WEDDING TRADITIONS AND RITUALS

Weddings are a wonderful celebration of affection both to the newlyweds,relatives and the community but some communities have peculiar rituals and traditions that may seem odd and they look strange to other people.

Let’s look at the most unique wedding rituals and traditions around the world;

Firstly let’s look at Cambodia,a country in Southeast Asia to find one of the peculiar wedding rituals practised by Krung tride .In the Krung tridbe,when a young woman reaches the age of marriage, her father has the obligation to construct for her a special Cabin in the middle of the jungle and this cabin is not just a cabin that is made of logs but a cabin of love, where the young woman can have as many suitors as she wishes until she gets the one who fills her heart with joy and makes it sing.Yes you got it correctly “until she finds the one who fills her heart with joy and makes it to sing”.In the Croon tribe,multiple dating is not just permitted but also encouraged.The cabin is built for privacy of the young woman so as she can explore her romantic choices and make make her decision.Once the young woman makes her choice, the chosen man has no option but to accept her proposal and marry her.According to the tradition, the chosen man is not allowed to spend the night with his wife before he has paid her father with the quorted number of livestock.The more the quorted number of livestock he can produce, the more nights he gets to spend with his wife.You might be asking yourself,what happens when the husband cannot not give the required number of livestock…???Well, according to the tradition, the couple can not live togetherb until hehas paid the bride price in full. Although this tradition may seem to be out of date,it’s an important part of the tribes culture and tradition and it has survived for centuries upto to day.

In addition to tha South China is our next focus.In South China before the wediing preparations begin,the bride and the groom must seek natural approval.I know you might be wondering how does this happen…???.Well, it involves a kind of a chicken sacrifice.The couple hold a chicken in one hand and perform a ritual where they sacrifice the chicken and then remove its liver.When the liver is seen in good condition then it’s considered as a good sign and they can continue with their wedding preparations but if not then they can not continue with their wedding plans and they will have to try again next time.This culture may seem outfashioned to some but it is deeply rooted in the chinese culture and it’s taken as a sign of good luck and prosperity to the newlyweds as well as a way of showing respect to nature and asking for blessings on the couple’s union.

What of the sacrifised chicken…???What happens to it after the ritual…???.Right,in other regions of South China,the chicken is cooked and served as part of the wedding feast.It’s interesting to know that this culture has been practised for centuries and it shows how unique and valued it is.

Nevertheless, Mauritania also has a fascinating wedding culture.In this country, the natives have a peculiar perspective on what makes a bride pretty.In many parts of the world,the prevailing notion is that a thin and athletic body is the epitome of female beauty however in some parts of Mauritania the opposite is true.In these parts,people believe that ladies with bigger body size represent fertility and abundance therefore more admirable as brides.So if a Mauratanian bride to be is deemed too thin by her groom or family, she is expected to increase her body size and weight before the marriage day.Infact it’s common for a bride to eat copious amounts of food and drink before the final day arrives so as to ensure that she is sufficiently plump and curvy.You might be thinking,how did this tradition come to existence…???.Well some say that it was first practised many centuries ago, a time when food was scarce in Muritania and being overweight was an impression of wealth and status’

This tradition has come under criticism in recent years with some activists calling it out for promoting unhealth eating habits and body shaming.It’s important to that every culture has it’s own customs and beliefs and significant.

Lastly let’s look at Borneo.If you have not heard of Borneo you should not be ashamed since you are not alone.This large Island is located in South Asia and it belongs to three different countries;Indonesia,Malaysia and Brunei in the city of Sadan which is divided between Indonesia and Malaysia.There is a unique culture where the engaged man and woman must respect , practise and maintain the rituals and customs of their ancestors.You might asking yourself what is this tradition tha is so unique..???. Well, the natives believe that going to the washrooms to do a number two, is a sign of bad luck for the fertility of the couple therefore the bride and the groom are not allowed to go to the bathroom to do number two for three days before their marriage ceremony.Of cause you got it right,three days before the weddind day, they are forbidden from going to the washrooms to adhere to this tradion.The couples to be must follow a specific diet days before the marriage ceremony which is not only strange but also challenging and to make sure that this ritual is not broken a person is assigned to watch over them to make sure that the tradition is fulfilled.You might thinking that it’s a weird custom but to the natives this tradition is sacred and has been handed over from generation to generation it’s well observed for success and prosperity of the newlyweds.