Slav Macedonians - Marriage and Family

Marriage. It used to be the case that marriages were arranged, usually by older women related to the prospective bride and groom. Often these marriages took the form of alliances between clans. Dowry was commonly paid by the family of the bride to the groom in the form of animals, land, or household necessities. The bride would then move to the groom's family house or nearby. The exception occurred when the bride's family had no male heirs, in which case the groom might move in with the bride's family. Divorce was extremely rare, virtually nonexistent, although remarriage of widowed men was common practice.

Domestic Unit. The basic household unit was that of the extended family, which often included three or more generations related patrilineally.

Inheritance. Land and flocks were traditionally divided equally among the sons, the eldest son remaining in the Family residence and his brothers building their homes in the vicinity. The family treasures such as linens and gold jewelry were given to the daughters on their weddings as a dowry. In absence of sons, the oldest daughter would receive miraz, the property that otherwise would have belonged to the male heirs.