Jewish and Hindu Weddings
A wedding is an occasion where two individuals are legally joined in matrimony. Marriage is seen as a union of a man and a woman under the authority of a government or religious leader. Traditions and cultural norms vary greatly among different cultures, social groups, religious communities, and countries. There are certain important events that mark a wedding, the first for both individuals, as well as the officiant. These cultural events provide an opportunity for couples to familiarize themselves with their wedding customs before their big day.
In ancient times, weddings were solemnized by the kings, Queens, or pharaohs of the various dynasties of Egypt, Israel, Mesopotamia, and China. The earliest wedding ceremonies were celebrated by the royalty or high priests. The gathering for the purpose of wedding included the family members of both the bride and the groom, friends and relatives of both individuals, and other invited guests. The gathering at the location was also attended by the priest who conducted the sacred ceremony.
The Hindu wedding traditions begin with the auspicious offering of white silk sari, which is the most auspicious clothing worn in Hindu weddings. The bridegroom goes to the home of the bride where he is presented with his bride’s ready wedding gift, which consists of sweets are offered to the Goddess Lakshmi. The wedding feast is then served and the wedding feast is considered to be the highlight of the wedding ceremonies. The wedding feast usually includes the wedding cake, butter dish, fruits and the daisy flowers which symbolizes the feminine essence of the Hindu religion.
The Hindu wedding ceremony also includes a grand feast which is spread before the guests which consists of several different dishes. The meat used for the feast is not roasted, but rather, it is marinated in spices and served on a silver tray. In some Hindu wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom are asked to dance the saber arch after they exchange garlands and crowns.
Hindu weddings do not always end with the wedding ceremonies; in some Hindu religions, the wedding celebrations continue even after the marriage. In these ceremonies, children of the bride and groom are blessed. The couple then is taken to the river Ganges to dip their hands into the holy water to bid adieu to their marriage and say goodbye to their children. After this, the couple returns home.
The processional dance is considered to be one of the most important parts of the wedding processional. It is considered to be incomplete without the presence of the jewish choirs. The choirs play different traditional music during the processional. Some of the most popular processional dances that are performed at Jewish weddings are: Baraithi, Kaddish, Zuha Magharam, Ketubah, Shamash, Harbainn, Magen David, Chokhala, Kedush Ha-Bayit, Eretz Yisrael,enei Admony, Maagala, Kedushah, Veda Kohinoor, Adoreye Ha-Bayit, Haifa, B’ritei Teiva, Haifa’s Chassid and Haifa Mikvah. There are many other processional dance types, which are also commonly used in Indian and Jewish weddings.