Page:Pearl of Asia (Child JT, 1892).pdf/276

250 to lhold as trustoe for the purpose it was given. This ceremony goncrally takes place at midday. A rich feast is then spread after which the friends disperse and return again in the cool of the evening with several priests who hold religious services. Prior to this the bride sends out a youth handsomoly dressed with a waiter of betel nut inviting the bridegroom and his attendants to come in and be seated in the wed- ding hall, which is handsomely decorated with ferns and flowers, sho and her attendants being screened by a curtain stretched across the hall. When the religions services are closed the curtain is lifted and certain elders proceel to administer the holy water of blessing. The young couple are seatod close together, the chief eller takes mp the vessel of holy water, poursa little on the head of the man and then on the head of the woman, pronouncing a blessing as he does so. The bride then retires and changes her dress for on more brilliant and at the same time a finely dressed boy presents, on a silver salver, a handsome suit to the bridegroom, a present from tho parents of the bride, called Pa hawi- haw, which he proceeds to don. In the meantime the priests are quoting texts from the works of Buddha, thhen refreshiments are served, tea, sweets and ices, and the pricsts receive yellow robes. The special guests are then invited to partake of a banquet prepared by the family of the bride, after which further proceedings are adjourned till next day, all repairing to their re- spective homtes but the bridegroom, who remains in the uew dwelling where he assembles a lband of inusi- eians, and he and a few of his friends keep up a revelry all night, thus serenading the bride.

Early noxt morning the fricnds of both partics assem-