ix years, where in this time the prospective mates may only see each other once a year, depending on truck transportation and trading needs of the colony. When a man wishes to marry and a significant courtship has preceded the man may ask his father’s permission to marry. In which upon his consent the man must ask his preacher for permission. The preacher in turn asks for consent from the council. After the announcement of the council for permission the man must be accompanied by his father and grandfather to the would be bride’s colony on a Wednesday. Upon arrival, permission from the brides preacher and council allows the groom to request the brides hand in marriage. When acceptance is granted everyone of church age accompanies them to the ceremony the same day. The ceremony lasts fifteen minutes and the bride and groom’s parents retire to the brides house for celebration; this celebration is called a “hulba”. Thursday the “hulba” is continued and on Friday the bride, groom, father and grandfather return to their colony. The newlyweds will live with the groom’s parents in the groom’s room, which is no longer referred to as his room but “her” room.In a new environment, the bride is familiar with only one aspect of her new life. She need only memorize who is who and their relative social significance. The political structure of the Hutterites is based mostly on informal age groups: birth to two years, kindergarten (three to five), school children (six to fourteen), young people (fifteen to baptism). To the Hutterites baptism is one of two life rites of passage, the other that of death.Socialization during childhood is a preparation for initiation into adulthood. (Hostetler, 57) This socialization occurs through age groups or levels of institutionalized education. These levels are respectively: Klein-Schul (kindergarten), Gross-Schul (German school), Suntag-Schul (Sunday s...
