The custom of "washing feet" in Thai weddings.

(Baonghean) - This custom is only found in the traditional weddings of the Thai people (Tay Muong group) in western Nghe An. It is rarely seen in other Thai groups...

To speak of a "traditional Thai wedding" is to refer to the long-standing wedding customs of the Thai, Tay, and Muong people, closely associated with stilt houses and villages. What has survived to this day, however slightly altered, originates from some spiritual story, primarily intended to educate about life, hidden beneath the outward appearance of "custom." The custom of "washing the bride and groom's feet" before entering the house also carries this profound meaning…

Before going to fetch the bride, the groom's family, in addition to preparing the wedding gifts, must also prepare items for the "washing the bride and groom's feet" ceremony. This is the first ceremony when the bride arrives at the groom's house. The items to prepare include two copper coins, two small brass pots, and two bamboo tubes for holding water.

Washing the feet of the bride and groom at the bottom of the stairs during a Thai (Tay-Muong ethnic group) wedding. Photo: Cao Dong

When the bride arrives at the foot of the stairs, both the bride's and groom's families greet each other, each standing on opposite sides according to the traditional wedding ceremony. The groom's family appoints a matchmaker to greet the guests on behalf of the entire family. Afterward, they have someone from the groom's family pour wine into cups, toast each person in the wedding procession, and offer each member of the procession a piece of betel nut. When the bride's family expresses their gratitude to the groom's family, the matchmaker leads the young couple to stand at the foot of the stairs leading up to the house. The bride and groom each place one foot on the first step of the stairs, and the matchmaker begins the foot-washing ceremony.

In the prayer, the matchmaker mentions all the people who came to escort the bride and asks the water god (phi nặm) to wash their feet so they can be clean before entering the bride's family home. After the communal foot-washing ceremony, turning to the young couple, the matchmaker places two copper pots under the feet of the bride and groom. While reciting prayers, he takes two bamboo tubes with woven "tá lóo" (a type of woven bamboo mat) and pours the water onto the tops of both feet. The water flows down the tops of their feet into the copper pot, which has a coin at the bottom. The matchmaker must pour carefully so that not a single drop of water spills out of the pot. After washing one pair of feet, he continues with the other. When both feet of the bride and groom are "cleaned" and the water in both bamboo tubes is gone, the matchmaker tells the bride and groom to quickly run into the house. Whoever runs upstairs first will later become the head of the family.

Typically, the bride gives way to the groom. Once the young couple has ascended the stairs to enter the house, the "foot-washing ceremony" concludes. The matchmaker follows them into the house to continue the ceremony. Everyone then follows the matchmaker into the house. The groom's family must keep two bamboo tubes and two copper pots, each containing a copper coin. The two copper pots containing the water used for washing feet after the wedding belong to the matchmaker as a special gift, and are kept as a token of responsibility to the young couple. The two copper coins are then divided between the couple, each keeping one as a memento and to ward off evil spirits and other bad luck. The two bamboo tubes containing the foot-washing water are placed on the thatched roof above the couple's bedroom; they are not to be discarded or used for anything else until they are lost or damaged.

The custom of "washing the bride and groom's feet" among the Thai Tay Muong people carries deep spiritual significance, meaning it is a mandatory task that cannot be omitted in a traditional wedding. Explaining the meaning of this custom, many shamans in the region, including shaman Mon Lu Van Khuyet (82 years old, from Chau Quang commune, Quy Hop district), said: The reason for the custom of "washing the bride and groom's feet" before entering the house is that in the past, the Thai Tay Muong people usually welcomed the bride at the hour of the Tiger or the dawn of the Tiger – around 4 to 5 a.m. The entire wedding procession, both welcoming and escorting the bride, walked barefoot. For longer distances, the procession would arrive earlier; for shorter distances, it would arrive later, but they always had to travel on the road in the quiet night, everyone stepping on the old footprints of many people who had walked before, including the footprints of good people, villains, ghosts, and other obstacles and evil spirits. Therefore, before entering the house, one must wash their feet thoroughly, especially the bride and groom; otherwise, as mentioned above, all the bad things will cling to their feet and enter the house, especially ghosts and evil spirits…

Today, the custom of "washing the bride and groom's feet" is still practiced in weddings of the Thai, Tay, and Muong people in western Nghe An, although it has been modified considerably. According to our observations, the procedure for washing the bride and groom's feet among the Thai people in southwestern Nghe An is somewhat simpler. While waiting for the wedding procession to arrive, the groom's family prepares a copper basin filled with spring water. The basin contains two silver coins. Nowadays, white alloy coins are used. When the bride and groom reach the bottom of the stairs, the matchmaker performs the foot-washing ritual for them, after which the groom leads the bride up to the house...

It is known that in the Hmong community of Luu Thong village (Luu Kien commune - Tuong Duong district), there is also a custom of washing hands and feet before bringing the bride into the house. According to our observations, at a wedding in Luu Thong village in 2013, before entering the house, the bride and groom washed their own hands and feet. Then, all members of the wedding procession washed their hands and feet. A member of the wedding procession said: "This 'procedure' is meant to cleanse away any impurities encountered on the way from the bride's house to the groom's house."

Thai Tam - Huu Vi