Rakia Involved In Bulgarian Weddings

I found a great article explaining thew traditional Bulgarian wedding. It is well written and of course refers to rakia as part of the ritual leading up the marriage. I recommend that you might want you follow the link at the end of the exerpt to get and read the full article. Again, a very informative peice fo writing.

.......then, the young man sent his father to the home of the chosen girl. If the young man was an orphan, he would send his mother or his closest friends but he would never go on his own.

They would usually bring "rakia" ( a very strong home-made beverage which is made of plums or grapes and resembles the german "schnapps" and the French "eau-de-vie" ), a small bouquet of "zdravets" ( an evergreen plant with no flowers nor buds, which is considered a symbol of health and prosperity ) as well as some gifts for the girl and her father.

The girl's father, considered the master of the house, offered the guests a drink. If he approved the match, he would give his blessing. Then he was supposed to ask his daughter three times if she could accept the marriage. If she confirmed, the family sent small gifts, cookies and wine back to her future groom and his family........

Source: http://antonella-ilmatrimonioineuropa.blogspot.com