Red, Blue & White Cornmeal

Before a Diné (Navajo) woman marries she prepares cornmeal of three colors: red for health, blue for happiness and white for wealth. During the Diné wedding ceremony a basket like this one is covered with the cornmeal and placed between the couple. The father of the bride draws a line with corn pollen, a symbol of fertility, across the colored cornmeal to indicate the four directions and draws a circle around the edge. The bride and groom eat from the four directions and the center of the basket, and the rest of the cornmeal is shared with the wedding guests. The last guest to eat from the basket receives it as a gift!

Navajo tribal web site: http://www.navajo.org/