THE MULTICULTURAL WORLD

VIETNAMESE MARRIAGE RITES

Tai Lam VVOB, Brussels, Belgium 1998 We are living in the present world that can be considered as a far more advanced and marvellous one than ever in science and technology. Obviously modern technology is around us every day. We can see many examples of advanced technology at work, at home, in the city and even in the country. Although technology has brought us many useful things such as improved living conditions etc., it has also brought us disadvantages that include not only environmental problems that do a lot of harms to every species of beings in the living world, but also the cultural ignorance, i.e. ignoring or lack of their ancient cultural knowledge Nowadays we are living in a multicultural society and community where nows the time every people in the world has a desire and tendency to turn their back to learn or get to know more clearly about their own original culture that, more or less, can help make intercultural communications more easy and effective. In the theme of the week today, I will present the topic of the multicultural world and should like to introduce a little bit about Vietnamese culture and traditional custom of the sixmarriage rites in Vietnam in olden days.

VIETNAMESE MARRIAGE RITES IN OLDEN DAYS

Marriage is one of the six transitions in human life and is the most important and impressive of all. There is a ceremony and ritual that mark the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Marriage also indicates the first step a person starts with a new life and starts to be responsible of giving birth and promoting the race. For Of all the guilts, no progeny is the greatest in ones lifetime. Formerly in Vietnam, law didnt stipulate the marriageable age for young people, but according to a traditional saying, very popular in Vietnamese folklore: Girls at the age of thirteen, boys at the age of sixteen are suitable for marriage.
1 Lam Nguyen Tai Email : yuantsair @ hcm.vnn.vn - An Giang Multicultural World

Moreover, many people believed that predestined affinity was arranged by God and that who married who was a work of the personage in heaven. As with any people and in every country, wedding customs in Vietnam were formed centuries ago. Though Vietnamese wedding customs were more or less influenced by East-Asian thoughts and customs, esp. From China, they bear very own characteristics and popularities of Vietnam. According to ancient customs, the young couples marriage was decided by their parents. Those who wanted freedom to love and marry one another were considered disobedient and blameworthy and were referred to as those climbing over the wall . Furthermore, choosing a wife and selecting a husband were based on consideration of marriage of convenience or property. The two sides considered each others family background, morals and social position, and esp. The conduct of the daughter-in-law and the capacity for hardworking of the son-in-law. As written history, Vietnamese wedding formalities included six rites : 1. NAP THAI RITE : ( Rite of silk delivering or handing -over) After choosing a partner for their children, mostly through the match-maker or mediator, both families organised an engagement ceremony called Nap Thai Rite --the term from sino-Vietnamese meaning to hand in or deliver the colourful silk . At the same time, the bridegrooms family would bring a wild goose to the brides house to imply that this girl had been chosen. 2. VAN DANH RITE : ( Rite of asking names and ages ) Following was Van Danh Rite meaning the rite of asking names. The bridegrooms family asked for the brides name and age. Then both would make a marriage agreement stating the couples health status and their mothers ranks in families ( principle or second and so on ). 3. NAP CAT RITE : ( Rite of spreading good news ) After having the couples ages, their parents (especially the bridegrooms) would have the young couples horoscope data taken into consideration to see whether their marriage was compatible or incompatible, different from the western astrological

Lam Nguyen Tai

Email : yuantsair @ hcm.vnn.vn

- An Giang

Multicultural World

signs of zodiac, that was based on the Chinese astrology according to the year of birth. There are 12 signs, too, they are named after animals in orders:

COMPATIBLE SIGNS <----------------------------------->

Rat <-----> Dragon --Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig

INCOMPATIBLE SIGNS <-------------------------------------->

Rat <--> Buffalo Tiger Rabbit --Dragon Snake Horse--Goat Mokey Rooster Dog Pig

Orders Buffalo
Tiger Rabbit/Cat

After comparing the couples ages, if the brides age matched the boys, Nap Cat Rite would be done to show the bridegrooms family accepted both sides marriage oaths. They would spread news by sending their representative to the brides to inform them. If the brides family also accepted, they would re-spread news in return. The Sino-Vietnamese word Cat here means good news . 4. THINH KY RITE : ( Rite of defining wedding day ) In accordance with ancient opinion, Vietnamese people usually consulted the fortune-teller the favourable day to decide the wedding day. ( It had to be at Hoang Dao Hour meaning the good hour of the day, of the month). That was called Thinh Ky Rite that means the rite of defining wedding day for the young couple. 5. NAP TE RITE : ( Rite of handing-over marriage offerings ) In the Nap Cat or Thinh Ky Rite, the brides family would raise the requirement of marriage offerings to the bridegrooms. This is called Thch Ci ( The custom of asking for marriage offerings ) On those days, young men in Vietnamese villages were scared of this custom because the brides requirements were too high and beyond the bridegrooms abilities. The man wouldnt be allowed to marry the girl if he didnt hand over enough. If meeting the brides requirements of marriage offerings, the bridegrooms family would come to the brides and give them. This rite is called Np T . 6. THANH NGHENH RITE : ( Rite of receiving bride )
3 Lam Nguyen Tai Email : yuantsair @ hcm.vnn.vn - An Giang Multicultural World

Also in the ceremony of handing-over marriage offerings, both sides would finally decide the official wedding day. This official wedding ceremony is called Thnh Nghnh Rite meaning the rite of receiving bride. The six above-mentioned rites symbolise the six fierce challenges that young men and girls wishing to live together had to overcome. In ancient Vietnamese opinion, the more complicated the wedding formalities, the more strong will and honesty young people show and the more formal the wedding. But later, these six formalities were replaced by only three ceremonies. They are : Pre-engagement Ceremony ( Chm Ng- including the first two, Np Thi and Vn Danh rites ), Betrothal ( Engagement ) Ceremony ( nh Hn - including The next two , Np Ct and Thnh K Rites ) and the third, Wedding Ceremony ( L Ci- including the last two, Np Thi and Thnh Nghnh Rites ). These days, together with the development and modernisation of the country and the civilisation of young peoples lifestyles, people just pay much attention to sincere and honest love, attention to the economic capacities to set up a new family when thinking of marriage. Vietnamese people now tend to reduce or ignore the awfully-long wedding formalities. That is more and more popular in the present day. REFERENCE : WESTERN SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
1. Aries (ram) 2. Taurus ( Bull ) 3. Gemini ( Twins ) 4. Cancer ( Crab ) 21/3-20/4 21/4-20/5 21/5-20/6 21/6-20/7 5. Leo ( Lion ) 6. Virgo ( Virgin ) 7. Libra ( scales ) 8. Scorpio (Scorpion ) 21/7-20/8 21/8-20/9 21/9-20/10 21/10-20/11 9. Sagittarius (Archer) 21/11-20/12 10.Capricorn (Goat) 21/12-20/1 11.Aquarius(WCarrier) 21/1-20/2 12.Pisces ( Fishes ) 21/2-20/3

* Aries for those born from March 21 to April 20. Taurus from April 21-May 20, and so on. Lam Nguyen Tai 15/05/1998

Lam Nguyen Tai

Email : yuantsair @ hcm.vnn.vn

- An Giang

Multicultural World