Sociology Presentation - A Traditional Japanese Wedding

[demonbelthazor]

When Allie's and Bel's turn came, the danger room darkened, and an overly dramagic voice said "In ancient Japanese myth, all things were created by the marriage of the male and female gods, Izanagi and Izanami--Japan's Adam and Eve. According to legend, these two gods came down to primeval earth from the heavens on a rainbow bridge. Out of their union came the islands of Japan, the sun, the moon, the mountains, the trees and the wind."

Allie and Bel proceeded up to the front of the class as the danger room brightened and changed to look like a Japanese garden. Allie wore a white kimono, while Bel had on black kimono and hakama pants. Allie's hair was up and fastened with tortoise shell combs, and a white veil covered her face. Standing with them were Cally and Anders as Allie's parents, and Alanna (looking quite cranky and a bit green) and Grissom as Bel's parents.

There was a table of items (including flowers, origami cranes, and a sake set) prepared in advance of the class, from which Bel picked up a folded fan and an envelope (filled with Monopoly money), from which dangled gold and silver strings. "The Japanese betrothal ceremony," Bel said, "called the 'yuino,' is an exchange of symbolic gifts between the groom's and bride's families. Some popular gifts: dried cuttlefish for its phallic shape; 'konbu,' a seaweed whose name can be written to mean 'child-bearing woman'; a long white piece of hemp, representing a wish that the couple will grow old and gray together; and a folding fan, which spreads to show future wealth and growth." He opened the fan. "The main gift is money" -- he held up the envelope -- "tucked in a special envelope called a "shugi-bukuro," which has gold and silver strings that are impossible to unknot. The other gifts are given in ornate rice-paper envelopes."

He looked to Allie to begin talking about the marriage ceremony.

Comments

[allie-cameron.livejournal.com]

Allie started the presentation.

"The traditional Shinto ceremony honors the kami, the spirits inherent in the natural world. After a purification ceremony using a special branch called the harai-gushi, the priest calls to the gods to bless the couple."

[demonbelthazor]

Bel continued.

"The ceremony ends with a ritual sharing of sake from three flat cups stacked on top of one another. Popularly called san-san-kudo, this ritual can be performed any number of ways, depending on your family's custom. The groom may lead, taking three sips from the first cup" -- Bel sips from the first cup containing only fruit juice because zomg Grissom said so and passes it to Allie -- "followed by the bride, who also takes three sips from the first cup. Then they move on to the second and third cups. The sake is then offered to the couple's families."

[allie-cameron.livejournal.com]

Allie takes the cup and sips from it then passes it down the line from Cally to Anders to Dr. Grissom to Alanna.

They repeat this process for all three cups and Allie takes them back from Alanna and stacks them on the table when they're done.

"Japanese weddings usually take some time to acknowledge the parents of the bride and groom. In some weddings, the couple offers bouquets of flowers, a toast, or a personal letter of love and thanks. Any of these gestures is a beautiful way to honor your parents at the wedding."

She then picks up the flowers from the table and she and Bel present them to each of the four 'parents'.

[demonbelthazor]

Bel continued. "Following the Buddhist traditions, one highlight of the ceremony is the rosary, or o juju, which has 21 beads of two different colors. Eighteen beads represent the couple, two represent each family and one represents the Buddha. Joined on one string, the beads symbolize the joining of the families.

"Wedding speeches and blessings are very important at Japanese weddings. Family, friends, colleagues, and teachers all stand up at one point or another to wish the couple well. Traditionally, these speeches might be moralistic tales about matrimony's importance. In America, they have evolved into heartfelt messages of love from close friends and family."

[allie-cameron.livejournal.com]

"In Japan, brides spend $30 to $50 on "favors" for their guests. In America, favors are more likely to be small tokens--a few folded origami cranes, the bird that symbolizes a long, contented married life, or a lace bag of sweet almonds."

Allie starts handing out the paper cranes that she and Piper folded to everyone in the room.