Showing posts with label Wedding Traditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedding Traditions. Show all posts
Wedding Traditions : Malay
Labels: Wedding Traditions
Malay weddings are culturally rich with meaningful ceremonies.
Merisik
Merisik literally means 'to spy' in Bahasa Melayu. In this ritual, the parents of the groom send a relative to the prospective bride's house to seek permission and blessings for the marriage. The parents of the bride do the same for the groom. The groom and bride are not present. During the merisik, both sets of parents also discuss the dowry and date of the wedding ceremony. This practise stemmed from the days when it would have been deemed inapproriate for the members of the opposite sex to meet (or date) before marriage.
Bertunang
Once both sets of parents agree to the marriage, the next step is to have the bertunang (engagement) ceremony. The groom's parents send the engagement ring and the dowry (hantaran) to the bride-to-be's home. The hantaran consists of a change of clothes for the bride, money, betel nut, sireh, sweets and pastries to sgnify a sweet married life for the couple.
Akad Nikah
This ceremony, where the kadi solemnises the wedding, takes place at the bride's home. The groom has to repeat the Ijab Kahbul (a contract that binds the bride to the groom) once to the father of the bride and a second time to the kadi.
The Bersanding
On the big day, the groom is escorted by a kampung procession to the bride's house where he is treated to a silat (a form of martial arts) performance before being ushered into the bride's home. The bride and groom are then invited to sit on a beautifully decorated dais called the pelamin. Once seated on the pelamin, the couple are blessed with tepung tawar by the relatives and guests, with wishes for a happy marriage and many children.
After the blessing ceremony, the couple called Raja Sehari, feed each other yellow glutinous rice to symbolise the unity of the newlyweds. (It is believe that the term Raja sehari - King and Queen for a day - dates back to the melaka Sultanate when there was a legal ruling that allowed newlyweds to dress is richly, like kings and queens just for the day)
Makan berdamai
Both the bride and groom's family then sit down together for a meal called makan berdamai. It literally means to 'eat in peace' as it is symbolically the first both the bride and groom have a meal together.
Merisik
Merisik literally means 'to spy' in Bahasa Melayu. In this ritual, the parents of the groom send a relative to the prospective bride's house to seek permission and blessings for the marriage. The parents of the bride do the same for the groom. The groom and bride are not present. During the merisik, both sets of parents also discuss the dowry and date of the wedding ceremony. This practise stemmed from the days when it would have been deemed inapproriate for the members of the opposite sex to meet (or date) before marriage.
Bertunang
Once both sets of parents agree to the marriage, the next step is to have the bertunang (engagement) ceremony. The groom's parents send the engagement ring and the dowry (hantaran) to the bride-to-be's home. The hantaran consists of a change of clothes for the bride, money, betel nut, sireh, sweets and pastries to sgnify a sweet married life for the couple.
Akad Nikah
This ceremony, where the kadi solemnises the wedding, takes place at the bride's home. The groom has to repeat the Ijab Kahbul (a contract that binds the bride to the groom) once to the father of the bride and a second time to the kadi.
The Bersanding
On the big day, the groom is escorted by a kampung procession to the bride's house where he is treated to a silat (a form of martial arts) performance before being ushered into the bride's home. The bride and groom are then invited to sit on a beautifully decorated dais called the pelamin. Once seated on the pelamin, the couple are blessed with tepung tawar by the relatives and guests, with wishes for a happy marriage and many children.
After the blessing ceremony, the couple called Raja Sehari, feed each other yellow glutinous rice to symbolise the unity of the newlyweds. (It is believe that the term Raja sehari - King and Queen for a day - dates back to the melaka Sultanate when there was a legal ruling that allowed newlyweds to dress is richly, like kings and queens just for the day)
Makan berdamai
Both the bride and groom's family then sit down together for a meal called makan berdamai. It literally means to 'eat in peace' as it is symbolically the first both the bride and groom have a meal together.
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Wedding Traditions : Tamil
Labels: Wedding Traditions
Indian weddings are usually held in temples.
