Denisa Červená Lucia Sladiková Jana Zimová
WEDDING TRADITIONS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Goal:
- To get familiar with traditions performed at weddings of different cultures to prevent
the culture shock or faux-pas
Before the class:
- Reading – send students reading about faux paux at weddings of different
cultures and material about the most common problems in multicultural
marriages
- Familiarize yourself with the presentation, make notes for yourself-what you
really want to mention about the specific wedding customs, but be ready to
answer random questions. This means do not study just facts you find
interesting, go through the whole wedding ceremony.
- Prepare enough copies of worksheet below.
In the class (45 minutes):
1. Discussion – whole class discusses possible problems that might occur in
multicultural families – in fields like family life, religion, parenting, partner’s
personality (use the slide of the presentation with topics so students do not
have to remember what they should talk about) – 5 minutes
2. Presentation – with each culture there are questions first to let the students
guess the right answer and then you tell them something about the wedding
customs of the culture
a) China – choose which one of the customs is usually not practiced
in China (c) – 5 minutes
Denisa Červená Lucia Sladiková Jana Zimová
b) Jews - choose which one of the customs is usually not practiced
by Jews (d) – 5 minutes
c) Australia – choose which of the customs is of Australian origin
(a), if you have the possibility, bring he gifts that are usually
given to bride and groom in Australia, explain (symbols) and let
students think of something they would give the newly-weds
and what would be the meaning – 10 minutes
d) Egypt – choose which of the customs is of Egyptian origin (b) – 5
minutes
e) Bali – where is Bali? (b) – 5 minutes
f) Hmong – what is Hmong? (b) – 5 minutes
g) Worksheets – you will need to give one paper with the maps to
each student (group) and cut out the names of the countries from
the second paper, every group will be given small papers with
one of every name of the country. Students are to match the
custom with the name of the country, maps are there as a hint.
The correct answers are in this order: China, Mauritania,
Scotland, Korea, India, Ireland – 10 minutes
Extra:
- If you have too much time you can still add discussions about personal
experience of your students, their opinions about presented weddings or even
ask them to create such a presentation about one culture as homework. If you
on the other hand do not have enough time, it is very easily possible to
Denisa Červená Lucia Sladiková Jana Zimová
separate this lesson into 2 or 3 classes, letting students discuss their opinions
about each culture.
Denisa Červená Lucia Sladiková Jana Zimová
shooting the bride
Grooms shoot their future brides with a bow and arrow — albeit minus
the arrowheads — three times. The groom then breaks the arrows to
ensure the couple stay in love forever.
fat farms
Girls aged between five and 15 are sent to "fat farms" before their wedding
to pile on the pounds. If a bride had stomach rolls, stretch marks and
overlapping thighs, it signalled her husband was wealthy enough to keep her
satisfied.
blackening of the bride
Brides-to-be are taken by surprise by their friends ahead of the big day, and
pelted with all sorts of rubbish such as curdled milk, dead fish, spoiled food,
tar and feathers. She is then tied to a tree and after taken for a night of
drinking. The belief is that if she can withstand this kind of treatment, she can
handle anything that comes her way in her marriage.
beating the groom's feet
The tradition dictates that the groom has his feet beaten with fish or a cane
before his first night as a married man — to test his true strength and character.
marrying a tree
Women born as Mangliks (an astrological combination when Mars and
Saturn are both under the 7th house), are apparently "cursed" and thought to
be likely to cause their husband an early death. In order to counter this, they
must first be married to a tree and the tree cut down to break the curse.
feet on the ground
The bride's feet must stay on the floor at all times when she and the groom are
dancing. This is due to the belief that if they don't, evil fairies will come and
sweep her away.
Denisa Červená Lucia Sladiková Jana Zimová
China China China China China China
China China China China
Mauritania Mauritania Mauritania
Mauritania Mauritania Mauritania
Mauritania Mauritania Mauritania
Mauritania Scotland Scotland
Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland
Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland
Korea Korea Korea Korea Korea Korea
Korea Korea Korea Korea Ireland
India India India India India India
India India India India Ireland
Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland
Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland