Van Ginnip's notion of ‘Rites of Passage’ talks about marriage and the matric dance is seen as a stepping stone towards the future as well as marriage in a sense of choosing the ‘right’ partner. Marriage ceremonies and traditions take place as do certain traditions and ceremonies take place leading up to the matric dance, ie choosing the perfect dress, partner, the arrival at dance and family celebrations before dance etc. As marriage is seen as an essentially social act so too is the matric dance also seen as. As marriage so to does the matric dance have an economic aspect. Before marriage families have to approve the partner of the other. After, parents approve of the couple before going to matric dance. As marriage of 18 year olds, in African traditions, are seen a step into adulthood so to is the matric dance given such importance. The way marriage ceremonies are seen as analogous so to are matric dance ceremonies seen. As marriage establishes girls and boys in the category of sexually adult women and men so to does matric dance seem to signify.
The pressure of the matric ball immense especially on women, with pressure related to the dress, partner, hair and make-up, car and entrance, as to related to wedding pressure. Social expectations have to be met, thus going into an substantial amount of debt for the ‘big night’. The before and after party, as traditions before and after marriage, are quite important, where before is seen for family and the after for friends where alcohol is important. The matric ball is seen as a more “quaint” event, as a marriage ceremony, and not ones usual “riff-raff” party, which is usually the after party. It is seen as a male-female event- not a place for homosexuality as marriage is mostly seen....
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...s, and the reasons and objects involved in them, may vary with type of family that is to be constituted.
Marriage always has an economic aspect, of varying importance, and the acts of an economic importance.
When all rites are paid, a feast is organized for close relatives. In most cultural traditions the boy has to meet the girl and her family to ask for her hand in marriage. After procession, bride and groom see each other in complete freedom.
At present, marriage is celebrated among the Kol between the ages of 16 and 18 for boys, and 14 and 16 for girls. Often the future husband is put through trials.
The fact that marriage ceremonies may be analogous and are sometimes identical in every detail, so too is the matric dance.
Marriage establishes the girl and boy in the category of socially adult men and women, so to does the matric dance similarly establishes this.
Considering descendants’ effort to bring this culture back in society, this entire dancing performance, masks, and the idea of interacting with the outside world must not have been merely correlated to their religious and spiritual ritual. It might have been their identity; a symbolic of their society which their ancestors had built and passed down to them.
The concept of marriage has been considered to be a sacred and traditional part of life since the beginning of relationships between human beings. The rules of these intimate relationships were set up in accordance with church law. Such rules consisted of the conventional/typical marriage and the ritual of marriage (ceremony). William Shakespeare examines the customs of marriage practice of the Renaissance time period in his work As You Like It.
...a connection then prior almost a bonding of two families. As we get into the meaning behind certain practices and gifts we can see that they aren’t just for the future couple but many processes and meaning are behind them.
...s how much freedom people have with weddings and wedding traditions in this day of age.
Differences in culture make country has its own traditional customs. Wedding, an extremely important event on one's life, has specific ritual observances. However, thanks to the cultural exchange, Vietnam wedding customs and those of a foreign country – America, have both similarities and differences.
Tradition is a strong component in the institution of marriage. The ideal American dream usually involves the perfect fairy-tale wedding with the gorgeous white wedding dress for the bride, the matching bridesmaids, the well-arranged bouquet and the numerous rituals that compose this well thought-out event. Usually it requires a great amount of planning, devotion and dollars to make the important day memorable. Family and friends come together to rejoice in the vows that will bond the two lovers into a lifetime journey of love, commitment and fidelity. Each person in the couple is expected to have a role in this institution. According to Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee, “in the idealized form of the older model of traditional marriage, the man’s primary job for self-definition is to provide for the economic well-being, protection, and stability of his family ...The woman’s job and self-definition”, on the other hand, continue Wallerstein and Blakeslee, “is to care for her husband and children and to create a comfortable home that nourishes everyone, particularly her husband, who comes home each evening drained by the demands of his job (211).” With a constantly changing society, the concept of marriage has also varied. The “quickie” Vegas drive-through wedding or the underwater vow exchange is not as unusual or shocking as it once was. Even the roles of the persons involved have changed to fit the shape of society’s needs. For example the modern “companionate marriage” which is “founded on the couple’s shared beliefs that men and women are equal partners in all spheres of life and that their roles, including those of marriage, are completely interchangeable (Wallerstein, Blakeslee 155).
