Pierre, Lucy and Mélinda are glad to present you everything you're curious to know about the customs of marriage on the 5th continents:
- France
- Polynesia
- Mexico
- Zimbabwe
- India
Enjoy your trip through our pictures and explanations!
Discover the customs of marriage on the 5th continents brought us to create this blog. Indeed, our curiosity throughout the researches allowed us to present you the marriage's conception in part of the world.So, we can see the presentation of the marriage's customs in five countries: the warn atmosphere of Mexico, the beauty of India, the sympathy of Zimbabwe, the paradise of Polynesia and the romance of France.
Why have you chosen especially this countries ?
We have taken countries of each continent to represent the marriage ceremony in the world. The characteristics of the traditions, the progress of the ceremony, the finances or still the honey moon show the differences between the cultures. We had published you the marriage's ceremony to present you the wealth of our world. The varieties of the cultures show the charm which we have of the marriage because the wedding symbolize the union between two persons and close relative and friends.
Our team Pierre, Lucy and Melinda hope that you enjoyed the blog of the marriage on the 5th continents, so if you have any suggestions about the blog, do not hesitateto contact us.
Mexico is a country of North America, situated in the South of the United States, from which it is partially separated by Río Grande. With about 107 million inhabitants, among whom 20 millions in the urban area of its capital, Mexico City. Mexico is the most populated countries of Spanish language.
The religion
The great majority of Mexicans are catholic with 89 % and Protestant with 6%, mainly concentrated in Mexico City. The Judaism is present in Mexico for centuries. We count today between 45 000 and 60 000 Jews in Mexico. The Islam is very minority and is mainly practised by the immigrant communities of country with Moslem majority
The metropolitan cathedral of Mexico, situated on the central place of Mexico City, is the biggest cathedral of America. It was built in the style of Spanish baroque architecture and includes two towers of 64 meters which carry eighteen bells.
The local Name : Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María
Guadalupe's Virgin is an object of worship in Mexico and in some Latin American countries. It is a symbol which binds the family, the politics and the religion; the colonial past and the present interbreeding of native and Spanish.
Customs
The "sombrero" is a type of hat native of Mexico. "Sombreros" are generally rather high at the level of the head and have a very wide edge, allowing to the user to protect itself from the sun. The name derives from Spanish "sombra" which means shade or darkness. Generally, in Mexico we have to specify "charro sombrero", because the word "sombrero" is the generic name to say hat
The Bride may wear a mantilla veil, or a slim dress with a bolero jacket, or even a Flamenco-style dress. The groom may choose to wear a matadorian outfit, a bolero jacket with tight pants, or, a Mexican wedding shirt with loose, drawstring pants.
Wedding Place
In the past, weddings were in the bride's yard or house. The groom arrived by horse to the bride's house and after the wedding ceremony took his wife in a palanquin to his parents' house to live. Today, Mexican wedding takes place in according to the bridegroom's choice.
Marriage
In Mexico, the traditional marriage ceremonies are sponsored by couple's Godparents. Godparents are the benefactor for the couples. They accompany the bride and the groom throughout their wedding and their engagement. The Godparents or the padrinos gift for the couple with a rosary, a name of a preayer and a Bible during their wedding ceremony.
During the marriage...
A traditional Mexican reception is held where all the guests are invited for a big feast. All the guests join hands and form a heart shape around the couple as they begin their first dance. The most of the time, the salsa, merengue and the flamenco music symbolize the latine reception
The Mexican wedding cake is cut by the newlyweds and distributed among the guests. A paper mache container shapes an animal or can be a heart, is suspended from the ceiling at Mexican traditional wedding celebrations. It is stuffed with candies, chocolates and toffees. On breaking open the container the items are shared by the newlyweds and guests : "Las pinatas". Usually, in Mexico, the bridegroom to toss red beads as they leave the church to bring good luck and prosperity in their married life.
After the Marriage...
Usually, the Mexican marriage go on during two or three day. The most of the time, the festivities happen in the streets, where all the guest and the village celebrate the newlyweds. Then, the bridegroom choose the place of the honey-moon.
