Ant 101

Marriage Traditions and Customs

Ashleigh Wilson

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Robert Moon

September 16, 2013

Every culture celebrates things differently whether it be birth, death, or marriage. In this paper I will show you the marriage rituals and practices of three different cultures: Japanese, Nigerians, and Muslims. In the end you will learn that we are not as different as we may think.

What does it mean to get married or to be married? There are several definitions in the Collins English Dictionary. One of the definitions provided by the Collins English Dictionary says that marriage is “the state or relationship of being husband and wife” (Collins, n.d). While another says a marriage is the “religious or legal ceremony formalizing a union” (Collins, n.d). In the traditional sense a marriage is the commitment of two people to each other; one being a man and the other a woman. Some cultures have arranged marriages while others let married happen naturally. In most eastern cultures two people meet, fall in love, and get married, that is not the case for others.

Arranged marriages are not common in western society but, many eastern countries like Japan, and India still participate in arranged marriages. An arranged marriage is usually made by the parents of the children or a matchmaker; it is always done by a third party (Wikipedia, 2013). Arranged marriages are not about forcing to people to marry, it is more of a business deal. There are three different ways an arranged marriage can happen. An arranged exogamous marriage is when someone unrelated to either family finds the bride and groom, the bride and groom do not need to be from the same social, or cultural circle. In arranged endogamous marriages a bride and groom are chosen for one another, but they must have the same or similar status and culture. Lastly, there is a consanguineous marriage. In this type of arranged marriage the bride and groom must share an...