A traditional white gown/ ball dress is worn by the bride. She usually has a vial and carries a bouquet of flowers in her hand.
Making up the two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, both look at marriage as a major part of one’s life journey. Thus the idea that the sacred ritual of marriage in both Christianity and Islam are full of rich symbolism, ceremony and grounded in religious and cultural traditions, can be explored. However, the ritual of marriage differentiates between Christianity and Islam, as Christianity is founded on deep symbolic meaning and religious tradition in contrast to the culturally rich marriage ceremony found in Islam. This can be further investigated through an in depth analysis of the ceremony, symbols, religious and cultural traditions involved in the ritual of marriage.
What is a wedding? Almost all would agree that a wedding is a ceremony representing the union of two becoming one in marriage. Although, it is hardly possible to understand a wedding if the definition of marriage is unclear. Marriage is significantly harder to define because the motives behind marriage are multiple and differ between every person on earth. While some marry because culture holds one as insignificant or incomplete living life singly, some marriages are pre-arranged by parents; one may marry for financial stability while others marry for social status; many marry because of a feeling associated with a person that one cannot imagine life without, while many also marry because they enjoy spending time with someone. While the intentions
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen shows examples of how most marriages were not always for love but more as a formal agreement arranged by the two families. Marriage was seen a holy matrimony for two people but living happil...
This research will show how dance is and should be more encouraged as a form of adoration. The dances of the Old Testament were not a personal pleasure as a means of showing enthusiasm, they were full of gesticulations, violent leaps, or hopping in a circle, rather than graceful poses or soft rhythmic movement (MacDonald, 45). That type of movement characterized Jewish dances both of ancient and medieval times (MacDonald, 45).
...wedding have similarities and differences. Even though they are celebrated by different cultures it ends up meaning two people end up getting married. The ceremonies might be different but it is similar to each other in the way that both end up with a newly wed couple. Learning about this open my eyes on how people celebrate their weddings and how beautiful it must be to see how each culture celebrates a wedding.
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between various wedding customs that are prevalent in different continents of the world. The essay sheds light on culturally diverse traditions that originate in different parts of the world. It is the wide variety or cultural conventions that give each nation or tribe a unique identity. Every culture has ...
...church, a courthouse, or a wedding venue. Both bride and groom exchange wedding rings and kiss before the witnesses and their families. Flowers are thrown at the newlyweds when they leave the place of ceremony. The banquet party happens in a restaurant where the bride’s and groom’s families, their relatives, and guests are sharing their joy and celebration. Dancing in the party is the loveliest part of the American wedding culture and happens at every American wedding. In addition, at the end of my husband’s coworker wedding party, I saw the guests enjoyed dancing happily around the newlyweds until late in the night to share the joy of happiness to the newlyweds.
He usually arrives dressed in his wedding attire on the back of a horse, or sometimes on the back of an elephant. “The wedding altar (mandapa) is built the day of and the groom is welcomed by his future mother in law where his feet are then washed and he is offered milk and honey. His sister in law will attempt to steal his shoes and if she succeeds, the groom must pay her to get them back” (beau-coup.com). At the wedding venue the bride waits for the groom in a room covered in garland, when the groom arrives they exchange garland. After this, the brides family will welcome the grooms family to the wedding. Like Christian weddings, the father of the bride gives the bride away at the wedding, this is called a Kanyadaan. A priest will facilitate the marriage by reciting mantras or holy hymns, but the bride and groom marry each other. The bride and groom are considered married when the groom ties a thread that symbolizes his vow to care for the bride. He ties it in three knots that symbolizes the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Masheshwara. The ceremony takes place around a fire and the god, Agni is considered the witness to the union. “The bride and the groom then circle the fire seven times, in a clockwise direction, called Saat Phere which signifies seven goals of married life which include religious and moral duties, prosperity, spiritual salvation and liberation, and sensual gratification” (Gullapalli