gifting at weddings

Gorna Krušica 1

35 (a) ɤ ama ìmaše togàva si dàrove pràe:me tə i tɤčèhme

Uh huh. So there was [the custom of gifting]. We made gifts, we wove [them]

36 (a) na stanovèto ìmamè si stànove dòma i si napràime ə takòva

on looms. We have looms at home and make them this way.

37 (a) naprèdemè si nàraka sìčko nàraka bèše nàraka si predè:me

We spin by hand. Everything was [done] by hand. We did the spinning by hand,

38 (a) i si napràime krɤ̀pi go kàzva:me za triène krɤ̀pi

and we make – towels, we called them. Towels for wiping.

40 (a) i z tovà darùvahme nìšto nè e imàlo è da kùpime

And we gifted those. There wasn’t anything we [could] buy

41 (a) ta da darùvame sà vìe ne znàm kàk pràvite i kakvò e

to gift [with]. I don’t know how you do it now, what you [use],

42 (a) kae nàs segà ùbavo bèše ə dàrove si ìmaše do sà

with us [more recently] it’s been nice. There’ve been gifts now,

43 (a) ka bè:me tèkezèta ìmašè si xùbavi dàrove nakùpimè si

when we were in the collective farm there were nice gifts [for] us [to] buy.

44 (a) jà sam davàla na moìte svàd dèca ka sàm ženìla

At my weddings I gave – when I married off my children

45 (a) davàla sàm kombiliziòne davàla sàm rìzi davàla sàm ə zabràtk’i

I gave slips, I gave shirts, I gave headscarves.

Nasalevci 1

45 (a) i s nevèstata gi dàri namètne rìzu na gṛbìnu i onì tùru

And the bride gifts them. She puts a shirt on [each one’s] back, and they put it

46 (a) na gṛbìnu edù i pijù [laughter] kvò kazùjem ovakà

on their backs. They eat, and drink [laughter]. Whatever I say, that’s how it is.

Skrŭt 2

146 (GK) i kato əɤ̀ [cough] kòj gi dar’àvaše tàm svadbàrite tìa kakvì podàrəci

And when [cough] – who gifts the wedding guests there? What sort of gifts?

147 (b) màjkata tàtkoto darùvat ə tàa ròda nìmnata si uttàm

Her mother and father gift, and their relatives who [have come] from there.

149 (b) štu ìma tovà k’e a dàrat kat iskàrat momàta vònka na

They’ll give her what they have when they bring the girl outside, to –

150 (b) edno vrème na kòn’i i kačùvaa k’i a kàčat na kòn’o

In the old days they put them on horses. They’ll put her on a horse, and

151 (b) pred nèa čèstinata i na

[display] her “honor” (= bloody sheet) in front of her, and on –

152 (b) f čèstinatḁ sa dəru̥vètu i darùvat si màjkata nèjnata ròda

on the “honor” are the gifts. Her mother gives gifts to her kin.

154 (b) i na drùgio dèn’ punedèlniko tàa svekɤ̀rvata štò e utùka

And on the next day, on Monday, the mother-in-law – the one from here,

155 (b) u mom momčètu ponedèlniko si darùva nègovata ròda ama

at the boy’s house [that is], gives gifts to his relatives on Monday. But

156 (b) òn’i tùrat togàj màsata tàm sofrà li šo k’è da e

then they set some table there, maybe a low one, whatever there is,

157 (b) i vìkat darùvat si na tàa ròda

and they invite people, and give gifts to those relatives.

159 (a) kòj što ìma nèkoj krɤ̀pče nèkoj kušùl’a nèkoj što nàjdat [laughter]

Each [gives] what he’s got – one [gives] a towel, one [gives] a shirt, one whatever he finds [laughter]

Srebŭrna 1

64 (a) kɤ̀k šə nəpràet svàdbata təkm’èžu tùj i da kəkvì dàruw’e šə kùp’ə̟t

how they’ll stage the wedding. That’s the negotiation: what gifts will they buy

65 (a) nə bùlkata zə svàdbata kòj šə dərì kòj n’àmə də dərì

the bride for the wedding - who will be gifted and who won’t.

66 (a) i ə pək tìj swàdbit’ȅ b’àwə tugàwə tɤ̀j m bùlkata si dərì

These weddings back then were like that. The bride would give ritual gifts

67 (a) nèjnite svədbàri i zèt’u səd’è n’èguit’ȅ svədbàri

to her chosen wedding guests, and the groom only to his chosen wedding guests.

