Astana holds ancient Betashar ritual for 25 brides simultaneously
25 brides of Astana became today a part of Kazakh nation’s beautiful ancient ritual – Betashar – held at the local Saltanat Sarayi palace, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Betashar or “revealing a bride’s face” symbolizes the opening of a new stage in the bride's life. The bride's face is covered with a veil, and only after a special ritual performed during a wedding ceremony, the veil is removed, and the bride greets her new relatives.
Organizers say, 50 couples were invited to participate in the ceremony, but only 25 of them managed to register their marriage in time.
“All 25 couples are our customers planning to hold wedding ceremonies in the future. We contacted them and proposed them to participate in the event and be included in the Kazakhstan Book of Records. All of them agreed at once,” organizer Yerkebulan Shaikystan says.
Official representative of the Kazakhstan Book of Records Akezhan Shyngys says previously no Betashar-related activities were organized in Kazakhstan and no records were set.
Read more on the history and meaning of Betashar ritual in Kazakh life in an article by a Kazinform correspondent.
In December 2024, the Betashar ritual was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
