Asian Wedding Traditions
The culture and traditions of Asian countries regarding wedding and marriage differ from the Western understanding of weddings. Even though a lot of people in Asia become more Westernized and implement various elements and traditions pertaining to Western culture, it is still important to know that a few traditional elements can be implemented in a wedding between an Asian woman and a Western guy. And we would like you to read these 10 interesting facts about the Asian wedding in this article!
The intricacy of Asian weddings
Marriage traditions are changing fast in East, South-East and South Asia, even though each region has different traditions. While matchmaking has been a major part of wedding traditions in entire Asia, nowadays, arranged marriages are less popular. Young people are allowed to choose whomever they want. Moreover, it is important to note that marriages in Asia have been viewed as alliances between families, which is why they had to be arranged to create a strong and powerful union.
While weddings across various countries share a lot of similarities, they also have some differences. Our team of online dating experts has created a list of top 10 facts about Asian weddings - you will find it below. We have included facts about marriages and weddings from China, Japan, Singapore, India, and Vietnam. We hope that you will enjoy it!
10 interesting facts about Asian wedding
Here, you will find the most fascinating and unique elements of Asian weddings. Even though there are many cultural and traditional specialties of Asian weddings, we have gathered the facts about modern weddings.
Importance of red color
It is possible to see that on a Chinese, Indian, or Singapore wedding, red color plays a significant role. The red color is considered to be lucky in certain Asian countries because it symbolizes love, prosperity, and happiness.
Brides’ dresses, accessories, invitations, presents, decorations, and everything else is going to be red on a Chinese wedding. An Indian bride would never wear a white dress because it is a symbol of widowhood. So, red is pretty important!
There is no dancing on a Japanese reception
Indeed, even though receptions usually have lots of food and drinks, dancing and music are usually not included. However, it does not mean that Japanese people do not like to enjoy themselves in a dance or that Japanese weddings are exceptionally boring. Instead, there is an after-party, where newlyweds and their friends and family can dance however they want!
Flying veil
Although this is by no means a cultural tradition, but the trend of a flying veil has become widely popular in Asian countries. The concept of incredibly simple – a bride stands on the podium, and her veil is being pulled toward her with the help of a special pulley.
It creates a magical feeling of veil flying toward her owner and slowly embracing her head. Lots of weddings in China, Japan, and Korea include this performance.
Groom’s tradition to drink with male guests
Chinese and Singapore weddings usually have a tradition for grooms to go around all the tables and have a drink with every single male guest. The fact that a lot of weddings can include up to several hundred guests, half of which can be male, it is not a surprise that grooms tend to drink water instead of alcohol.
Long-lasting weddings
Most Asian weddings are not a single-day event. A typical crazy rich Asian wedding scene can be divided into 3 days. For example, a traditional
Hindu wedding lasts about 3 days. Moreover, weddings usually include numerous pre-wedding rituals and ceremonies to prepare both grooms and brides to family life. The first days are devoted to brides’ and groom’s families meeting, communicating, dancing, and uniting. The third day is usually devoted to a more understandable concept of ceremony and reception.
Gift exchanging
The practice of gift exchanging is crucial in Asian culture. One can see that most Asian countries require families to exchange various presents and tokens of gratitude before the actual wedding. For instance, weddings in South Korean require the exchanging of household goods, clothing and jewelry, cash, food and wine, and other objects. A Vietnamese wedding also requires families to exchange goods. However, there is a special ceremony that is held several months before the actual wedding. During that ceremony, family members gather first in the bride’s and then in the groom’s houses and make gifts to each other.
Brides and grooms do not have to see each other
It is an Indian tradition that is now a significant part of Western wedding culture. It is considered bad luck for a bride and groom to see each other for several days before the wedding. Therefore, both the bride and groom have separate ceremonies and arrive at the place of the wedding separately. Interestingly, other Asian countries do not have such a tradition. However, since lots of Western traditions and rituals have become implemented in Asian weddings, couples from China, Japan, and Korea also try not to see each other before the weddings, but as a tribute to the Western tradition and not Indian.
Religion and weddings
Religion plays an invaluable and fundamental role in Asian weddings. For example, a typical Japanese wedding is usually held at a Shinto shrine, wearing particular clothes, headdresses, and performing certain religious ceremonies. A Hindu wedding requires a couple to go around a sacred fire before entering the temple to ask the gods for a happy family life. Even though Asian religious traditions are numerous and different, lots of modern couples are not too eager to stick to them. Lots of ceremonies and rituals are abandoned or ignored, and replaced with Western elements of weddings.
Wedding headdress
Veil is definitely an important part of the wedding. However, Asian headdresses are stunningly beautiful and diverse, depending on the country. For example, a traditional Chinese wedding headdress can include a covering veil, which is typically red and not transparent, and Chinese phoenix coronets. In Japan, brides can wear large white hoods that symbolize hiding the bride’s “horns of jealousy from the mother-in-law”. Moreover, such a headdress is a symbol of a wife being obedient, humble, and gentle.
Gifts from guests
It is a tradition around the world for guests to present the newlyweds with various presents and monetary gifts. An interesting tradition is implemented in the Philippines, where brides and grooms are given money during dances. Both the groom and the bride have to dance with guests, and the latter have to pin money to veil or dresses.
The bottom line
There are many more interesting and fascinating traditions and rituals involving in Asian weddings. The fact is that each region and country may have hundreds of minor differences and rituals is what makes Asia a wonderful place to seek a bride!