#catch me thinking about myla with marriage braids tho

[galmaborn]

okay so here’s that promised post about 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐔𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏/𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 but it’s under a cut because it got crazy long & no one wants all that on their dash.    not all of these traditions are still around, but some are & others are slightly altered.

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐒 & 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐒.    some of the traditions about hairstyles are a bit outdated & not really popular anymore, but there are still some (who have long enough hair) who follow them.    in the past, those who weren’t interested or open about being courted by another would always wear their hair in some form of updo that may or may not have included braids.    anyone who kept their hair in sort of half-down, half-up styles were potentially interested in a romantic relationship, & anyone who kept their hair loose was fully open to being courted.    once one was being courted by a potential suitor, they would always wear their hair up in public, but typically down in private with their partner.    this also worked out because generally those with longer hair wore it up when they were working, & so they weren’t interrupted in their work by those looking to court them.    those who were married wore marriage braids, which consisted of two small braids at the back of the head & a larger braid between them.    often not all of the hair is braided to leave a sort of backdrop for the marriage braids or they’re all twisted together into an updo.    these braids represent the uniting of two people, & two families, into one cohesive unit.    during weddings, one parent from each family would braid one of the smaller braids & then their partner would braid the center one.    in cases where parents could not be present, generally someone close to each of the wedding party would participate in the braiding.    out of all of the different hairstyles, the marriage braids are the ones that are still rather common on batuu.    mostly, they’re only worn during wedding ceremonies or anniversaries & some still feature the braiding as part of those ceremonies.

𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆.    to show interest in courting someone, generally men (but anyone of any gender could), would gift them a very uniquely hand-carved key to symbolize their possession of the only key to their heart.    mostly, the key was carved from wood but some got more creative & carved it from chunks of spire, shaped metal, or even knitted or wove the key.    typically, it would include some symbol related to both parties such as part of a family crest, some object important to them, or something to do with their occupation & would also have the person receiving the key’s name engraved somewhere on it (usually in their native language).    accepting the key would begin the start of their courtship & denying it would result in the key being burned & usually the one who carved it attempting a more elaborate key design.    the key was a way of showing off their skills, & even those interested in the courtship were free to decline accepting the key as a way of truly testing how dedicated their potential partner is.    often, the key would be incorporated into a necklace that the receiver would wear in public as another way of signifying that they are currently being courted.    this isn’t still super popular, but a lot of those in the more artistic industries do participate in it.

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐒.    so like i’ve said before, weaving is a highly respected art on batuu, so it makes sense that it both plays a part in the courting process & wedding ceremonies.    at some point during courtship, as a symbol of love & also how seriously one is taking the relationship, couples will often gift each other a woven scarf.    in the past, it was expected that each half of the couple would weave their own scarf, but nowadays most just buy them from the market or have them custom made.    the scarves would generally be in the favorite color of the receiving person, & included a lot of elaborate designs that usually symbolize events that have occurred during their courtship or anything they feel has progressed their relationship or holds a lot of importance in it.    a lot of the time, the couple would be the only ones able to truly interpret the scarf’s design.    sometimes the scarf would even include a romantic poem stitched into the inner side for only the wearer to read.    these scarves would somehow be incorporated into the couple’s wedding attire.    some wear them as intended, some cut them up & gift pieces to their families, & some weave them into socks or headdresses.    most scarves gifted these days are far less elaborate, but it is still a really common tradition, especially in relationships where one party is a native batuuan & the other is an off-worlder.

𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒.    it was expected that one would pick up their date from their home regardless of where they lived or where you were going on your outing.    you going to the cantina at black spire but you live in galma & she lives in peka?    too bad, you’re taking your speeder all the way there & back; there’s no meeting halfway.    you were also expected to always bring a small gift, usually flowers or something sweet from the local market.    this got lost as batuu became more criminally oriented & practicality overtook what was previously seen as just good manners.    there are a good many, mostly those from families who have lived on batuu for many generations, who still adhere to this, particularly the part about bringing gifts.

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈.    yeah you saw that right, batuuan weddings take place over three days.    the first day is a big welcome party for anyone coming from other planets & just to help the guests of both parties get to know each other before the big day.    typically the party takes place in the evening & after the wedding rehearsal (if there is one).    the family/friends of one half of the couple will typically make all of the food & serve, but this isn’t necessarily part of modern batuuan weddings.    there’s also usually a lot of drinking involved.    a tradition that hasn’t stood the test of time as well is that of the friends & family of typically the bride will have a series of tests for their potential partner to undertake to prove their worth.    this used to be full on braga bear hunts & feats of strength & such, but became modernized to just embarrassing acts like singing love songs in front of everyone or having their clothes stolen & hidden from them.    obviously, this isn’t limited to being only between brides & grooms.    anyone is welcome to test either partner regardless of gender.    there’s not really anything particularly formal about the first day, it’s mostly about partying & having a fun, lighthearted time with each other.

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐈.    the actual wedding ceremony & reception takes place on this day & not much else.    some ceremony traditions include the couple not seeing each other until the ceremony, their vows including poems that they’ve personally written for each other, tying a single ribbon to the trilon wishing tree together, & asking the black spire for good blessings & safe travels in their future.    often, there will also be a very young, potted trilon tree that guests are free to tie their own ribbons onto as good wishes for the couple.    the plant will usually be placed in the couple’s home & eventually planted outside of it.    the reception afterwards is either catered by both families of the couple or by an outside party.    the ceremony & reception are also timed in order to have fireworks at the conclusion or, for those who cannot afford fireworks, a chance to do a bit of stargazing.    the stargazing in particular is meant to evoke an appreciation that in a galaxy this expansive, the couple managed to find each other.

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐈𝐈.    a last chance to give gifts, say goodbyes, & such before the couple leaves on their honeymoon.    this usually consists of a brunch provided by the family/friends of the other half of the couple.    it’s a chance for the couple to spend more time with their guests as a married couple than they likely had time to during the reception.    sometimes, the food is themed to the planet the couple will honeymoon on.    just before they leave, the couple will release a pair of pipa birds as a blessing for safe travels & a sign that they will always return to the place they were married: batuu.    in the past, it was expected that each would capture their own bird but in modern times the birds are often raised domestically.    it’s considered to be a sign of a marriage that won’t last if the birds fly in different directions.

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐒.    they are always bright, bold colors & typically on the warmer side of the spectrum but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to have a cooler themed wedding.    red wedding attire is considered to be symbolic of a passionate relationship & good luck.    orange symbolizes vitality & a long-lasting marriage.    yellow is for a happy & adventurous marriage.    blue is life-long loyalty & stability in the marriage.    traditionally, the warmer colors were popular because they symbolized the inevitable rising of batuu’s suns & the hope of a new day & fresh start they bring with them.

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄.    typically, dresses & suits aren’t overly elaborate.    this has changed a bit with time & the introduction of more marriages between batuuans & off-worlders, but batuuans are just more practical people than anything.    the usual colors are listed above & i also mentioned the inclusion of scarves gifted during courtship, but the couple will also wear bracelets or necklaces with beads amounting to the number of months they’ve been courting.    the beads are typically a light blue with other colors symbolizing different events such as the proposal, first kiss, first date, etc.    each couple chooses the other colors for their beads together so they could literally mean anything & only each other would know.    

#long post // #wedding // #alcohol mention // #∘⡊☆˚⊹ ABOUT ⊹ —⋟ she was the finest arranged stardust #∘⡊☆˚⊹ BATUU ⊹ —⋟ black was the spire that called me to stay #ughhhh i'm tired but i'm happy with this #catch me thinking about myla with marriage braids tho #🥺🥺