Checking the astrology
Arranged marriages are still common among the Indian community although love matches are on the rise. For Hindus, consulting the astrologer to check the couple's astrology charts to see whether the couple are compatible is a must. If everything matches, they are given the go-ahead and the couple then prepare for the engagement.
Parisam (The Engagement)
The Parisam announces the betrothal of the couple to friends and relatives. At the ceremony, the groom arrives with seven platters containing different gifts, including jewellery, for the bride.
The bride's family then match the amount of jewellery from the groom., but it is all given to the bride. Agreements on the wedding date and the dowry (if there's any) are reached on that day. After the date is fixed, wedding cards are personally hand delivered to close relatives and friends.
Thirumanam (Wedding Ceremony)
The wedding cere,pny is usually held in a hall or temple and the service of a Prokithar or priest is required to solemnise the wedding. First, the groom is summoned to sit on the manavarai where the marriage is conducted. (In nearly all Hindu weddings, the marriage ceremony is conducted while the couple are seated on the floor). Accompanied by his best friend or brother-in-law, he sits while the priest conducts prayers. After the prayers, the groom washes the feet of his parents to show his filial piety and after more prayers he is then led away while the bride is brought in and undergoes the same ceremony. After the ceremony, she is given a sari (which has been blessed during the prayers), bought by the groom's family. The bride then leaves to change into this new sari.
Three married women are then invited to tie a yellow thali (string) to a tree in the temple. This symbolic act is to wish the newly-weds a happy and prosperous life.
Then to the accompaniment of musicians, both the bride and groom finally sit together on the manavarai. The groom sits on the left while the bride sits on the right. This sitting arrangement means they are not married yet. The parents of the bride and groom then axchange sandalwood, to show their acknowledgement of their new son and daughter. Later, they also distribute grains of rice to their guests which will be thrown on the couple when the thali is tied.
When the groom ties the thali around the bride's neck, he ties three knots on the thali to symbolise that this woman is already married. Husband and wife then change their seating arrangement - he sits on the right and she on the left.
The bride and groom then walk around the manavarai three times. After that the groom places the minji (toe ring) on his bride's foot, another declaration of her married status. This practice comes from the old days when women walked around with downcast eyes. A minji on a man's toe indicated to the women that he is married.
The newlyweds then sit on the wedding dais to receive gifts from the guests. After the ceremony, the bride goes back to the groom's house to start new life as a wife. Three days after the ceremony, the bride and her husband are invited back to her parents' house. A reception is held there, where the bride's mother presents her with household appliances and cooking utensils to wish her a happy wedded life.
Checking the astrology
Arranged marriages are still common among the Indian community although love matches are on the rise. For Hindus, consulting the astrologer to check the couple's astrology charts to see whether the couple are compatible is a must. If everything matches, they are given the go-ahead and the couple then prepare for the engagement.
Parisam (The Engagement)
The Parisam announces the betrothal of the couple to friends and relatives. At the ceremony, the groom arrives with seven platters containing different gifts, including jewellery, for the bride.
The bride's family then match the amount of jewellery from the groom., but it is all given to the bride. Agreements on the wedding date and the dowry (if there's any) are reached on that day. After the date is fixed, wedding cards are personally hand delivered to close relatives and friends.
Thirumanam (Wedding Ceremony)
The wedding cere,pny is usually held in a hall or temple and the service of a Prokithar or priest is required to solemnise the wedding. First, the groom is summoned to sit on the manavarai where the marriage is conducted. (In nearly all Hindu weddings, the marriage ceremony is conducted while the couple are seated on the floor). Accompanied by his best friend or brother-in-law, he sits while the priest conducts prayers. After the prayers, the groom washes the feet of his parents to show his filial piety and after more prayers he is then led away while the bride is brought in and undergoes the same ceremony. After the ceremony, she is given a sari (which has been blessed during the prayers), bought by the groom's family. The bride then leaves to change into this new sari.
Three married women are then invited to tie a yellow thali (string) to a tree in the temple. This symbolic act is to wish the newly-weds a happy and prosperous life.
