Engagement ceremony in old days here

I found out 3 big boxes in a storage space under stairs inside my parents' house.

They were used in an engagement ceremony here as betrothal gifts, and she got this set, a few other gifts and some money from her husband.

We dealt with this ceremony at a hotel and ate a course dishes named "kaiseki cuisine"for lunch after. And my parents carried everything she would use by a few truck with red and white ribbons like the following photo.

This ceremony is very traditional, but I thought it was meaningless for me then. So I didn't want to do it as my sister did. However, my father asked us to follow the custom.

We borrowed her betrothal gifts and bought a pair of dolls which is one of betrothal gifts and it has to be kept at each home besides a ring and some money.

This is a pair of dolls named "takasago ningyo". It means that we hope to get along with each other until our hairs become gray.

When I think about it, it was a good choice  because 2 sets would have needed a lot of room to be kept and hard to be thrown away if I also got it.

I'm wondering if there is still the custom to cerebrate in this way here...

実家の整理をしていたら、出てきました。姉が貰った結納セット。

これをどうしようか姉に聞いたら、姉は貰った物だから捨てる訳にもいかなかったのか、持って帰るわと言っていました。

考えてみたら、姉は昔のしきたりに従って、結納も交わし、紅白のリボンがかかったトラックに荷物を乗せて嫁に行ったよなあって・・・。でも私はそんな風習に意義を見出せなくて、結納もしない、荷物も自分らで運んだし、電化製品も、家具も、新居が住めるようになってから、購入先の業者に直接持って来て貰ったよなあって思い出しました。

でも、父は姉と同様に、結納の儀式だけは、けじめとしてして欲しいと言い張ったので、それならばということで、姉のこの結納セットを使わせて貰って、高砂人形と婚約記念品と結納金を用意して、滞りなく結納の儀式を済ませました。

今思えば、賢い選択だったわ～

こんな大きな箱３箱分の結納セットが２セットあっても、置き場所にも困るし、処分にも困るもんなあ。

今でもこんな儀式って、やっているのかな？