Ospățul de nuntă în Țara Moldovei în sec. al XVII-lea – începutul sec. al XIX-lea

Feasts were part of the daily life of the inhabitants ofthe Moldavian principality. The meals organized on the occasion of certain events, accompanied the most importantstages of the life cycle, including marriage. The purpose ofthis article is to present a wedding feast in Moldova in theXVII century – the beginning of the XIX century, basedon available sources, which are not rich in the descriptionof the wedding feast ceremonial. We will notice, that theRomanian national traditions and customs were respected,regardless of the social category; the difference consistingin the amounts allocated for the organization of the festivemeal, for entertainment, gifts etc. The wedding feasts organized at the Principality Court or at the boyar courts, unlikethose held in the families of other categories of inhabitants,were distinguished by luxury and abundance of products,by the quantity and diversity of food and drinks. The variety of dishes, their number and the splendor of the wholefeast depended on the economic and financial situation ofthe families involved. In elite families, the feast lasted several days in a row, in ordinary families – one day. In thefamilies of the elites, in order to entertain the present audience, various amusing activities were organized, while inordinary families the activities were simpler – fiddle musicwas played, traditional hora was danced, etc.