Pomaks - Kinship, Marriage, and Family

Pomaks trace descent patrilineally. Marriages were and continue to be arranged between the families of the prospective spouses, and they occur when both the bride and groom are still in their mid-to late teens, with the groom generally being only slightly older than the bride. Before marriage, the bride handcrafts a dowry of household items and clothing (carpets, blankets, clothing, and gifts for wedding guests). Polygyny, though countenanced by Islam, was never a frequent occurrence, and currently it is barred by law.

The Pomak household is made up of a patrilineally ordered extended family ( zadruga ), which traditionally constituted the unit of both subsistence production and consumption.