In India, there is no greater event in a family than a wedding, dramatically evoking every possible social obligation, kinship bond, traditional value, impassioned sentiment, and economic resource. Marriage is deemed essential for virtually everyone in India. For the individual, marriage is the great watershed in life, marking the transition to adulthood. Generally, this transition, like everything else in India, depends little upon individual volition but instead occurs as a result of the efforts of many people. Indian marriages are many a times "arranged", although that is changing dramatically. Is has been said that two people marry not only themselves but two families get married to each other. Therefore you will see that some Indian parents still play a big role in finding a bride or a groom for their children. With westernization influencing the eastern cultures many age old practices are being forgotten. There are over 50 cultures in India and because of this there are many different types of wedding celebrations all over India. For example:
Punjabi Wedding,
Tamil Wedding
Sindhi Wedding,
Telugu Wedding,
Gujarati Wedding
Kashmiri Wedding
Because there are so many, our main focus will be the Punjabi Wedding.
Commonly used terms at Indian Marriage ceremonies
Here are some of the terms commonly used at Indian weddings.
Kundli - is a horoscope made when a child is born.
Pundit - is a religious person who carries out the prayers for the marriage ceremonies. Mehndi – a paste made out of dried and crushed Henna leaves and applied on the hands and feet in a decorative manner. This is also known and popularized here in the US as "temporary tatoos".
Mehndi-wallis – women who apply mehndi on a professional basis.
Saree – a traditional outfit for women, which is a 6 feet long cloth tied in a traditional manner around the waist and worn with a figure-hugging blouse.
Puja – ceremony or prayer.
Puja samaan – religious items used for the ceremony.
Shlokas – religious sayings.
Punjabi Wedding Ceremony
Punjabis are large hearted people who love splendor and greatness. They are also keen on festivals and celebrations. This nature of Punjabis also reflects in their marriage celebrations. Like other Indian weddings, a Punjabi marriage ceremony is very ritualistic but also full of fun and and can be very exciting. It is in fact one of the most colorful and musical marriage ceremonies in the country. Each ceremony is like an excuse for having fun. A Punjabi Wedding is very vibrant and celebrated like a big carnival and is an experience almost all Indians would die for.
Pre wedding Rituals
Punjabi marriage traditions are very elaborate and ritualistic. They begin days before the actual wedding day in the form of pre-wedding ceremonies.
Roka is the first pre-wedding ceremony where the two families formally meet to finalize the relationship between the two families. Roka is then followed by a series of colorful and interesting occasions like ‘Sagan and Chunni Chadhana’. As the actual wedding day comes near, the celebrations become more vibrant and vivacious. Sangeet is held only few days before the wedding day and is the most amusing pre-wedding ceremony. Mehandi is held a night or two before the marriage day and is important part of the pre-wedding celebrations.
Roka Ceremony Roka ceremony marks the beginning of a formal relationship between the two families. It is basically carried out to secure the commitment of both the parties. It is a small function involving the family members and close relatives of both the prospective bride and groom. The families involved exchange gifts, sweets, fruits and dry fruits.
Sagan Ceremony Sagan ceremony can be held either at the groom’s house or at a banquet hall. A havan is performed by a pundit who is a religious person who carries out the prayers for the marriage ceremonies. . Thereafter, the prospective bride’s father applies Tilak (made of kesar, rice grains and flower petals) on the boy’s forehead. All the relatives and friends of the girl’s side come forward to bless the prospective groom, offer sweets to him and give him cash/gifts.
Chunni Chadana On the occasion of Chunni chadana, groom's parents and close relatives visit the bride’s house. The groom’s sister or sister in law presents the girl a red sari which is a traditional outfit for women, as a token of acceptance of the girl in their family. Thereafter, the girl is dressed in the clothes given by the boy’s family. The main ritual of the ceremony is when the girl’s would be mother-in-law places a red chunni on the girl’s head and gives her some traditional jewelry. Following this is a ritual in which the girl is fed boiled rice and milk by all the relatives of the boy that are present at the time. The ceremony comes to an end with the exchanging of rings between the prospective bride and groom.
