culture vulture

This Weekend was spent on a cultural whirlwind. I went to a Sangeet night for my friend Sharon who got married this weekend. The Sangeet, in the Punjabi religion, according to my research, is where “Friends and close family members are invited and traditional wedding songs are sung. Both the sides exchange gifts and sweets.” This, in my book, was as big as a normal wedding reception, and it was just one of the many celebrations and rituals this week! Apparently it is not unusual for the celebreations to last a month (!), this one was just over a week long. There were other things going on over the weekend, but I attended the main reception on Sunday afternoon. The ceremony was on Sunday morning, starting at 9am, which meant Sharon had to get up at 4am to get dressed and prepared! She had already had her hands tatto’d with Henna in a really intricate design. It made it difficult to hold her drink on the Friday night!

The Sunday reception was the biggest thing I have ever experienced, with over 650 guests! (I don’t know that many people). It was very odd as I didn’t really know what the proceedings were like, and as I had nothing to compare it too. The apparent chaos could have just been individual to this wedding but I have a distinct feeling it’s fairly normal. In a UK wedding we have drinks, food, speeches and then disco – where no-one dances until the last 3 songs! At this wedding the reception started at 1.30. We had some starters, then the disco started, then 2 hours late the bride and groom turn up, do some dancing and ritual cake ceremony stuff, then there is more food whilst all the time the dance floor is jam packed with grannies/kids and young’uns alike getting on down. It was mayhem, but great fun. The outfits were amazing, really beautiful and the colours fantastic. Everyone seemed to be having a great time – and my favourite bit was a chocolate fountain, wow – sheer heaven. You put strawberries and marshmallows on a kebab stick and held it under the fountain….. wow! Just like a mini version of Charlie and the chocolate factory… oom pa loom pa dobety doo….