Discussions

Last Saturday I had the privilege to be invited to a wedding of two vastly different Cultures. About seven years ago when there was an influx of Ethiopian immigrants to Brandon I met a young teenage girl who had come with her Parents, sister and three brothers. She attended Neelan high school and has since become an adult. The Groom is a local boy. The wedding took place at the First Presbyterian Church. It was an hour late because the Priest had an accident. When the Ceremony started a group of female singers accompanied by two large drums like tom-tom drums slung around the necks of two of the women. All the women were dressed in white robes and chanted in that high-pitched noise created by moving their tongues from side to side. The purpose of this activity is to call all the women from the village to attend the wedding, but in this case the women left the congregation and joined the group down at the front of the Church. The solemn part of the service began, and vows were exchange, candles were lit and registers were signed. Then after the marriage the women singers started again in a circle and the Bride took over a drum and drummed the beat. The singers sang and danced out of the church and the congregation follows to be entertained by the singers outside on the church steps. At 5:30 a reception was held at the Westman Centennial Auditorium with an ordinary layout for a Reception. The food lines were different, one line was for Ethiopian food, and the other was Canadian with Chicken and Roast Beef with all the trimmings. After supper a Canadian style M.C. gave introductions and speeches were given, ending with toasts. For entertainment there was a Music Man and an Ethiopian singer who played a Keyboard. He sounded like a West Indian Reggie singer and he had the place jumping. He played a song and then the Music man played the Bride and Groom Dance and so on. The Ethiopian guests were dressed in fine suits and the wore the best dresses, whereas some of the Brandon guests dressed like they were on the beach at Clear Lake. Best wishes to Richard and Eden and many thanks for the wonderful evening.