Customs related to marriage:

Kazakh traditions related to marriage: marriage proposal, marriage proposal, betrothal, blessing, marriage ceremony, singing and farewell. Every parent thinks about his son's future bride early and looks for his match. Strictly adheres to the principle of “see the mother and marry daughter”. That is, he will look for his future fiancé from a suitable place, from good people, from an ancestral, fundamental village. They do not speak to the daughters of families with diseases in their family. They deliberately go to the people they consider worthy, talk about the future of their children, express their intention to get engaged. This is called “to match a bride”. One of the most appropriate traditions that has continued since ancient times and is still present is to woo. The boy's father or close relatives betrothed to the house where the girl is, that is, the girl asks him to give his daughter as a bride to his son. Matchmakers are considered to be honorable people who deserve respect. After the consent of her father, the girl makes the arrangements for the betrothal. It has many types.

Betashar is one of the traditions of Kazakh brides. A traditional betashar is usually held when the crowd for the wedding has thinned out. The bride, who is sitting inside the curtain, covers her head with a scarf, and the closest, model brides of the house where the wedding is taking place, take her out with their arms from both sides. Since betashar has a great educational value, the women who live on both sides of the bride are widows, simpletons, etc. absence is strictly taken into account. Tie the end of the scarf with tenge to the neck of the drum or to the end of a stick and start the song of the zhirau betashar. He introduces the newly married bride to her parents and relatives, conveys her kinship, reputation and dignity in her masterly language and greets each of them individually. The person receiving greetings names the gifts he gives to the young bride.

The “Betashar” ritual, performed at Kazakh weddings, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024 (Asunción, Paraguay, 2024).