In a Dara-Ang wedding, a separate ceremony is arranged for both the man and the woman. Each of them invites friends and relatives to share a meal. The man will pay all expenses involved in the ceremony. If the man cannot afford this, the woman will pay and the man must stay with her family.
When the marriage ceremony reaches its last day, the bridegroom and the bride’s guide, “Por-Nang”, go to the bridegroom’s house. When the bridegroom and friends reach the bride’s house they must perform a ceremony called “Ga-Hmam” as they believe the ceremony ensures that they will live in the house for a long time and that bad spirits cannot separate the couple. Therefore, the “Ga-Hmam” ceremony shows that they are a complete couple and is an important part of the wedding. When the ceremony is finished, the bride is taken to the bridegroom’s house along with the couple’s friends. When they arrive at the bridegroom’s house, elders from the community come to hold a ceremony. The elders give blessings to the bridegroom using tea leaves and then boil the leaves and drink the tea all together.
Generally, Dara-Ang people will marry between the age of 16 and 20 years old, as this is the period of time is when the woman is at reproductive age. A woman younger than this age is called “Di-Pea” in Dara-Ang language, and a man is called “Ga-Yom”. However, in Dara-Ang marriages there is often an age gap as womens marry earlier than men.
Religious, Beliefs, and Rituals