Indian marriages vs North American marriages

The Differences in Marriage Customs: Indian vs. North American

The world is a multicultural environment where similar practices are celebrated in various ways. The marriage customs of Indian and North American communities are good examples of how actions are carried out according to distinct traditions. In all communities, marriage is a relationship between a bride and a groom. Indian marriages adhere to Hindu traditions, whilst North American weddings adhere to European and Christian ones. The length of the wedding ceremony, wedding rites, and the number of attendees, among other things, vary. The goal of both is to bring two families together while wishing for a good life for the newlywed couple (Kumari, 2004).

Arranged Marriages vs. Free Choice

Unlike in North America, most of the weddings in India are still arranged marriages. This does not imply that the bride is forced to a stranger groom to improve their social and business stands. Instead, both the parents are trusted to find suitable partners for their children. The parents then arrange for several meetings before the wedding for the bride and groom to know and realize their feelings for each other. The Indian weddings include the games that the bride and groom play to make them familiar with each other due to the limited time they are given before wedding. In the North American case, two individuals can freely do weddings with those they love. There are no arranged marriages in North America as people have the freedom of choosing who they want out of love they share (Madathil & Benshoff, 2008).

Dowry Customs

Bride killing is a form of domestic violence on the Indians where the bride is killed by the husband on failure to pay the remaining dowry. This practice is also called dowry death. The culture commands the bride’s family to give the dowry to the groom’s family. The woman is forced to take gasoline or any flammable liquid before being set alight. The crime is treated as homicide and leads to a lifetime imprisonment. This is a contrast from the way things are done in the North American. The issue of dowry does not exist in North America. Both the parents share in giving the gifts to the couple after which they become dependent on themselves. The wedding expenses are shared among the families. This is due to the fact that most of the marriages in America are based on Christian traditions. The issue of dowry is considered more Indian and against the traditions in America (Heyer, 1992).

Prenuptial Agreements

Prenuptial agreement is something that is not thought of the Indian marriages. It is considered a taboo, and no one should mention the same as marriage is considered to be a social agreement meant to last forever. On the contrary, a prenuptial agreement is common in the North American marriages. This is because the love that bounds the two people are fluctuating and people are free to change their minds. The agreement is meant to protect both the man and the woman against divorce and other financial surprises that can be brought to life. The prenuptial agreement is also called contract marriage which is common in the North American wedding tradition. To mention divorce in the India has been a taboo for generations but at least things are different in the current generations. The marriage is supported by the legal framework to be terminated when the couple disagrees and mistreat others. The brides are the most vulnerable to be mistreated, and the government protects them from this. In the past, women were mistreated to the extent of being killed (Madathil & Benshoff, 2008).

Number of Attendees

There is a noticeable difference in the number of people attending the ceremony in the two communities. In Indian marriage, the marriage ceremony is meant to show off the hospitality and the wealth of the bride’s family (Heyer, 1992). The visitors are invited as many as the bride’s father can afford. The North American reserve the invitations for close friends and families while the Indians invite anyone remotely related. The amount of visitors in North America is around 75 people while those in Hindu are at least 200 people. The ceremonies in Hindu traditions are mostly held in banquet halls because of the large number while the North American people hold the ceremonies in churches.

Duration of the Wedding

The duration of a typical Hindu marriage lasts for about a week because of the many events. There are many pre-wedding, receptions and dinner ceremonies such as Sangeet where the family members meet and socialize. Another ceremony as part of the wedding is called Mehndi where the bride is decorated with henna all over her body. Some of the ceremonies done prior the Indian marriages are more social than religious. The real wedding lasts for a day and involves the procession from the bridal home to the marriage location and lengthy receptions. On the other hand, the North American marriage does not have the many ceremonies prior or post wedding day. It only lasts for a day with as short as 15 minutes of uniting the bride and the groom by a religious leader. The reception takes four to seven hours. In both cases, the couple starts their life together as one with a hope of having a happy marriage (Kumari, 2004).

References

Heyer, J. (1992). The role of dowries and daughters’ marriages in the accumulation and distribution of capital in a South Indian community. Journal of International Development, 4(4), 419-436.

Kumari, R. (2004). ``Indian marriages: economic independence and changing power relations’’. Untying the Knot: Ideal and Reality in Asian Marriage Eds GW Jones, K Ramdas (Asia Research Institute, Singapore) pp, 91-114.

Madathil, J., & Benshoff, J. M. (2008). Importance of marital characteristics and marital satisfaction: A comparison of Asian Indians in arranged marriages and Americans in marriages of choice. The Family Journal, 16(3), 222-230.