Mini-Ethnology: Acceptance Of Marriage In Different Cultures
Mini-ethnology Paper
ANT 201-201
Kelsi Shawver
4/18/2014
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” This is something that most Americans are familiar with, or at least they are if they’ve been involved in a wedding. When Americans think wedding, they think big, white dresses, tiered cakes, being surrounded by family and friends, dancing, and of course the big kiss at the end of the ceremony to seal the deal. It’s the start of a new life for the bride and groom, together and out of the households of their parents.
According to the book, Cultural Anthropology by Conrad Kottack, marriage is defined as: “a union between a man and a woman such that the children born to the woman are recognized as legitimate …show more content…
In India, much as like the last area of the ceremony, is much, much more elaborate. For the bride, or the dulhan, a sari or a lehenga, which is highly ornate with gold and silver embroidery. The color of the sari or the lehenga is of great significance, and is different for different communities. The colors generally considered favorable for the occasion are: red, yellow, green, or white. Red is the most common and it symbolizes prosperity, fertility and saubhagya (marital bliss). She also wears a plethora of elaborate and beautiful pieces of jewelry made of gold and precious stones. Sometimes a veil is also worn, made to match her dress. Her groom wears a dhoti or a sherwani, which also has a lot of subtle but intricate detail and is usually a white, off-white, or beige color. In some cases he may also wear a turban and/or a sword.
In the Netherlands, there are really no restrictions on whom they can or cannot marry, but in India there are huge restrictions. A man or woman may not marry out of his/her caste, or his/her social standing. In most cases, the child does not even get to choose who he/she marries, the parents take care of arranging a marriage for their child. The most important thing to the parents of an Indian girl, is making sure that she is married off before she reaches the unmarriageable age of
ANT 201-201
Kelsi Shawver
4/18/2014
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” This is something that most Americans are familiar with, or at least they are if they’ve been involved in a wedding. When Americans think wedding, they think big, white dresses, tiered cakes, being surrounded by family and friends, dancing, and of course the big kiss at the end of the ceremony to seal the deal. It’s the start of a new life for the bride and groom, together and out of the households of their parents.
According to the book, Cultural Anthropology by Conrad Kottack, marriage is defined as: “a union between a man and a woman such that the children born to the woman are recognized as legitimate …show more content…
In India, much as like the last area of the ceremony, is much, much more elaborate. For the bride, or the dulhan, a sari or a lehenga, which is highly ornate with gold and silver embroidery. The color of the sari or the lehenga is of great significance, and is different for different communities. The colors generally considered favorable for the occasion are: red, yellow, green, or white. Red is the most common and it symbolizes prosperity, fertility and saubhagya (marital bliss). She also wears a plethora of elaborate and beautiful pieces of jewelry made of gold and precious stones. Sometimes a veil is also worn, made to match her dress. Her groom wears a dhoti or a sherwani, which also has a lot of subtle but intricate detail and is usually a white, off-white, or beige color. In some cases he may also wear a turban and/or a sword.
In the Netherlands, there are really no restrictions on whom they can or cannot marry, but in India there are huge restrictions. A man or woman may not marry out of his/her caste, or his/her social standing. In most cases, the child does not even get to choose who he/she marries, the parents take care of arranging a marriage for their child. The most important thing to the parents of an Indian girl, is making sure that she is married off before she reaches the unmarriageable age of