Our Cultural Heritage: Wedding-Ceremony - Essay Example

Irshad Ahmad Order # 739386 Academia-Research.Com October 29, Wedding-Ceremony, Our Cultural Heritage Cultural Heritage is important to the society. It is vital to the family as well because ‘family’ is an unavoidable institution of the society. To me, the meanings of ‘Cultural Heritage’ equaled to nothing till the day came when I had to open yet a new door of my life: this was the day of my wedding. In my memories, my Wedding Ceremony occupies the most important position due to the interesting and heart-touching ritual. I termed it ‘most important’ because it had to cast a shadow on the whole of my life. It was the first brick that I based for building my new life. The Ceremony featured a rich composition of Folk-Music, singing songs, dancing traditional dance and the shows of local arts. These festivities date back to the past, hence, speaking of the majesty of our traditions. Wedding was, as is the custom, carried out after a proper procedure in which the groom is chosen for the bride either by the bride herself or her family. The procedure is interesting and appealing to the heart. The groom goes to the bride’s parents’ house and demands for their daughter’s hand. The parents demand ransom in return. Ransom is offered by the groom. It is usually something costly like jewels or diamonds etc. for the bride. In the meanwhile, bride is ritually protected by her maids from getting stolen without ransom. In the course of paying the ransom, the groom offers ransom. In order to increase the ransom, the parents dress someone other than the bride as bride masked with veil so that the groom cannot see the face of his bride. She is brought before the groom in order to get them married. Here comes the twist in the story. After the groom realizes that the veiled person is not his bride, he complains and asks for his real bride. It is the time for negotiations between the bride’s family and the groom. The groom persuades them for the bride’s hand in return for a bigger ransom. The parents demand for a bigger ransom is a gesture as to tell the groom that their daughter is more valuable than his thoughts. When the ransom issue is settled, the parents of the bride offer their daughter to the groom. If the groom is not to the satisfaction of either of the bride or the parents, the groom is met with at the door of the bride’s parents. It means he needs not to enter the house as to proceed in the matter. The parents have something in their hand for him to carry. It conveys a message of respect from the parents of the lady that he does not leave their house empty-handed. I was lucky enough that the bride and her parents accepted me at once for a ransom very small. The Wedding day is decided by the couple’s family after mutual consultation. Everything is arranged well prepared. Before the ceremony, I along with my bride had to perform the ritual which aimed at blessing our couple by our parents. The ritual takes place just before the main ceremony. As is the custom, I paid ransom for my bride and went to her house where we had to perform the said ritual before our parents. The Spiritual elder asked the parents of both of us to sit on a particular bench. When they sat, a long embroidered cloth was placed in their laps. Every participant was then given a loaf from particular bread called ‘the wedding bread’. The spiritual leader recited traditional religious text which requested God for a mercy upon the couple and forgiveness. According to the tradition, all of our family members joined the spiritual leader in reciting the text. They all recited it loudly and the recitation was repeated three times. Then both of us bowed before our parents, exchanged kisses on cheeks, hands and feet. The blessing was performed three times as well. The ritual, as we had been told before, symbolized that our past was forgiven and our parents blessed us with their prayers. We were then released for a happy new session of our life. Now it was the turn of my single friends. For them, in my wedding ceremony, there was the tradition that all of them came in their vehicles alone. When we were leaving for our new home, all my single friends started their vehicles, opened the front seat’s door and one lady each to every vehicle sat with them. This symbolized a base for yet a new relationship for marriage. I was happy because I had won my love and my friends were happy because they had just started the journey of love. It means they had to follow the same procedure as I did. The celebrations last for days and sometimes weeks where there is a pomp and show of singing, dancing and series of feasts. I remember my wedding celebrations lasted for one week with the same pomp and show. This was beautiful and marvelous. The image of my rich culture reflected in my heart was superb. I heard a voice from my inside that I love my traditions, values, customs, rites and in fact everything, for, these are the active parts of my rich culture which saves me from isolation. My wedding was nothing but a cheerful display of emotions. I felt everybody loved me. They wanted my pleasure, joy and happiness. I was tranquil for I bowed before all of them with a lot of burdens of gratitude for them over my shoulders. I felt I had just been born: the celebrations injected in me a new life and a new beginning. I was rich, for, my culture had got numerous precious coins in its pocket and with such a wealth, I needed no other rewards. I noticed I have always been sick for love, care and affection and no doubt, I felt so because I was unaware of the beauties of my culture which deprived me of the wealth inside my heart. The wealth which I had just received made me believe that I had the costliest thing available to me. The belief makes me confident enough to face the hazardous challenges and onslaughts of the counterpart nations of the world. To me, my ‘Cultural Heritage’ is my life: without life in culture, I am dead. Every nation has a cultural heritage of its own. Each feels happy in obeying its own social-laws pertaining culture. The richness of my culture lies in the rituals, customs and traditions where there is mutual love, affection, respect and sympathies. The cultural ceremonies are not just dancing and singing shows: they convey a message of brotherhood and a strong feeling that all of us are different parts of one body. We feel alike, we think alike and, therefore, we act alike. Same is the case with my culture where there is happiness and a sense of security all around. This is the experience which I got from my wedding-ceremony that collective joys are more important than individual heights and collectivism is the basic requirement for the growth of a nation’s character. My wedding ceremony has become the charm for the whole of my life. The memories associated with my wedding ceremony have been working as a source of inspiration for me. The ceremony is a symbol of pride for me for the whole of my life. It injects in me every now and then, a desire to live. As Hoffman has said, the Cultural Heritage reflects the beauty of a society and it determines the overall character of a nation’s character (p 27-31), I feel the same when I look at my wedding ceremony which works inside my character and which has beautified my whole life. Work Cited Hoffman, Barbara T. Art and Cultural Heritage: Law, Policy, and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. Read More