In days past, the Bride's family would hold the engagement party.
Tradition called for the Groom to send a friend or a relative to ask the
prospective Bride's father for permission to ask for the daughter's
hand in marriage. Often, the Groom's father performed this task. If the
Bride's father agreed, the young man could formally ask for the girl's
hand in marriage, and having thus received the father's blessing, the
wedding was allowed to take place. An ancient tradition -- long
abandoned -- called for the prospective Bride to pretend to be a cow
that needed to be recognized by its owner, her soon-to-be husband,
before the wedding celebrations could begin.
Considering that the
majority of people in Portugal are Roman Catholic, a mass would follow
the engagement. After this mass, close relatives would be invited to a
small reception. The Bride would choose a "Madrinha" -- a Maid of Honour
-- and the Groom would choose a "Padrinho" -- a Best Man. In some
cases, two couples would be chosen to fill those roles.
A
Portuguese couple's wedding invitation traditionally carries both the
Bride's and the Groom's addresses, since it is customary to live with
one's parents until married. All wedding gifts are traditionally sent to
the Bride's house, and put on display to be admired by relatives and
close friends who come to visit. On those occasions, tradition calls for
a cup of tea and a piece of cake to be served. Click here for more information
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