Weddings in Tajikistan are very serious. It's not the habit of modern Russians to let you peacefully gather in a circle to celebrate the celebration. In Central Asia, they know how to show off that even the simplest people enter marriage, and the celebrations last at least a few days.
First, the groom's family invited the residents of their own Mahala. It's a whole community, imagine how much they're going to spend. They then set up a separate table for close relatives and friends – which is already similar to our version. Finally, they called all the relatives and friends who brought them. It can be hundreds or even thousands of people.
So that those attending the wedding will not be bored, refreshments are interspersed with colorful ceremonies. There are many in the East: the bride, the ransom for the bride's parents, the traditional gift, bathing with money. In addition, tradition requires the bride's family to collect a pile of female junk for their daughter as a dowry – and it is not true that it will be used at least once in the future. Have fun, musicians should play, otherwise what kind of wedding? The bride must appear in front of the guests every day wearing new clothes.
Now imagine how much it might cost. And how much of it has in the pocket of an average family. For example, young people can buy and renovate apartments, go on honeymoons and spend money around them, start new businesses, and so on. For many unfamiliar people, they have to "do a good job." Otherwise, it is impossible, and it will be loved white - "shame in front of others".
At the same time, Tajikistan was the poorest country in the post-Soviet era. If you look at the level of GDP per capita, only Afghanistan, where the civil war has lasted for more than four decades, will be lower in all kinds of Africa. Salaries here are significantly lower than in Russia and trying to find another job.
But the Tajiks' desire not to lose face is deeply rooted. In the past, very ordinary Tajiks spent $100,000-20,000 on this, with an average salary of around $100. In order to walk well, they borrowed money, and then the young husband went to Moscow to do lifelong debt slavery.
After the wedding, the arduous daily life begins. The head of the family has time for his wife to have children, but rarely returns home and does not stay long. However, some patient people went to Russia as soon as school was over, returning with nearly thirty dollars before they got married.
In any case, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of Tajikistan's male population spent half of their time away from their families. This often leads to the breakdown of even the strongest marriages, causing children to grow up in poverty without knowing the normal way of parenting. The country itself is poor, but the habit of booing in front of its neighbors has led to the consolidation of this poverty.
The government realized this as early as 2007, when restrictions on lavish weddings were introduced. Since then, it has not been possible to invite more than 150 guests. You can't walk for a few more days, and many old customs are banned. In the course of the implementation of the law, more and more new regulations have been introduced to ensure that holidays in Tajikistan become more economical.
To enforce these strict rules, the government set up a new department with special work for secret guests to come to the celebrations, after which everyone was surrounded by police. Sometimes the bride and groom are brought to the department during the celebrations. They face hefty fines for non-compliance. Officials may be fired.
Marriage Law is now fifteen years old. Its use effect is twofold. On the one hand, representatives of many of the clans in power in Tajikistan married their children and enjoyed the same luxuries as the Roman emperors. On the other hand, even people who have the opportunity to have a truly gorgeous wedding are gradually starting to reject this. The value system has changed, and many people prefer to spend money on something more useful.
Again, people who want to get out and about always find a way out. Officials can accept bribes so they don't find out about the violation. You can hold a celebration in neighboring Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan because the country's hand is no longer out of reach. But in general, you can say so. Gorgeous weddings aren't completely gone, but still fewer than they were decades ago. Poor people with many children are now less likely to fall into debt slavery.