Mexican Wedding

Hello,

The fifth and final  type of wedding I would like to talk about is a traditional Mexican wedding. The Roman Catholic Church is a big influence in Mexico, so most weddings are Catholic.

Since a lot of destination weddings take place in Mexico, I am very curious about what an actual Mexican wedding is like. Like the American wedding, the Bride dresses in a beautiful white gown and the Groom in a tuxedo.

There are two main customs that are common in most Mexican weddings. During the wedding ceremony, el Lazo o Laso is performed where the couple is connected by a "lasso". This lasso is similar to a rosemary can be made from a ribbon and decorated with jewels, stones, flowers, etc. If flowers are used, they are orange blossoms because they symbolize happiness and fertility. This lasso is placed over the Bride and Groom is a figure 8 shape and signifies the sign of unity between the Bride and Groom.

Also during service, the Groom gifts the Bride 13 coins as a symbol of his trust and confidence to love and take care of her. The coins signify Jesus and his 12 disciples. In accepting the coins, the wife is accepting the Groom's commitments and promises to also take care of her husband. These coins are then handed over to the priest for blessing and returned to the Bride. The Brides will keep this as a family heirloom for the rest of her life.This practice is called Las Arras that was influenced by Spain.

Like most wedding, after the ceremony, the reception begins. Like other weddings, it consists lots of food, drinks, dancing, and celebrating.


Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!

Thank you,
Khanh

Greek Wedding

Hello,

The fourth type of wedding I would like to talk about is a traditional Greek wedding.The majority of Greek follow the Greek Orthodox Church, so they get married in Faith. Based on their religion, they engaged couple are required to go to religious counseling a few times to make sure they are ready for marriage. Picking the right date for a Greek wedding is a very important step. They do so by looking at the calendar and base it off the family's faith.

One of the first traditions being Krevati. This is the practice of "making the bed". Before the wedding, friends and family will help the new couple set their new marital bed. They will throw money (for prosperity) and rice (for putting down roots) on the bed. Afterwards, to promote fertility, young children are placed on the bed.

Unlike an American wedding where the Groom waits for his bride at the altar, the Greek Groom awaits for the Bride and her entire family in front of the church. When the Bride arrives, it is custom for her parents to "give" her to the Groom. Then the couple walks down the aisle to the altar together.

During the ceremony, the “koumbaro” (best man) puts the wedding ring on the couple and crown them. These crowns are called stefana, and they  signifies that they shall rule over their household together. The candles are burned and the couple drink out of a wine glass together. This symbolizes the couple sharing a cup of life.  To end the ceremony, the priest will remove the crowns and bless the couple. No vows are exchanged between the husband and wife.

The above description is an overview of common practices in Greece for a Greek wedding. There are of course different variations at every wedding.

Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!

Thank you,
Khanh

Hindu Wedding

Hello,

The third type of wedding I would like to talk about is a traditional Indian wedding. I love the Indian culture because it always look so beautiful and colorful. The following descriptions are of a traditional Hindu wedding.

A Hindu wedding is a very important event in their culture. The wedding consists of three main events in chronological order: Kanyadaan, Panigrahana, and Saptapadi.


Kanyadaan: Giving Away the Bride 

According to Hindu's tradition, parents “giving away” the Bride as one of the noblest acts they will perform in their lifetime.  This tradition is performed by the Bride's father. He does by placing the Bride's hand on the Groom's hand and have him promise not to fail the Bride in pursuing Dharma (moral and lawful life), Artha (wealth) and Kama (love).

Panigrahana: Expectations from Married Life 

This traditions is practiced by having the Groom and Bride talk about their expectations and consents for married life.  Bride requests the Groom's support for a healthy and prosperous family life. Groom requests for the Bride to work together with him to pursue a successful life. They end the cermemony by tying the Groom's scarf to the Bride's dress and promise each other to stay together for as long as they live.

