Ohcet refers to a particular wedding ceremony; the common way weddings were celebrated in the past (which is several decades ago). 1 While the tradition has began to sink into obscurity and has been replaced by new ways to celebrate the occasion, ohcet is now organised as a mean to preserve the tradition. This ceremony is not exclusive to the Dolenjska region; however, there have been varying ways to celebrate the occasion across the country, and there are some peculiarities in each region. The content of this segment pertains to the way ohcet in the Dolenjska region looked like, and relies on the description told by Branka Moškon.
The atmosphere of the celebration can be described as lively and the activities that take place during the celebrations can be understood in a goofy, humorous way. The celebration is also open for everyone from the village to partake in activities and events that together tend to last several days.
The entire ceremony consists of several events. It begins with the groom coming to the bride’s house and calling the elder there. The elder and the bridegroom then insult each other and several fake brides come forward until the real one appears. Then they set off together for the church. The groom is then tested by having to perform certain tasks, usually household chores, to prove that he is worthy of his bride. The events continue in the bride’s and then in the groom’s home.
For this region, it’s typical for young men who were not invited to the ceremony to join the festivities regardless, and dedicate a singing performance to the newly-wed in hopes of getting some food and drinks. Dolenjska ohcet is also characterised by arrival of the masquerade or “camel rider”. 2
1 Fran. Ohcet. Sourced from: https://fran.si/iskanje?View=1&Query=ohcet