Then to the accompaniment of musicians, both the bride and groom finally sit together on the manavarai. The groom sits on the left while the bride sits on the right. This sitting arrangement means they are not married yet. The parents of the bride and groom then axchange sandalwood, to show their acknowledgement of their new son and daughter. Later, they also distribute grains of rice to their guests which will be thrown on the couple when the thali is tied.
When the groom ties the thali around the bride's neck, he ties three knots on the thali to symbolise that this woman is already married. Husband and wife then change their seating arrangement - he sits on the right and she on the left.
The bride and groom then walk around the manavarai three times. After that the groom places the minji (toe ring) on his bride's foot, another declaration of her married status. This practice comes from the old days when women walked around with downcast eyes. A minji on a man's toe indicated to the women that he is married.
The newlyweds then sit on the wedding dais to receive gifts from the guests. After the ceremony, the bride goes back to the groom's house to start new life as a wife. Three days after the ceremony, the bride and her husband are invited back to her parents' house. A reception is held there, where the bride's mother presents her with household appliances and cooking utensils to wish her a happy wedded life.
Marrying Tradition : Chinese
Labels: Wedding Traditions
Most Chinese wedding are heavily laden with symbolism that wish the couple a happy life together that is filled with luck and prosperity and many children.
The hair-combing ceremony
The hair-combing ceremony is held the night before the wedding day, between 11pm and 1am. It is performed simultaneously on the bride and groom in their respective homes.
In each home, a married lady who has had a good life and many children is chosen to perform the ceremony. While combing the hair, the ladies performing the ceremony chant three auspicious phrases to bless the about-to-married person with everlasting love, many children and prosperity.
After the ceremony, everyone is served glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) in sweet syrup. This signifies the sweet life the couple will have after their wedding.
Picking up the bride
On the big day, the groom has to arrive at the bride's home at an auspicious time. In the old days, most marriages were arranged and the couple would not have met till this ceremony. this ceremony gave an opportunity for the bride's friends and relatives to get to know the groom.
During the ritual, the bride's friends tease the groom and he has to win the bride by performing certain feats. Nowadays, the groom is made to do things like eating wasabi and chilli to show his love for the bride. All this is done in good fun.
The tea ceremony
The tea ceremony is held twice. Once in the bride's home and then again in the groom's home. During the tea ceremony, the newly-weds present the bride with gifts such as gold, jewellery and money. After that, children of the household serve tea to the couple, who give them 'lucky money' (ang pow).
The idea behind the tea ceremony is to introduce the bride and groom to their respective families. Jewellery and money given during the ceremony is kept by the bride as traditionally women did not own any property or valuables. So, any money and jewellery from the wedding is hers to keep.
The bridal chamber
When the couple enter the bridal chamber in the groom's house, they will be greeted with a spread of sweets and fruits on the marital bed. These items consist of dried longan, red dates, lotus seeds and sweets. There is a reason why these items are chosen.
The red dates & lotus seeds: symbolises the hope for a male heir
The sweets: signify a happy and sweet life
Another tradition that has survived to this day is the filing in of a chamber port with the same food items and sealing it with red paper. When the couple enters the room, a young boy is instructed to tear the red paper on the pot, and reach in and take out the items - this is suppose to ensure that the couple soon have many children.
Going back to the bride's home
After visitng her marital home, the bride changes out of her wedding dress for the return trip to her own home. The bride and groom are then treated as guests in the bride's home. The couple also brings back gifts such as apples with them. Apples are popular because the sound like "peace" in Mandarin.
The hair-combing ceremony
The hair-combing ceremony is held the night before the wedding day, between 11pm and 1am. It is performed simultaneously on the bride and groom in their respective homes.
In each home, a married lady who has had a good life and many children is chosen to perform the ceremony. While combing the hair, the ladies performing the ceremony chant three auspicious phrases to bless the about-to-married person with everlasting love, many children and prosperity.
After the ceremony, everyone is served glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) in sweet syrup. This signifies the sweet life the couple will have after their wedding.
