rituals that take place in the backyard.

The groom and his close family attend the dinner after midnight. They stay for no more than an hour and dance in honor of the bride’s family.

The bride leaves her mother’s house.

On Sunday, the bride prepares to leave her mother’s house, and usually around 11 o’clock, the groom arrives with his uncle and a small child, their relative, who presents flowers to the bride. The little child who brings the flowers must be healthy; it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. Then they ride the pajton, which used to be a white horse tied to a cart. The one who led the party had to have a traditional folk costume. Today, pajtoni has been replaced with the car, decorated with many flowers. The guests are welcomed with many songs in the yard.

When the bridegroom enters the room of the bride’s house, he is greeted by everyone and preceded by the bride’s brother, or if the bride has no brother, a cousin of hers who slaps the groom. All this is done to show the groom that there is someone here for this girl and he should treat her with care and respect. According to custom, one of the groom’s men must be more intelligent and more skilled than the men of the bride’s house to steal some item or things from them before they leave, saying, “We are the best; we stole something from you ..- which they return to where they took it. All this is done to create humor at weddings, where there is a competition that one family is brighter than the other.

The bride must cry

Neighbors and relatives are looking at the eyes of the bride. It looks prettier if she cries. This shows she is leaving her parents behind and the house she grew up in. If you don’t cry, you will be slandered by the wedding guests. Before he crosses the house’s threshold, brandy is thrown at his feet. This has remained a custom to keep the devil and the evil eye away. After the bride leaves, she dances with her neighbors and relatives in front of the house or palace, where the music and festive atmosphere do not stop. Then, the bejeweled bride gets into the pajama or car, covered with a tapestry. After that, the cars set off in a caravan, honking their horns and driving through town. They can return to a beautiful place, primarily in nature, to take photos to fill the Wedding Album.

Arrival at the husband’s house

On approaching the house, the bride and bridegroom find the mother-in-law coming out and waiting at the door with a sweetmeat, which she eats half herself and gives half to the bride, together with a dish of honey, into which the bride dips two fingers and wipes them on the doorstep. After this ceremony, the bride stays inside for several hours with her head down, without eye contact, and only says, “Thank you!” while people wish her to inherit. The word “Inheritance” means having children, which was considered the primary blessing and the purpose of marriage, that is, to continue the inheritance of the family and generations. The party continued with the traditional dinner at the man’s house, where usually the men stayed in a separate room and the women in a separate room. Today, dinner is also served at the bar. But it used to be done at home, and the bride, before the guests left, entered her room and waited for her husband to come after all the guests had left.

See all the rituals in these videos

“Dasma Shqiptare” – Shqipëria e Mesme (youtube.com)

Eugena Aliu – Dasma Tironse (Potpuri e Shqipërisë së mesme) (youtube.com)