Saptapadi: Taking the Marriage Vows with Seven Steps 

This is the most important ceremony for a Hindu marriage. The couple walks together around a ceremonial fire seven steps while making promises to each other:

1. We will provide for and support each other. 
2. We will develop mental, physical & spiritual strength. 
3. We will share the worldly possessions. 
4. We will acquire knowledge, happiness and peace. 
5. We will raise strong and virtuous children. 
6. We will enjoy the fruits of all seasons. 
7. We will always remain friends and cherish each other.

The above description is an overview of common practices in India for a Hindu wedding. There are of course different variations at every wedding.


Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!
Thank you,
Khanh

Vietnamese Wedding

Hello,

The second type of wedding I would like to talk about is a traditional Vietnamese wedding. Living in Vietnam for a few years, I've been to many of these. The following descriptions are of a traditional Buddhist wedding.

Like an American wedding, at the wedding reception, the bride wears many beautiful gown and the groom wears a tuxedo. What is unique about a Vietnamese wedding is its process. While performing these ceremonies, the bride wears "ao dai" and a headdress. The groom wears the male equivalent of what the bride wears. The first is the engagement ceremony that happens months before the wedding. This is when the groom and his entire family comes over to meet the bride and her entire family. At this ceremony, both sets of parents talk about their children and make the final decision to whether or not they allow the marriage. When they agree, the parents will go and consult a Buddhist monk, Spiritual leader, or fortune teller to set our the best day and time for the wedding ceremony.

During the wedding ceremony, there are three main traditions:

1. Bringing gifts to the bride's house and asking for permission to "receive" her
2. Receiving the bride
3. Bringing the bride back to the groom's house

The process of coming to over to pick up the bride consists of the groom's family traveling with his family to her family home, no matter the distance. His family and close friends are led by a representative that is often not part of the family. They must come bearing gifts in containers covered in red clothes. These gifts contain are betel, fruit, cakes, a roast pig, fabric, and jewelry for the bride.

When the groom's family gets to the bride's how, they perform ceremonies such as burning incense to ask her ancestry for permission, thanking her parents with tea by bowing, and bowing to each other. Once the ceremonies are completed, they head back to the groom's home and she is introduced to all the members of his family. The ceremony continues with her burning incense to greet his ancestry. Finally, when all the traditional ceremonies are completed, they have a party either at the groom's house or a restaurant where they greet their family and friends as newlyweds. 

Once a again, the above description is an overview of common practices in Vietnam for a Buddhist wedding. For a catholic wedding in Vietnam, some of the traditions will be different.

Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!

Thank you,

Khanh

American Wedding

Hello,

The first type of wedding I would like to talk about is an American wedding.

When Googling "Weddings", the results are of what most of us are familiar with: the bride in a beautiful, white gown and the groom in a tuxedo. Go ahead, Google it and check out the results. These are the results of what a typical American wedding. But even in America, these weddings can highly vary because of the diversity of the United States. In this post, I will only focus on some of the most common traditions.

Before the Wedding
Most couples will celebrate their last night being unmarried by going out with their own wedding party.

During the Wedding

One of the traditional practices has to do with the attires of the bride. She must wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence inside your shoe". This tradition is believed to bring luck to the new couple's future.

During the wedding ceremony, the groom stands at the alter and awaits for his bride. The bride is walked down the aisle and is given away by her father. When the couple is at the altar, they exchange their vows and say "I do" in front of all the family, friends, and a marriage officiant. After this, the couple then walks down the aisle while everyone is tossing rice at them because it symbolizes fertility.

After the Wedding

As the wedding celebration comes to an end, the couple will head out to there honeymoon. This honeymoon is any location they want. They go here to be away from everyone and celebrate their marriage. 

Once a again, the above description is an overview of common practices in the United States. Due to its diversity, weddings in the US are very flexible.


Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!

Thank you,

Khanh

Welcome!

Hello,

I am creating this blog for my Introduction to World Religion class at Florida State University.

Who doesn't love attending a wedding? It is so beautiful to be able to see two people who are in love get married. On top of that, you get to party, celebrate, and participate in wedding traditions. Speaking of traditions, what type of wedding traditions have you witnessed? Are you curious about who weddings are carried out around the world? I am. Therefore, in this blog, I want to discover the wedding traditions in a few countries around the world.

Thank you for reading,

Khanh