“i do” in japan, india & china…

1st November, 2010 - Posted by Lia - 1 Comment

Wedding customs are different in every country. Each one holds its own belief as to what will bring the bride and groom happiness and a good life. The  North American traditional weddings can be a combination of traditions picked from different cultures, since that is what North America is made up of. Normally there is a wedding shower for the bride, a bachelor party for the groom, the traditional white wedding dress, tuxedo, bridesmaids, and the best man. If the ceremony is conducted by a minister, then it is the minister of whatever faith they belong to. Usually there is a reception afterwards and then the bride and groom leave for their honeymoon.

In Japan a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony is held. This is a wine ceremony, where the bride and groom drink rice wine in front of the priest. The bride drinks first, then she hands the cup to the groom, and he returns it back to her after he has drunk from it. They do this at least three times. This ceremony means that they are making a promise to be dedicated to each other for life.

In India, in the Sikh faith, a wedding is considered the marriage of two families, not just the marriage of the couple. This is a country where the marriage may have been arranged long before the couple was of marriage age. The bride wears red because white is considered to be a sign of death. The groom wears a beige or cream colored long coat and a red turban. A piece of cloth remains in the grooms hand, while the bride takes the other end and is led around a holy brook four times by the groom. In some ceremonies the groomsman or brother will sprinkle flower petals over the couple. This is supposed to keep evil away.

The Chinese also choose the color of red for their wedding ceremonies. To them, red is a symbol of good luck. The bridesmaids will wear red and cover their faces with oriental fans, while the bride will carry a bouquet of red roses.

Many cultures have combined traditions from their background with western traditions in their own countries and the West. Traditions change as time goes on and some of the old traditions sadly become outdated and forgotten. Let’s hope that certain tradions will live on and reflect the colorful  & diverse world we all come from!

1 Comment

Cassandra

November 1st, 2010 at 9:26 pm    


I recently got married to an Indian man (my dear husband). What an event!! getting dressed in a sari was quite a challenge. Thankfully all went well and I managed to get through all of the ceremonies without a hitch…..

Nice article, very international!

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