AI : Love in The East Asian Culture
During all the chaos and madness of wedding preparations, it seems like some traditions will slip off your minds. The madness includes picking up family members at the airport, to sending over wedding tidbits to the wedding organizer. Although traditions play an important role defining one’s culture and values, sometimes they can be pretty meticulous. It is more challenging to have the younger generations follow traditions due to them not fully understanding the meaning behind those traditions.
I, myself, was in the same shoe. As my wedding day approached, I asked my mother, “Why do we have to do all these things?”
My mother simply said, “Because we want to pay respect to our elders for all the sacrifices they've endured for us.”
Stubbornly I replied, “Can’t we eliminate some of the steps of the ritual?”
She responded, “Every step symbolizes gratitude beyond words.”
The conversation instantly shifted my mindset to focus on the purpose of the ceremony rather than the elaborated process. For instance, in a Chinese wedding, it is customary to have a Tea Ceremony or Tea Pai. Together, the couple will pour a cup of tea for the elders, symbolizing hope for an ideal marriage (when a wife and a husband support each other in life’s long journey). When giving the tea to the elders the couple bows in unison, paying their respect.
The ceremony continues with the elders giving gifts to the couple, in the form of Hong Bao (red envelope) or gold jewelry. In an instance when jewelry is gifted, the couple should wear them immediately.
These traditions originated thousands of years ago. To this day, it is dearly treasured and celebrated by many. The amount of steps scripted in the ceremonies represent the timeless hours our elders spent to ensure a better life for the next generations.
These traditions shift our focus on what’s important. Family.
These traditions originated thousands of years ago. To this day, it is dearly treasured and celebrated by many. The amount of steps scripted in the ceremonies represent the timeless hours our elders spent to ensure a better life for the next generations.
These traditions shift our focus on what’s important. Family.
My father said to one of his friends, “My wife and I might be immigrants with low education. But I will fight for my children’s right for education!” Those words alone are more than enough to convince me that traditions are worth keeping for.
Traditions are different everywhere. But they all have one thing in common. Life lessons. It teaches us about who we are, our origins, our values as a culture. Traditions are filled with gestures to celebrate love and display gratitude.
