Marriage Customs in Hindu and Chinese Religion or Culture - Essay Example

Marriage Customs in Hindu and Chinese Religion or Culture Are marriages arranged in Hindu and Chinese religion or culture? In Hindu religion or culture, marriages substantiate several kinds of marriages ranging from the known arranged marriages to the rare ones that involve forced marriages through abduction. Arranged marriages in Hindu entail the use of astrological charts at the time of birth where the sons and daughters intended to find their match with the help of a priest (Blindloss & Brash, 2008). In Chinese tradition, arranged marriages were commonplace where parents and elders of the two families consented in order to establish a union. In the contemporary times, individuals may consent and inform the parents, or they may opt to forego informing the parents. Were they ever arranged? In Hindu and Chinese custom, marriages were arranged by a third party such as a parent or a priest in case of the Hindus. In both traditions, the third party would consent without involving the spouses. In both customs, arranged marriages have been propelled by various factors such as late marriages, child marriages, religion, wealth and inheritance issues and poverty. Children end up in arranged marriages as they cannot make an informed choice regarding matrimonial issues. In both customs, poverty has played a major role to perpetuate arranged marriages. Late marriages have invariably made many individuals mull the idea of arranged marriages, as it remains the most productive option. In Hindu and Chinese religion, arranged marriages have been condoned thus encouraging many individuals to uphold the practice. Are you free to choose your own mate? In both Hindu and Chinese traditions, love has played a major role in enabling individuals to make a free choice in mate selection. Unlike the traditional approach in both the Hindu and Chinese customs where marriages were determined by a third party, the contemporary societies in both customs are allowing individuals to make an informed choice in terms of selecting ones mate in regards to their level of love (Oh & EBooks Corporation, 2007). In both Hindu and Chinese societies, the passage of legislation that permit lawful divorces have augmented the free will of individuals in selecting their mates. The divorce laws allow individuals to live with their mates that they have freely chosen without being coerced by any external factors. What traditions, if any, exist around courtship in Hindu and Chinese marriages? In Hindu marriages, colorful wedding ceremonies known as vivaahsanskar have dominated throughout history and it is still being condoned in the modern times. The colorful wedding ceremonies are characterized by various rituals that include Kanyadaan, which involves the giving away of the daughter by the father. In addition there is, the Panigrahana a ritual performed in the presence of fire where the groom accepts the hand of the bride in order to signify their union. In addition, the Saptapadi that marks the most potent part of the rituals as the practice involves the vows made by both the groom and the bride (Brockway, 2010). In Chinese, marriages dowry payment has persisted to the recent times whereby the groom pay to the bride’s family items ranging from jewelry and land to money that can purchase a collection of clothing and sewing machines. Is it okay to live together without marriage in Hindu and Chinese customs? In Hindu custom and tradition, marriage is viewed as a sacred relationship that aims at procreation and continuation of family lineage. In 1955, this view took a new turn when the Hindu marriage act incorporated succession and adoption in Hindu marriages thereby enabling individuals to live with one another without a marriage. There is no restriction when individuals opt to live together without marriage in Hindu. The notion is true if both parties do not have a spouse living outside the union, if both consenting individuals have attained the age of twenty- one years where they can make informed consensus and if the parties are not prohibited by law to be together. With the drastic transitions that have occurred in the Chinese custom, young people are increasingly living together without marriage. The trend has risen out of the changes in the thinking of the Chinese citizenry thus enabling free love that may lead individuals to live together without a marriage to be popular. If the marriage is in the cards, how long does the typical engagement last in Hindu and Chinese custom? In Hindu custom, the typical engagement may last for few months before the marriage take place. The engagement marks a formal announcement of the looming marriage and the inception of the planning of the wedding ceremony. During the engagement period, the engaged couples are referred as bride and groom though they do not become so until the pre- wedding day that happens the day before the marriage ceremony. Engagement in Chinese custom lasted up to three months or earlier in which a Chinese monk or a temple fortuneteller would select the auspicious date of the wedding (Lonely Planet Publications Firm, 2010). The engagement period in Chinese custom, therefore, depend on the selected date of the wedding that is derived from the couple’s birth dates and times. What is the wedding like in Hindu and Chinese custom? In Hindu custom, interpretations of wedding ceremony may vary depending on the region, which the ceremony a distinct version from each other. In many occasions when two Hindus from a different background marries, they bring in all the regional variations to the wedding ceremony. In Hindu wedding ceremony, all the rituals and practices have a philosophical meaning and purpose that is performed in Sanskrit language that remains as the most ancient and surviving language. The wedding ceremony may take three colorful days that involve a henna tattoo known as mehndi and a group dance for everyone interested called garba. In Chinese custom, the groom and the groomsmen decorate the cars in the early morning of the wedding day and drive to the bride’s home. On arrival, the bridesmaids prepare several tricky questions for the groom to answer after which the groom may perform acts of fitness such as push- ups to prove to the congregation that he is strong to take care for the bride. The last test entails a financial test where the groom pays ‘red packets’ that signifies good fortune. Afterwards, the groom and his team enter the bride’s house to pick her (Wiesner- Hanks, 2011). Once in the bride’s family, the couple would serve tea to the seniors beginning with the bride’s parents during which the relative offer presents such as jewelry to the couple. The wedding ceremony is culminated with a wedding banquet that involves ceremonial feast and partying. What expectations are placed on the couple by friends and family in Hindu and Chinese customs? In both the Hindu and Chinese customs, friends and family expect the couples to live peacefully, procreate and uphold their cultural background. They are expected to continue their family lineage and protect their siblings by providing medication, shelter, education and food. Instances of separation are not encouraged by friends and family in both customs. How have traditions been impacted by immigration in Hindu and Chinese custom? In both the Hindu and Chinese custom, immigration has influenced the belief system and ritual practices. In their effort to adapt in a new country, many immigrates have established religious institutions that teach their religious doctrines that adhere to their belief systems. The immigrates have carried with them many ritual objects that create symbolic meaning to their beliefs. As the traditions of Hindu and Chinese live in such a diversified culture brought by immigrates, their traditions are either assimilated or changed to accommodate the variations. Are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples welcomed as readily as heterosexual couples? In the Hindu custom, sexuality is rarely discussed in open though lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples are not regarded as religious sinful people thereby welcoming these couples as readily as the heterosexual couples. Chinese custom does not readily welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples as it does to the heterosexual couples (Scott, 2012). The notion is solidified by the absence of any legislation that supports same sex marriages in China. In Chinese custom, same sex marriages are understood as having no legal foundation and the families of such couples disregard the union, which makes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples unaccepted in Chinese custom. Reference Bindloss, J., & Brash, C. (2008). Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang.Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet. Brockway, L. S. (2010). Your interfaith wedding: A guide to blending faiths, cultures, and personal values into one beautiful wedding ceremony.Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Lonely Planet Publications (Firm).(2010). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei.Hawthorn, Vic: Lonely Planet. Oh, I., &Ebooks Corporation. (2007). The Rights of God: Islam, Human Rights, and Comparative Ethics. Washington: Georgetown University Press. Scott, J. S. (2012). The religions of Canadians. North York, Ont: University of Toronto Press. Wiesner- Hanks, M, E (2011). Gender in History: Global Perspectives. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Read More