Picking up the bride
On the big day, the groom has to arrive at the bride's home at an auspicious time. In the old days, most marriages were arranged and the couple would not have met till this ceremony. this ceremony gave an opportunity for the bride's friends and relatives to get to know the groom.
During the ritual, the bride's friends tease the groom and he has to win the bride by performing certain feats. Nowadays, the groom is made to do things like eating wasabi and chilli to show his love for the bride. All this is done in good fun.
The tea ceremony
The tea ceremony is held twice. Once in the bride's home and then again in the groom's home. During the tea ceremony, the newly-weds present the bride with gifts such as gold, jewellery and money. After that, children of the household serve tea to the couple, who give them 'lucky money' (ang pow).
The idea behind the tea ceremony is to introduce the bride and groom to their respective families. Jewellery and money given during the ceremony is kept by the bride as traditionally women did not own any property or valuables. So, any money and jewellery from the wedding is hers to keep.
The bridal chamber
When the couple enter the bridal chamber in the groom's house, they will be greeted with a spread of sweets and fruits on the marital bed. These items consist of dried longan, red dates, lotus seeds and sweets. There is a reason why these items are chosen.
The red dates & lotus seeds: symbolises the hope for a male heir
The sweets: signify a happy and sweet life
Another tradition that has survived to this day is the filing in of a chamber port with the same food items and sealing it with red paper. When the couple enters the room, a young boy is instructed to tear the red paper on the pot, and reach in and take out the items - this is suppose to ensure that the couple soon have many children.
Going back to the bride's home
After visitng her marital home, the bride changes out of her wedding dress for the return trip to her own home. The bride and groom are then treated as guests in the bride's home. The couple also brings back gifts such as apples with them. Apples are popular because the sound like "peace" in Mandarin.
How To Make Shorter Legs Look Longer In Photos
Labels: Advice, Tips, Wedding Traditions
How To Make Shorter Legs Look Longer In Photos
Do you have short legs and a long torso? Or do you simply have short legs. For the illusions of height the photographer will normally place the camera slightly below the waist but above the knee level to capture an 'extended' body.
Another tip is placing props in the background on lower points so that you appear taller in comparison.
The dress that you wear can also make a huge difference as well. High heels are essential too.
Source: Female Brides
Do you have short legs and a long torso? Or do you simply have short legs. For the illusions of height the photographer will normally place the camera slightly below the waist but above the knee level to capture an 'extended' body.
Another tip is placing props in the background on lower points so that you appear taller in comparison.
The dress that you wear can also make a huge difference as well. High heels are essential too.
Source: Female Brides
How To Make Wide Waist Look Smaller In Photos
Labels: Advice, Tips, Wedding Traditions
How To Make Wide Waist Look Smaller In Photos
Think your waist area is somewhat horizontally challenged or that your bulging tummy bears a scary resemblance to your fiance's beer paunch? The common perception is that the camera adds on 4.5 kg. If this is true, then you could be in trouble. Fortunately, this is true only when you are standing in certain positions.
The bride should stand at a certain angle. Do not stand facing the camera head-on. Instead, stand at 45 degree sideway angle to slim down the body. As for an obvious tummy, the photographer will usually advise the bride to breathe in and hold right before they click the camera.
Another optical illusion that you can try on is leaning backwards. Remember that the object closer to the camera will seem larger. Stand with one leg forward and place your weight on your back foot. Your waist area will appear smaller comparison to your lower body.
Source: Female Brides
Think your waist area is somewhat horizontally challenged or that your bulging tummy bears a scary resemblance to your fiance's beer paunch? The common perception is that the camera adds on 4.5 kg. If this is true, then you could be in trouble. Fortunately, this is true only when you are standing in certain positions.
The bride should stand at a certain angle. Do not stand facing the camera head-on. Instead, stand at 45 degree sideway angle to slim down the body. As for an obvious tummy, the photographer will usually advise the bride to breathe in and hold right before they click the camera.
Another optical illusion that you can try on is leaning backwards. Remember that the object closer to the camera will seem larger. Stand with one leg forward and place your weight on your back foot. Your waist area will appear smaller comparison to your lower body.
Source: Female Brides
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