The Dating And Marriage Rituals In India And America Essay

The Dating And Marriage Rituals In India And America - Essay Example Dating is very uncommon in this semi urban and rural parts of the country which holds three fourth of the total population. Arrange marriage is a concept where the parents of the bride and groom take the decisions of marriage. - Although U.S has cosmopolitan population but majority of its population happens to be Christians. Thus most of their marriages are conducted in the church followed by a lavish dinner. Their attire usually constitutes of Tuxedos for men and Gowns for women. One of most remarkable things about Christian marriages is when the priest asks the groom that he may kiss the bride. The reason behind highlighting this point is that this uncommon in India to kiss during a marriage. In the party the couple’s perform a ball dance. India too is a secular state. But broadly its population can be categorized into 80% Hindus and 20% Muslims. The attire is the only common thing which is showcased in both the marriages where the Groom dresses in a Sherwani (looks similar to a large coat but custom fitted and often embroidered) and groom in a shade of red lehnga (A long formal or ceremonial skirt worn by Indian women). While in a Hindu wedding an auspicious time is set for the marriage after consulting an astrologer as Indians are superstitious. During marriage the groom ties a necklace into the brides neck which is called "Mangalsutra" and then fills is temple vermilion and then circumvent a small fire 7 times to make 7 promises o each other. On the contrary, in a Muslim marriage the priest (maulana) first asks the bride if she wants to marry the groom after disclosing the meher which is money deposited by the groom as a token of security to the bride and then asks the groom for his consent. A Muslim wedding is similar to a Christian wedding but the bride and groom do not face each other during the marriage and thus they cannot kiss each other. The couples usually dance on chartbusters or on the beats of their folk music. Food- America: The most important dish is the wedding cake that is jointly cut by the newly married couple. Besides that there are dishes of pork, chicken, fish and beef. In the beverages the there is no marriage complete without the champagne and raising a toast with wine. India- In a Hindu marriage the dishes are mostly vegetarian. There are copious dishes. There are delicacies made out of fresh vegetables, Paneer (similar to tofu but much better in taste) and pulses like dal Makhni. In a Muslim marriage the vegetarian food is served along with non -vegetarian dishes of chicken, fish and mutton. Liquor is not served in either of the marriages. Sex and Dating-America- Pre-marital sex does not come as a surprise in U.S. People like to intermingle with each other before marriage and wish to get accustomed to each others nature and habits before taking their vows. India- Pre-marital sex is still considered as a taboo before a marriage. In fact some of the families are so conservative that they would not even entertain meeting of the boy and the girl before marriage. Negative aspects: America- A majority of the marriages in America end up in a divorce. It is also learnt that couples cheat on their spouses. Although, some people feel that it is a myth that has grown in late 70's but it is still common in urban cities of America. India- The most common thing in Indian marriages is dowry. Dowry is the token of gift by the bride's parents to the groom. But often the hunger of wealth from the groom's family leads to a troubled marriage. The bride is stigmatized, mortified and