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... marriage, she pauses. The questions repeated three times and it is only at the last time that she will say yes. To make the bridegroom wait for the brides answer is to signify that it is the husband who seeks the wife and is anxious to have her and not the other way around. During the service female relatives of the couple (mainly the bride) hold over the couples head a fine scarf or other delicate fabrics like silk.
Two different actions take place at the same time. Two pieces of crystallized sugar shaped like cones are rubbed together, a symbolic act to sweeten the couples life together. In the second act two parts of the same fabric are sewn together with needle and thread. The ceremony is reminiscent of the ancient traditions. Zoroastrians today hold over the grooms head a small tray on which two pieces of cloth (Kosti) are united together, with needle, thread, scissors, a raw egg, a pomegranate or apple, dried marjoram, and white sweetmeats, all covered by a green ker chief.
The symbolic act of sewing two parts together is uniting the couple for the rest of their lives, a knot is tied that should not be broke nor separated. Once the bride has said yes to the proposal, verses from Quran are read. Documents are signed, the amount of may is entered in the written document and the two are announced man and wife. The practice of setting up a bride price or may is becoming a ceremonial one for most modern couples. Etymologically meaning price or ransom, may is the money or other valuables, paid or promised to be paid to the bride by the groom or his family for the financial protection of the bride in case of a divorce. Once this is over, the couple will held their right hands together, will drink a sweet liquid or will taste some honey fora better and sweeter life.
A very important part of the pre wedding activities is dowry preparation by the brides family. Till very recently the girls were expected to prepare many of the items themselves. They were required to weave fabrics, prepare cloths and many in the poor families would weave carpets and rugs long before there was any talk of marriage. The tradition is very ancient. Herodotus mentions that Achaemenian Queen, Amestris, Xerxes future wife made a magnificent outfit for the king with fabrics that she had woven and prepared before her marriage. Today dowry preparation is still practiced by almost all families.
The brides family will buy household items for the dowry. The higher the social status the more elaborate will be the dowry and it could include properties as well. The very modern professional couples with means do not follow this tradition. On the whole this is still very important and is practiced by the majority and at times it becomes a source of major conflict between the two families. As we see both of nations have a tradition of giving dowry with bride. In India dowry is one of those social practices which no educated Indian would own up with pride, although many still adhere to this much deplorable practice.
Dowry continues to be given and taken. During the marriage ceremony the articles comprising the dowry are proudly displayed in the wedding hall. Dowry is still very much a status symbol. A number of marriage-negotiations break down if there is no consensus between the bride's and grooms families. That dowry is given as compensation to the groom's parents for the amount they have spent in educating and upbringing their son. These explanations may seem logical in the present day context, but they cannot explain how this practice originated.
A search for the origins of dowry would have to move backwards into antiquity. Discussion about dowry has to take into account the less prevalent practice of bride price, which is but a reversal or dowry. Although it may not be possible to ascertain when and where these practices originated, it can be supposed that dowry and bride price are posterior to the institution of monogamy. This is the same as saying that dowry and bride price came into being after the practice of monogamous marriage had become prevalent. But monogamous marriage is itself a culmination of the human adaptation of animal promiscuity. Man's is the only species practicing monogamy, all other species are promiscuous.
Thus it is a logical corollary that Man's institution of monogamy came into being at sometime in the long evolution of his species. The practice of monogamy itself evolved in stages as is evident from historical anecdotes as in the Mahabharata where the five Panama brothers have one wife. Bride-price on the other hand involves the receipt of presents, in cash or kind, by the bride's family in return for giving away of the bride. Hence bride-price has the character of an exchange. Concerning issue of monogamy and polygamy there were polygamy as usual in Zoroastrian families. As a rule marriages, concluded by Zoroastrian were monogamy, but there are the cases, when Zoroastrian took in wife the second wife, and sometimes also third.
However, according to marriage code, husband did not have a right to lead into the house the second wife without the agreement of the first wife. Usually this occurred in such cases when for seven years, squandered in the marriage, wife remained childless. If in the second wife was born children, it obtained the same rights, like the first, although to elder wife proved to be the larger respect. It is erroneous to count, that the Zoroastrian polygamy is the result of the influence of polygamy in Moslems, as some scientists assume. Polygamy was known to ancient Iranians long before that, as Iran it became the Moslem country.