Sangeet Sangeet is the musical program, which is held at both the bride as well as groom’s house. In the sangeet session, wedding folk songs are sung and all the relatives and friends dance to the tunes of the music. This ceremony is considered lucky as the wedding songs are said to be full of blessings for the prospective couple. Also, this ceremony becomes amusing with interesting songs with teasing punches for the prospective couple and dance performances by every younger and elder member of the family.
Mehandi Like other Hindu Weddings, Mehandi (Hena) is also an important pre-wedding ritual of a
Punjabi marriage.As a part of the ceremony, Mehandi is taken to the girl’s place by the boy’s
sister and brother-in-law. This Mehandi is then applied to the girl’s hands and feet in beautiful motifs. This ceremony also includes dry fruits, specifically dry dates.
The girl eats half of a dry date and the other half is given to the boy, this ritual is said
to increase the love between the two.
Rituals at the Bride’s home-
Chuda On the wedding day the rituals at the girl’s home begin with the Chuda ceremony. To commemorate the Chuda ceremony, a havan or puja is conducted by the pandit. Thereafter, the pundit ties a mauli on the to be bride’s wrist. The oldest maternal uncle and aunt play an important role in the performance of the ceremony. They fast till the event is completed. Chuda is basically a set of red and cream ivory bangles that is touched by all present. People touch the chuda and give their heartiest wishes to the girl for her future married life. Also, they sprinkle flower petals on the bride. Prasad is distributed to all. After that, the girl’s uncle, aunt, friends and cousins tie kaliras (silver, gold or gold plated traditional ornaments) to a bangle worn by the girl.
Vatna Four lamps or diyas are lit and the bride is made to sit facing them. Oil is constantly poured into the lamps, so that the glow from diyas is reflected on her face. Vatna involves applying the paste made from turmeric powder and mustard oil all over the girl’s body by her female friends and relatives. This is done to make the girl look more beautiful on the special day of our life.
Ghara Ghardoli The Ghara Ghardoli follows the Vatna. In the Ghara Ghardoli ritual, the bride’s sibling or sibling’s spouse visits the nearby temple and fills a pitcher with holy water. The girl is then bathed with this holy water. Thereafter, the bride wears their wedding attire.The ghara ghardoli and the vatna ceremonies take place at the groom’s house too. But over there, the boy’s sister-in-law brings the pitcher of water. As per the tradition, their wedding dress is presented to them by their respective maternal uncles.
Rituals at the Groom’s home
Sehrabandi Like the bride’s home, the Vatna and Ghara Ghardoli are followed by the dressing up of groom in his wedding attire. After the groom has dressed up in his wedding clothes, a pooja is performed. Thereafter, the groom’s father or any elderly relative ties the "sehra" on the groom’s head. The boy also wears a pink color turban, which is touched by all the people present in the pooja. After the completion of Sehrabandi ceremony, all those who witness the function give gifts and cash to the boy as a token of good luck.
Ghodi Chadna The Ghori Chadna is the final ceremony at the groom’s place. The groom’s sister-in-law lines the boy’s eyes with surma. Thereafter, the groom’s sisters and cousins feed and adorn his mare. To ward off the evil eye, people use cash and perform the Varna ritual. After that the boy climbs the horse and immediately leaves his home for the wedding venue.
Rituals at the Marriage Venue
Milni Ceremony When the groom’s barat reaches the wedding venue, Milni ceremony is performed. The bride’s close relatives give a warm welcome to the groom and his relatives with flower garlands. Rose water is sprinkled on them. In the Milni ceremony, the girl's relatives give Shagun (a token of good luck) to the groom's close relatives. It is done in the descending order, beginning from the elder most. Cash and clothes are gifted. Varmala Varmala is the actual beginning of marriage rituals on the involves the exchange of garlands between the bride and groom. Friends and relatives of the bride and groom indulge in teasing and fun, to celebrate this happy occasion. An auspicious time or muhurat is chosen for the performance of wedding ceremony. At the time of muhurat, the purohit conducts a puja for the groom, in which the groom is asked to chant the first few mantras. It is during this time, when the bride’s sisters indulge in stealing of shoes. It is a fun tradition, in which the girls charge a fee for agreeing to return the shoes.
