Marriage and Family

The family often has great influence in the choice of a marriage partner. Girls are sometimes promised at a very young age, although the wedding does not take place (if at all) until after puberty. A groom must often give gifts, called dot, to the bride’s family when the couple get engaged and when they marry. The Gabonese generally marry within the ethnic group but mostly outside of their village, to avoid marrying relatives. A woman may be encouraged to have a child or two before marriage to prove her fertility; these children are often raised by the woman’s mother. If a marriage fails, the dot must be repaid, and the children born in wedlock remain with the father.

Marriage and Family

Many young couples choose to live together before or instead of marriage. When a couple marries, the two have the right to keep their original surnames or take that of their spouse. Their children may also bear either surname.

Families are small (having one or two children is the norm), and the Finnish government, worried about a shrinking labor force having to fund benefits for increasing numbers of retired people, has been trying to increase the birthrate.

Marriage and Family

Georgians are usually free to choose whom they marry. A traditional wedding is elaborate, with large feasts, folk dancing, and singing. Modern weddings are simpler; urban ceremonies are often quiet family events. Traditionally, a newlywed couple lives with the groom’s parents until they can afford a home of their own.