According to legend, very prophet Zoroaster was married three times. According to the main statements of similarly beliefs wedding rite of Zoroastrian and Hindu did not manage without mirror. In India the bridegroom and bride see each other for the first time in the mirror. In Iran mirror and candelabras are amongst the most important ceremonial objects that are taken to the brides home and they are reminiscence of the Zoroastrian religious believes. Along its sides ignite two candles in the honor of bridegroom and bride.
The bride looks during the marriage ceremony into the mirror. There are a lot of examples of the application of a mirror during the rite of marriage among the related Hindu-Iranian peoples that makes possible to assume their united genesis and probability of their formation in extreme antiquity, in the mutual Aryan period. In both Iranian and Hindu traditions marriage ceremony were elaborately decorated. So, there is a lot of symbolism peculiar to all Ancient religion, where everything candles, flowers, fire, drawing on body everything means opening new family to new good life. III Explanation and conclusion. After this short review I would like to make underline under these cultural tradition and expression of my point of view.
There are also a lot different traditions which get mixed with lately culture and according to nowadays world theory of globalization its borders were wash out by different other traditions. Of course nowadays in contemporary Iran and India there is no such strong tradition concerning marriage ceremony and place of woman has changed a lot. They rights in marriage and choosing future husband were increases. But there are still a lot of rites which people keep unconsciously it is part of their collective consciousness. According to that in India still exist tradition of adorning bodies and make decorations of inner space or Iran tradition to wear headscarf for women during ceremony. Also in symbolic meaning there is a place for sacred numerals.
This is two numerals 3 and 7, which always take as sacred in all religious and philosophical doctrines of ancient times. Symbols of Sacred Fire and Water in rites have a very great meaning since ancient to nowadays; it is still practiced in both traditions as symbols of purification and crossing to another life. There is a lot of symbols which people forgot in its deep meaning but it continue to exist as sacred rites, as a first move. All these tradition make something like stamp on our consciousness makes people repeat moves of their ancestors. There are still the same meaning of marriage and people looking for the same way in creating harmonious family, which is an institution which provides the energy and inspiration necessary to bring forth one's divinity. The love-dedication relationship builds positive attitudes in children.
As parents offer love and receive dedication, children will offer dedication and receive love. Encourage children to participate in all aspects of daily work of the family. With positive attitudes and useful work, they will develop into noble and productive personalities in their adult lives. Share knowledge with children. With positive attitudes, useful work and learning, they will become dedicated, knowledgeable and contributing personalities.
When parents trust children, children will take on responsibilities. A responsible person is an enriched person. Bibliography: Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge, 1979.
Jash, Pranabananda, Glimpses of Hindu Cults and Culture / Pranabananda Jash. 1 st ed. New Delhi, Sundeep Prakashan. 1997. Nigosian, S. A. The Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993.
Sethna, K. D. , Ancient India in a New Light / K. D. Sethna.
Reprint ed. Delhi, Aditya Prakashan. 1997. Served Hossein. Iran (Persia): a glimpse of its history and culture. (s. l. ): Pahlavi Library Publication, (n. d. ).
Singh, B. P. , India's Culture: The State, the Arts and Beyond / B. P. Singh. 1 st ed. New Delhi, Oxford University Press. 1998.
Tejomayananda, Swami. Hindu Culture: An Introduction. Piercy, CA: Chinmaya Publications, 1993. The Good Life: An Introduction to the Religion of Zarathushtra. New Rochelle, New York: The Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, 1994. Uberoi, Patricia, Family, Kinship and Marriage in India / Edited by Patricia Uberoi. 3 rd ed.
New Delhi, Oxford University Press. 1998. Vedic origins of Zoroastrianism. Lahore: Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College Managing Committee, 1940 Writer, Rashna. Contemporary Zoroastrians: An Unconstructed Nation. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1993.
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Research essay sample on 1 St Ed Marriage Ceremony
