Marriage in Jute

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Marriage in Jute is an important social rite in Jutean societies. Whereas it has religious connotations in River Jutean communities, and is a religious rite within the Klambari and Samwati culture, it is considered part of the mundane domain in Coastal Jutean communities, a strictly civic affair. Other communities (descendants of Neviran or Balak settlers) often follow their own traditions.

Coastal Jutean communities

Marriage rites among Coastal Juteans are generally markedly inconspicuous, as marriage is seen as a private, mundane thing and as such not celebrated publicly or seen as having religious importance. As reflected in the Coastal Jutean word for 'marriage', nanoi which simply translates to 'living together', it is simply the act of moving together as a couple for the first time, and as such a couple is regarded as being married once they move into a new house, and spend the first night together in the same bed. Rather than being a cause for celebration, it is usually seen as a special moment of intimacy deserving of the utmost privacy.

Usually a couple will move into a new home, often one they have constructed and furnished themselves with the help of the local community, although especially in larger towns it can also be a new apartment. It is the end of construction work and furnishing, that is, the finishing of marriage preparations, that is sometimes privately, or depending on the community, publicly celebrated. Whereas in the past it was the norm to have elders of families to arrange future marriages at meetings of the community with no input by the younger adults to be married, in recent times love marriages have become more common and accepted. "Free marrying" or nanoi a foi, marriage between two people with no prior permission of family elders, have become an established norm in general, with many people also marrying out of convenience rather than love.

However, married people generally are still expected to have or adopt children, or at least engage themselves in some voluntary or professional work that benefits the community.

River Jutean communities

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Klambari communities

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Samwati communities

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Other communities

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