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Hindi-Chini bhai bhai
We reveal a surprising affinity in the two cultures, especially marital rituals
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At the threshold of her new abode the bride is required to step over a saddle and a lit stove. The fire is meant to cast away evil influences and the saddle is meant to stand for tranquility as the word for "saddle" and "tranquility" sound the same in Chinese. The Indian bride steps in a plate of kumkum and kicks in a pot full of rice to welcome prosperity and wealth into the house. Specifics apart, the welcoming of the bride at the threshold signifies the importance given to the new entrant into the family who is going to ensure progression of lineage.
The Chinese wedding ceremony is comparatively very simple consisting of the pair kneeling at the ancestral altar, sipping of red wine from the same glass followed by the tea ceremony.
Jokes, games and teasing between the bride's family and the groom's are an essential part before the couple are left alone in the marriage chamber. This is a scenario which is a familiar sight in Indian weddings as well across communities. The lightness of the almost ritualistic teasing fosters an atmosphere of bonhomie between families and eases the tensions of the ceremony and its preparations. In the olden times it also served to break the ice between the bride and groom as they had not seen each other till that point of time.
Post-wedding rituals: The morning after the wedding, the bride is supposed to get up early and cook for the family to exhibit how well brought-up she was. A day or three days later the newly-weds return to visit the bride's father's house as part of the completion of the rituals where the bride is now received as a guest.
Whether the emphasis is on the union of souls or the union of families, marriage is a sanctimonious ceremony. Ritualistic similarities apart, myriad thematic similarities are found between cultures as diverse as the Occidental and Oriental. Within the Indian and Chinese context, the similarities are justified by the community-oriented structure of these societies. We would love to hear about other such reasons of similarities between rituals of extremely diverse races and of course your opinions on the same!
Waiting to hear you speak.
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Fatema Kagalwala
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