Marriage Customs Essay

1801 Words8 Pages
Marriage customs vary from one culture to the next and are observed from generation to generation, although as time modernizes so do some of the customs. In the more conventional cultures, the customs stay the same from the beginning of time to the end of time. The Oraibi,( a division of the Hopi Indians in the Tusayan village of Arizona) and the Singapore Chinese, (largely the descendants of the free and indentured immigrants from southern China during the 19th and early half of 20th century), are two unique groups who have very different marriage customs. A comparison of these two cultures will show just how exceptionally amazing and different the wedding customs are in these two societies. In the Oraibi tribe choosing of a marriage partner is left to the discretion of the young man and woman, very seldom and in extreme circumstances do the parents intercede in the choosing of a mate. When a young woman has decided on a young man as a future companion, she would request for the young man to accompany her on a date and then would present him with a loaf of qomi, a bread made of sweet cornmeal. Young men only accept dates from young women they ae willing to marry since the acceptance of the invitation is considered an engagement. Young folks in the Hopi villages grow up with one another and interact on a daily basis, they are free to form love or hate relationships among themselves same as in many other cultures, these marriages are performed with two living partners, a man and a woman. Among the Hopi Indians Marriage by acquisition or pre-arrangement does not exist. Even though Endowments are made to the spouse and his family by the bride’s family, they do not consider in any way that these endowments are payment for the bride. . In this appreciation, the marriage traditions of the Oraibi contrast substantially from those of more primeval tribes Among

More about Marriage Customs Essay

Open Document