Asian Pre-Wedding

Traditions
Odytyas F.A.D. Valkenburg – 203010002
Ajeng Ayu Ambarwaty – 203010009
China
The hair combing ceremony is conducted the
day before the wedding. Female family
members will comb the bride and groom’s
hair four times and recite blessings:
-with the first combing, be blessed to be
together to the end
-with the second combing, be blessed with a
hundred years of harmony in marriage
-with the third combing, be blessed with a
houseful of children and grandchildren
-with the fourth combing, be blessed with
longevity
Sang Jit
This procession is an important procession in
the wedding ceremony of every couple of
Chinese descent. The right time to do sangjit
can be consulted with parents who
understand calendar issues. Sangjit is usually
held between 1 month and 1 week before
the wedding reception and takes place
during the day between 10.00 to 13.00 WIB
followed by lunch.
Preparation by the prospective groom's
family.Sangjit offers 12 trays of items which
will later be handed over to the prospective
bride's family.
Liauw Tiaa Ceremony
(Bachelorette Party)
This ceremony is held the evening before the
wedding ceremony is held the next day. This
ceremony was attended by friends of the
bride and groom and held at the bride's
house. Preparations:
- Party room at the bride's residence.
- An interesting event arrangement.
- Food and drinks for the guests.
Tujia
Tujia is a minority group in China.
For a month before the wedding, the bride will cry for an hour every day. After the first 10 days, her mother joins her. After
another 10 days, her grandmother joins her. By the wedding day, every female member of the family is crying with the bride.
It’s supposed to symbolize joy, and they will cry in different tones to create a song.
Yugur
Yugur is another ethnic minority in China.
On the day of the wedding, the bride goes to
the groom’s house on a white horse. The
bride’s family goes to the groom’s house and
‘attacks’ the bridal chamber. The groom’s
family ‘protects’ the chamber.
The groom will then shoot his bride with
arrows before the wedding—although for
safety reasons the arrows have had their
heads removed. Afterwards the groom
collects the arrows and break them to show
their undying love.
Korea
On the wedding day, before the real
ceremony begins, the groom will place a
pair wild geese on a table and bow
twice to his mother-in-law. The mother-
in-law will then take the geese into the
house. This symbolizes a promise for
everlasting marriage, since wild geese
mate for life. In modern times the wild
geese are replaced with wooden ones.
India
In India it is considered bad luck if you’re a
‘Manglik’—when you’re born when Mars and
Saturn are under the 7th house. It is said that
when a ‘Manglik’ marries, their spouse will
die young. To counter the curse, the person
who is a ‘Manglik’ will ‘marry’ a tree, which
will then be cut down, effectively fulfilling
the curse.
Thailand
On the morning of the wedding,
the bride and groom invite an
odd number of monks—it is
recommended to invite nine
since nine is a very lucky number
in Thai culture—and serve them
food. The monks will pray for the
couple and bless them before the
wedding ceremony starts.
The ceremony has to be held in
the morning and finish no later
than 12 PM, because the monks
are not allowed to eat after noon.
khong man kwan
an event where the couple gives gifts to parents and close family to show gratitude and show that they are ready to start a new
life together.
Sin Sod
“Sin Sod”, or Thai dowry, is supposed to be
given by the groom to the bride’s family so as
to be repaid for the loss of their daughter.
This assures the Sin Sod family that the
groom is financially able to support and care
for their daughter and is expected in the Thai
culture.
rod nam sang
yang dilakukan sebelum pernikahan. Rod
nam sang merupakan tradisi dimana
pengantin pria memberikan uang kepada
pengantin wanita sebagai simbol bahwa ia
siap untuk membiayai kebutuhan hidup
mereka di masa depan.
Some cultures share the same
ideas…
Don’t Look!
In many Asian cultures, like in
Western cultures, it is considered
inappropriate or unlucky for the
bride and groom to see each other
on the day or night before the
wedding. This can be found in
Chinese, Indian, and Filipino
cultures among others. For the
duration of the Midodareni
ceremony in Javanese weddings,
the bride is not allowed outside her
room.
Sticky Foods
After the Chinese hair-combing ceremony,
the bride and groom will eat a sweet dessert
soup with sticky rice dumplings made from
glutinous rice.
In the Philippines, the newlywed couple will
be served a plate of sticky rice cakes.
In Java part of the ceremony is to eat
tumpeng, also made from sticky rice. Malay
Bunga Bale also has sticky rice.
All the sticky foods are meant to symbolize a
lasting marriage—that the bride and groom
will stick together.
Henna Night
Many Hindu, Muslim and Sikh cultures share the same tradition, namely applying henna on the day before the wedding. This is
done in India, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Padang, among many other cultures.
The henna is believed to ward off evil, aid with fertility, and attract positive energy.
Stealing Shoes
In India and Pakistan, among other countries,
often the family of the bride will ‘steal’ the
groom’s shoes as soon as he takes them off
before the ceremony and ‘hide’ them. The
groom and his family will ‘look’ for the
missing shoes after the ceremony. When they
can’t find it, they will ask the bride’s family.
The bride’s family will then demand money in
return for the shoes.
In another variation, the shoes stolen at the
beginning will be a cheap pair, and the shoes
returned after payment will be a better pair.
This is all just for fun and games, and shows
the willingness of both families to share their
future together.
Firecrackers
In Vietnamese and Chinese weddings, firecrackers are
set off before and during the wedding ceremony,
since it is believed that the noise and light will keep
evil spirits away and give good luck.