68 (a) sàmu bùlkata dàvə nə sv’èkaru nə sikùrvata

[But] only the bride gives gifts to her father-in-law and mother-in-law

69 (a) na zɤ̀lvata bùlkata ud bùlkata sa dàwa

and to her sister-in-law. The bride – it’s from the bride that [gifts] are given,

70 (a) na krɤ̀sni̥cə̥ta na krɤ̀snicə dàwət èm jèm bùlkata dàwə jèm zèt’o

to the godmother – [well,] they [both] gift the godmother. The bride gives and [so does] the groom,

71 (a) nə nə krɤ̀snicə̥tȁ ama nə svədbàr:t’ȅ drùgit’ȅ sə strənìčni

to the godmother. But the other wedding guests are outsiders.

72 (a) s’àkoj si ko kòlku̥tu̥ xòrə sə si kànili tòlkuz gi

Each – As many people as they have invited, that’s how much –

73 (a) tòlkuz gi takòzwəš gi kal gi kəlèsvəš tòlkuz gi ə dàwəš dàr

that’s how much you do. You give as many gifts as the guests you invite.

74 (a) pɤk ə bùlkata dàwa vèči dərì krɤ̀snik krɤ̀snica sv’èkɤr

So the bride gives – she’s already gifted her godfather, godmother, father-in-law,

75 (a) sikɤ̀rva tàm nə zèt’u bəštàtə màjkata ša darìš

mother-in-law – And then you’ll give gifts to the groom’s father and mother,

76 (a) tòj kət ìmə bràt’e ìma sèstri nèguit’ȅ blìski

his brothers and sisters, if he has [any]. His close [friends] –

77 (a) tàm vèke kət sà razber’ɤ̟̀t sa rəzberɤ̀t

– already, when they reach a decision, when they decide

78 (a) kəkò kəkò še dər’èt kòj kàk i tàm več’ si̥ prikàzwət

what – what [gifts] will be given and by whom – already they’re discussing all this.

Stančov Han 1

106 (a) i nә s’èkigu nә rudnìniti sìčku rìzә ə ə gàšti

And [there’ll be something] – a shirt, trousers – for every one of the relatives, for everybody.

107 (a) sìčku si pudnàsәt tàm nə vìkә idìn trɤ̀gvә pu ə trәp’èzәtә

They give [something] to everyone there. And [some]one says – he goes around the table

108 (a) vìkә èj t’ès cigulàr:ti kuìt sә tùj zә sv’èkәrә

and says – it’s one of these fiddlers that are there – “Here’s for the father-in-law!

109 (a) tùj zә svikɤ̀rvәtә tàm i tɤ̀j tè tuvà živòtә b’èši tugàs

“Here’s for the mother-in-law”, and so on. And that’s what life was like back then.

Tihomir 1

192 (a) as tòpate zìmame [unintelligible] pr'ɔ̀lata da tač'ème rìzᵊi rìzi nòsehme

we buy it by the roll, [unintelligible] the thread to weave shifts. We used to take shifts –

194 (a) napr’èške pa mlògu nòsehme agà se ž'ònime

in the old days we took a lot of them when we got married.

196 (a) rìzi da dàvame dàra i dàra da darìme lìrite ùč'inite

Shifts. To give as gifts. Gifts to give [ritually]. Money. [To] my aunt and her kin.

197 (a) da g darìme tàm pa mnòga nòsehme pa dvàjsi nòsehme rìzᵊi

To give there [at the new residence]. We would take a lot, twenty shifts each.

Trŭnčovica 1

21 (a) utɨ̀vət dər’àvət svàtə dər’ɤ̀d gu səs vəzglàvnicə pɤ̀rvu nə gərbɤ̀ krɤ̀snikə

They go. The in-laws are gifted – first, the godfather with a pillow on his back,

22 (a) nə mladužè̟n’əkə slòžət nə gərbɤ̀ rɨ̀zətə piškìrɨ tàm təkàni kilɨ̀mče̥tə

[then] they put a shirt, towels, woven rugs, on the back of the bridegroom

43 (a) pòsle se pòčuvə trəp’èzətə dər’àvənetu səbɨ̀rə tàm pudàrəci kəkvòtu ìmə

Then the feasting begins, and gifting. They gather up the gifts that are there,

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