Kanyadaan and Phere The wedding is actually solemnized with four important rituals- the Kanyadaan, in which the bride’s father giving his daughter's hand to the groom, the Mangalpheras in front of the sacred fire, the Sindoor ritual when the groom applies vermilion to the girl’s hair partition and the Mangalsutra Rasam when the groom ties a beaded necklace to the girl’s neck. When all these rituals are over, the couple gets up to touch the feet of all the elder members in the family and seek their blessings for a happily married life.
Post wedding Rituals
The post wedding celebrations start right after the solemnization of marriage at the Mandap. Preparations for Vidaai and Ashwirwad ceremony go hand in hand. Once the couple is blessed by all the elderly people at home, the brother of the bride accompanies the couple for Vidaai to the main exit of their home. The celebrations after Vidaai takes place at the groom’s place except for the Pag Phere Ceremony at the bride’s home the next day after the marriage.
Vidaai Ceremony In the Vidaai ceremony, the bride departs from her parental house and bids goodbye to her parents, friends and relatives. While leaving the home, the bride throws back handful of puffed rice back at the main exit of her father’s home as a token of her father’s prosperity and good luck. Thereafter, she boards a beautifully decorated car and heads her way towards her new home.
Swagat Ceremony After the marriage is over, the bride is welcomed at the groom’s house. She is welcomed by her mother in law at the entrance of her new home by putting the sarson ka tel (mustard oil) on both the sides of the entrance door. Then, a traditional aarti of both the bride and the groom is performed. Thereafter, the newly wedded couple goes to the pooja room and seeks the blessings of God.
Mooh Dikhai Ki Rasm Mooh dikhai is the formal introduction of the new bride to the rest of the family. The mother-in-law gives the bride jewelry, cash and gifts. It is a ceremony to facilitate intimacy. The other relatives also give presents and cash to the bride.
Reception Ceremony To make the bride feel at home, the groom’s parents usually throw a reception party. It is an occasion, where the newly wedded couple is given a warm welcome by all. It does not have an ancient origin. Infact, it is a western concept that is gaining popularity in India too.
Pag Phere As a part of Phera Dalna ritual, the newly wedded couple visits the bride’s house on the next day after marriage. Usually, the girl’s brother comes to take them back to his home. The bride’s parents prepare a special lunch. Also, the newlyweds are given lots of gifts and sweets. This is actually a formal introduction of groom to the bride’s family.
Zimbabwe is a racially diversified country. This means that there are many different races living in the same country. Because of this there are many different beliefs, kinds of traditions and celebration styles when it comes to ceremonies such as marriage. Back in the day before the arrival of other races in Zimbabwe, marriage was simply associated with bride wealth payments, which are transfers from (the family of) the groom to the bride's family. Unmarried daughters could therefore be considered assets who, at time of need, can be cashed in. Also it was believed that the more daughters you have the richer you actually are. Logically because when you have more daughters means more people will come to marry your daughters resulting in more money for the family especially the father. Another belief there was, was that if your daughter was a virgin the more money you could charge for the bride price which was and to this day is still called “Roora.” Because of the interaction with other cultures over the decades, the marriage culture in Zimbabwe has transformed to a somewhat an even more exciting ceremony. Infact there are actually now 4 different types of marriages.
Types of Marriages 1. Civil marriage – this is where two adults together with their two witnesses go to court and they are married. There is no need for special dress but some people even wear white gowns. 2. There is registered customary marriage – this is where two adults and their two witnesses register their marriage. This starts with the customary marriage of paying roora which may be called dowry or bride price in other parts of the world. After this, the marriage is registered. 3. There is unregistered customary marriage – this is where two adults agree to stay together with or without paying roora. In this type of marriage you also find polygamous marriages. 4. There is also Christian marriage – this is when the two are married by a pastor or priest in church. Two witnessed are also required.
Because of the different kinds of marriage styles in Zimbabwe the most common is that where people (black Zimbabwean) combine two types of marriages, that is customary and civil or customary and Christian marriage.
