Getting Married in Cambodian Culture

Marriage is very important for our life time. So the Cambodians think when they marry
someone, they have to live and do everything for that person to be able to lead a happy life. Before getting married, thinking properly of whom you marry is the most important thing for us. In Cambodia, of course, people generally appreciate your wedding ceremony, but they do not consider divorce as a reasonable way. I mean that it is better not to get divorce if you have any solutions to deal with your partner. In addition, it must be a difficult situation for you to find anyone to get married with you again after your divorce. The majorities of Cambodian people think that someone who, one time, gets divorce can do it again and again. So it is said that you had better not to marry someone who used to get divorce.

How do people think about the traditional wedding in Cambodia? So let find out what kind of wedding ceremony we do in our culture or religion. In the past time, it was said that it look around seven days to hold a wedding ceremony. After that, it has been shorten to three days. Because of something to do with our culture, it was common to do something to show our unforgettable culture on the wedding day. However, in the present time, we spend only one day to celebrate a wedding ceremony. What a unbelievable thing people have shortened seven days- wedding ceremony to one day- ceremony. So I will explain something more about the present-time wedding in Cambodia.

First of all, before getting married, we have a courtship pattern which is conducted throughout the whole country. However, it is said that courtship patterns have differences in some areas. It is common for Cambodian people to get married between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five. The girl usually gets married quicker than the man does. After a spouse has been selected, parents will meet each other to talk to reach an agreement and investigate each other to make sure that their son or daughter marries into a good family. When both sides agree to the marriage, presents, usually fruits, have been exchanged. It means that the bride side decided to accept the groom side courtship. Marriage between close blood relatives is also common in Cambodia, especially in rural area.

Holding the ceremony is going to be in next process after the courtship has been successfully completed. The wedding ceremony starts in the bride house in the morning and finishes at night. Early in the morning, there is a march of ceremony in which the bride and groom lead a walk and followed by a number of guests. Everyone needs to hold some fruits, sweets or candies in hand. The march probably begins about one-hundred meters far from the bride house. They all have to walk slowly in traditional dresses toward the bride house with a traditional music playing at the same time. After that, at home the Buddhist priests offer a short sermon and recite prayers of blessing. Parts of ceremony involve ritual hair cutting and tying cotton threads soaked in holy water around couple's wrists. The parents and parents-in-law offer their blessings to the couple. It is a sign showing us that they give the bride and the groom good thing and happiness. The legend of Preah Thaong and Neang Neak is held in wedding ceremony, in which the groom carries the bride's scarf and walks to her room. It symbolizes that the groom is from afar and is marrying into the bride's family. The guests are welcomed and offered rice porridge and some fruits in the morning ceremony, as well. After holing the ceremony all morning at the bride's house, in the afternoon the couple is required to go outside and to be taken some memorial pictures in beautiful wedding dresses. And then, there is a wedding party at a hotel or restaurant where all the quests can have their dinner and enjoy wedding music and song. At the dinner party, the couple can receive presents given by the guests. Both the bride and the groom are required to cut the wedding cake and give a piece of it to their guests. After dinner party, the couple has to go back home, and at night, it is a good time for them to have their wedding sexual intercourse for the first time. It is the last step and clarifies that the ceremony is completely ended.

Overall, it is not easy for anyone to have a good partner and marry his or her. So I may say that getting married is so complicated, but it is exciting and important for everyone through a life time. In my opinion, the most interesting thing of marriage is that it differs between one country and another country because of its culture and religion. For example, marriage in Christ's culture, Islamic culture and Buddhist culture are different. There are various processes of each religion. The couple wears different wedding dresses concerning with each culture. However, a common thing is that getting married is to live together as a family.