Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Ever After: Wedding Traditions Live On in Asia

Aside from beautiful sceneries, it is nice to witness local customs and traditions still being practiced in many Asian countries when we travel. I hope I get to see at least one of these beautifully described weddings one of these days! 

Press Release:

More than just an exchange of “I dos,” weddings offer a great peek into a culture. Bridal trends may come and go, but thankfully, many local traditions in the Philippines and around Asia have been well-preserved. More than the union of sweethearts, these long-standing wedding traditions reflect and celebrate the rich heritage and cultural diversity of the region. 

In the Philippines, there remains wedding traditions that continue to be vibrant for centuries. In Cotabato City, a 32-hectare Basilan model tribal village enables visitors to witness and appreciate the unique ethnicity of the Yakan, Tausog, Sama, Maguindanaon, Iranon and Maranaw tribes, through various cultural activities, including colorful wedding practices and traditions.

in Asia, weddings offer a glimpse of the region's rich cultural diversity
In Japan, instead of wearing a flowing white gown, the bride wears a beautiful silk kimono on her wedding day. The kimonos are often embroidered with purple iris flowers because the color represents love in Japan. The couple, together with their parents, performs the “san-san-kudo,” wherein each person takes three sips of sake from each of three cups. This represents the couple and their parents; the three human flaws: hatred, passion, and ignorance. "Ku" or 9 is a lucky number in Japanese culture, while "do" means to be set free from the three flaws.

Weddings are a huge affair in Indonesia, where it is typical to have a thousand guests in attendance in one’s special day. Here, it is the bride who usually arrives first followed by the groom, who is received with the greater amount of attention. Before the reception starts, the couple must greet each guest individually as they pass by in a receiving line.

Koreans, on the other hand, pay a great deal of attention to the pre-wedding traditions as much as the wedding itself. From engagement and engagement parties to the groom’s gifting of a wild goose to his future mother-in-law, Koreans are known to spend lavishly on wedding affairs. The traditional Korean wedding is held at the bride's family home, where the couple takes their vows in a ceremony called kunbere. The bride and groom bow to each other and seal their vow by sipping a special wine poured into a gourd grown by the bride's mother.

Weddings are truly more than just a romantic affair in different cultures across Asia. Discover more of Asia’s wedding traditions when you fly to these destinations via Cebu Pacific. Book now at www.cebupacificair.com.


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