Customary Marriage Ceremony Before & after With customary it is done over period of time but not in one day. The time before the customary ceremony is very important to those who practise it. When a young man meets the girl he wants to marry, she takes him to her aunt. After sometime of knowing the young man, they exchange tokens (nhumbi) in the presence of the aunt. This can be in the form of a shirt from the young man, a blouse or dress from the girl. These they keep. This can be equated to engagement in the modern world. (it is done so that in case the boy impregnates the girl and refuses the pregnancy This can be used as proof that they were together. These tokens they keep up to the time of the actual traditional or customary marriage date which is known as “kunoroora.” The aunt (the girl’s father’s sister) finds out from the boy his totem and all other things just to make sure they are not related because she will be answerable to all that her family wants to know. There are considerable variations in the practice of roora throughout Zimbabwe depending on which part of Zimbabwe one comes from. Paying of roora is done to cement the relationship. It is not the actual payment for the bride. Traditionally cattle were used and are still used as roora. Some people have substituted cattle for $ because of convenience (some do not have cattle pens in town and would rather have money instead). The cattle were kept to be used by the girl’s brother when he also marries a wife. The ceremony of paying roora is not a public one. A delegation from the man’s family comes to meet the delegation from the woman. There is a go between who is called a “munyai” and is chosen by both families especially the man’s side but it has to be someone who has knowledge of the other family. The munyai is usually a male and is the one who will communicate between the two families before the act ual traditional marriage date. Paying of roora is not a once off thing. Both times the traditional ceremony is done at the girl’s home. Initially they can pay 5 out of 10 cattle then the balance can be paid with time. (it is considered a bad omen if one pays all at once). Below is an example of what is usually paid: Makandinzwa nani (How did you know I have a daughter) - US$ 2000 Mafukidza dumbu (for the mother) US$- 2000 Rusambo – (thats the biggest potion of roora) – 10 cattle or something equivalent e.g. US$ 10000 or more, depending on the family. Mombe yehumai (for the mother) - US$ 1500 Mombe yechimanda (if the girl is a virgin) – US$ 1000 After the ceremony of paying roora, the bride and groom are already considered husband and wife but many would rather have the second ceremony to complete the whole marriage process. As mentioned before the customary marriage is not a public event for the whole family, so on this ceremony of paying roora, they also ask to have a white wedding and they give a date. So usually a big ceremony is done where the rest of the families of the bride and groom will be invited. If the groom’s family want to have church wedding they must pay more. But this will only be a small mount. Wedding ceremony A committee is formed about a few weeks after the traditional marriage and this committee will plan the wedding according to what the bride and groom will like. It can be a committee of 10 people or even more depending on what the bride and groom want. Costume Brides are usually dressed in a manner that cast their families in the most favourable light, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony but are now representing two families. So the bride will be dressed in a glamorous a white wedding gown. The groom will be wearing a tuxedo or a just a normal suite matching his best man and other men in the bridal party. The bride does not wear the same colour as her bride’s maids because it is believed that this is her day and so she should sta Venue Long ago weddings used to be done in two venues, one day on the bride’s side and another day on the groom’s side. Nowadays to cut costs, only one venue is chosen. This is usually a big spacious place like a hotel or a family members house which off coarse has to be big to accommodate all the family members. The number of guests depends on who the couple want to invite but usually there will be between 200 and 500 people. Some very rarely will have less than 200 guests.
Finances The two families will combine whatever it is they have so that the wedding is a great event for the bride and groom but usually the grooms family are expected to pay more to fund the wedding. Over the years though, this has changed. Nowadays the bride’s family is doing a lot more putting into consideration that the groom’s family has already paid the bride price and all.
Events at the wedding It is a common practice at all wedding ceremonies in Zimbabwe for the bride and grooms to have a bridal party that consists of at least 12 friends and family. These people along with the bride and the groom will dance for the guests in a synchronized manner that may have taken up to 2 months to plan. Many guests look forward to this part of the day. Speeches are very common from the bride and groom’s close friends and family, for example, speeches from the bride and grooms parents and maybe siblings and grandparents. another event that is never left out of the program is that where the gifts from the guests are opened. The time that is both sad and very joyous for all the guests is when the bride and groom leave the wedding venue to go to their new home together… In the days to come after the wedding is over there will be another big party thrown by the bride and groom for there close friends to celebrate that they are finally husband and wife.
