Saturday, July 12, 2008

Young Brother's Engagement Ceremonial

Getting married is no small issue, it's a lifelong commitment. And there's no turning back once you embarked on the journey that marks one of the most significant turning point of your life.

It can either be your choice pick or a nightmare that will haunt you for the rest of your life; a gamble, many referred it to. Mistake made may be lesson learned but the price to pay would be too great. Serious leh...

Young brother had been much enthusiastic about welcoming this important step of his life and is in raptures of his matrimony and wedding ceremony that would take place in September this year. Mum equally elated.


Today is the chosen auspicious date for our presentation of the betrothal gifts to the bride's family. The father of the bride was of Hokkien dialect group but the mother being Teochew chooses to do it the Teochew way??

It actually matters because the gifts vary according to the dialect group you belong to.
The gifts would usually mean a dowry of a token sum of money, different combinations of jewellery (for example, Teochew requires the 4 items of bracelet, earrings, necklace and ring) bridal cakes, traditional confectionery, oranges and liquor.

The bride's family would then returned some of the betrothal gifts to the groom's family, such as part of the dowry sum, few boxes of bridal cakes & oranges. The rest of the cakes are meant to be distributed along to the bride's relatives and friends, as part of the wedding invitation.

Tiresome as it may seem, yet, it is these very rituals that evoke that sense of solemnity befitting such an important step of one's life. And this is only the beginning of the many oncoming rituals to be performed...

Signing away his freedom over a little family dinner tomorrow night; maybe the childish boy had outgrown his freedom and finally wishes to settle down. (chuckle)

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