And, so about a week before the wedding many loaves of black bread were baked, which does not dry up so fast and get hard like kolaches. Two weeks before the wedding many old hens were killed for noodle soup and also many older friends came to pull feathers off the chickens so that a lot of work could be done ahead of time and, of course, they gossiped a lot too. The last day before the wedding they made kolaches so they would be soft and fresh.

In the evening musicians came to play for the bride for the last time (the last time she was single) and for a goodbye for her they played several pretty pieces and for doing so, they received some of the fresh bread as they had plenty of it--then so that their necks would not dry up, they watered it with something.

The next day was the wedding day and after the marriage they went to either the bride's or bridegroom's home--depending on where the feast was held.

And, coming from the church, the groomsmen held each other by the waist and the bridesmaids held each other by holding hands, jumping before the musicians who played some pretty marches and shouted with happiness. The other guests walked in back of the newly married couple. If such an escort could be seen by Americans they would think that people are going crazy. When the whole party walked into the yard and wanted to go inside the house, the doors were shut and those who stood outside began calling and singing: "Mother, honey, honey, I am bringing the bride and if you don't give us honey, I will carry her away." Then the cooks sang from inside the house: "We don't have honey, don't keep bees, Those who keep bees, let them give you honey." Then, the other ones inside sang: "Mother, pears, pears, the bride has a stomach ache and if you don't give us pears at least something else." And, the cooks then sang: "We don't have pears, we don't keep pears, Those that have pears, Let them give you some."

There was more to the song but I do not remember more and when they finally opened the door, they let each one lick a bit of honey off a spoon and then dinner was served. They sat down and the bride went first and sat down in the corner and behind the corner of the table, then the bridesmaids on one side and the groomsmen on the other side of the bride. The noodle soup was served and that was the main food and had to be very good because the cooks took very good time with making it, so they would not be talked about. Saffron and other spices were given into it. While dinner was going on, the cooks sang: "Ah noodles, noodles, who cut you up? My little hands." And so, these noodles had to be very thinly cut and very small so that the many guest would not have one end in the stomach and the other end hanging from their mouth.

The second food was pearl barley in a big bowl. The bowl was set in the center of the table and a small hole was made in the middle of the barley and melted butter was put in it and on top was put some sugar and everyone took some this barley with butter and then went to eat it. When the barley was gone, the cooks put out more barley, sugar, and cinnamon with melted butter. At this meal, the oldest guest gave the bride her many gifts of money and was throwing it in the wedding kolache that was put on a deep plate and had the center empty so that the money would fall to the bottom of the plate.

With every gift the old leader told from whom the gift was and said that it was added for the diapers, from another one he said it was for wrapping the possible child, or for a crib. And, from the sisters or brothers yet single, he said that this was only a loan and they expected that at their wedding something should be returned to them---but a thousand times more.

So I wrote the readers of Hospodar how weddings were given in the old country and how hard it was for some young men to get married before he found a bride. Sometimes he went someplace all for nothing, and started visiting a girl who did not even notice him and would not sit beside him nor would she allow him to accompany her. In that case, there was very little hope and he had to stop coming to see her. Also, boys of one village would not allow boys from other places to see their loved ones. And, when they found out about it; they waited for him near the girl's window and beat the interloper or chased him very good so that he would be afraid to come near and so that he would not get a beating that was called a beating on "God's church."

Here in America this kind of bad thing did not happen very much. On the contrary, jealousy or the lack of wealth does not dictate nor does it forbid a wedding to anyone. If both love each other why shouldn't they marry and when both are in good health and help each other in love, then God will bless them and good luck and riches will come to their home.¨