Marriage among Maohi was an agreement with few feelings of love, with no significant social and religious intercourse which was the main outcome. But this is not correct, we now know that elements were taken out of context. Regarding the promiscuous women, the husband "gave" his wife to his brother or his best friend. It also happened that when someone important was going on the island's husband offers his wife to the visitor. It was an honor. However, it is true that the number of partners before marriage did not matter because young people were not subject to social and religious rules.
In the literature, one of the greatest explorers who told Polynesian traditions is Louis Antoine de Bougainville. In his travel diaries of 1768 he wrote: "Here is a sweet idleness of the women and the desire to please is their more serious occupation. Jealousy is a feeling unknown that if the husband is usually the first to urge his wife to deliver. A girl feels in this respect no embarrassment, just invite him to follow the dictates of his heart or his sense of law and public applause honor his behavior. It seems that the many lovers that passengers may have been prevented then to find a husband. "
The ceremony!
The bride and groom are arriving by water, on the beach. The guests are waiting with garlands of flowers, songs, dances of family members. The spouses are separated to be subject to their various preparations. The woman is massaged with Monoi oil, while her husband is tattooed with symbols and designs emblematic of the transition to his new life.
The party then ... the temple hosts the whole family and the couple for the ceremony. The costumes are part of the celebration, women sing continuously. The bride and groom, after vows, receive a second name in recognition of their union. Then waits for a meal throughout the hearing and ending at dawn …
The administration:
The Tahitian wedding is a traditional Polynesian wedding. For couples wanting a civil ceremony at City Hall, it is essential to reside for a month at least in Polynesia. The civil ceremony takes place at City Hall the same day two hours before the ceremony at the Tiki Village. Some documents (From birth, residence certificate, etc. ...), must be received in advance.
Then, a large procession is made, during which the couple is transported by four warriors on the royal chair. Regarding civil marriage, the couple went to the hall with two witnesses and sign a register.
Where the marriage takes place?
In an exotic Tahitian village... The wedding ceremony is conducted by the village chief and high priest, musicians and villagers. Beautiful necklaces and wreaths of flowers are offered to the couple. A valuable certificate traditional wedding Tapa (bark of the breadfruit tree) is then assigned them, Mamas A choir sang throughout the ceremony while the Tahitian dance.
The costume...!!
- 1 more (skirt) - 1 cap - 1 titi coconut (bra coconut) - 2 tassels wrist - 1 shell necklace
Made from plant fibers (from the bark of purau), the more is embellished accessories and ornaments from the natural environment Polynesian (pearl, shells, etc..). Colors and decorations may vary from one model to another according to inspiration and creativity of the artisan.
What happen before and after the marriage?
Getting engaged is the most common method to establish contracts among the heads or upper classes of society. When agreement is reached, the betrothal is celebrated. The two families then planted a branch of ti (typical hedge) in front of their houses, making the sacred promise. The morning of marriage, family and friends of the bride go with the groom. Depending on the distance, the procession will be by walk or by canoes, built specially for the event. Once arrived at destination, the parents of the bride give gifts of marriage.
The next day the couple went to the marae (place of worship and social life, it is a small square) for a religious ceremony. The blessing of the Gods was very important in Polynesian culture. At this time of the marriage, the bride and groom donned traditional costumes. It is generally held white light, with feather headdresses and necklaces of shells and flowers. The ceremony was punctuated with dances and traditional songs. It is followed by a banquet which will gather around the two families and mutual friends. More the buffet is large and sumptuous, more the family will see better.
Most of the time, many extras in costumes, participate in the festival. Songs, dances and various percussion group are to go to the delight of revelers. The party ends around a banquet worthy of the name where you can taste some specialties aside for this moment of the life.
The finances...
Marriage is funded by the couple together and the 2 married parents involved in organizing the ceremony and take over part of its cost.
