Marriage Rituals in India and United States

Arranged marriages in Indian society have been the norm for many centuries. Even today, an overwhelming majority of Indian people have their married arranged by their parents, or respected family members.As American we never really contemplate the idea of having someone choose our life-long partner. That’s not the case in other nations such as India, arranged marriage in India is a very common practice, yet here in the United States arranged marriages are frowned upon. We believe that everyone has the right to choose who they want to spend their lived with. Although I believe that we should be free to make our own choices I also can see what the advantages and disadvantages of an arranged

“Marriage and Love”, a short essay by Emma Goldman, gives a wonderful argument regarding love and marriage, in fact, she nails it. Marriage does not equal love or has anything nothing to do with it. Not only that, but the marriage could also easily kill whatever relationship was there prior to the declaration. Marriage is simply a social construct, one that imposes control by religion, tradition, and social opinion (Goldman 304). However, if marriage is such the ball and chain that we all joke about, then why do people get married?

Until one is married, half their soul is inexistent. Similarly to Islam, in Judaism, a contract is competed between than man and woman. This contract outlines certain aspects of the marriage that are to come. This contract is known as Shidukhihn. In fact, there are also conditions like outlines in Muslim marriages. They are found in the Shtar Tena'im. Following the reading of the Conditons, it is concealed by the shattering of a plate. Nevertheless, some people preform this at different times. Like seen in the media, some do it on the legitimate day of their wedding while others do it much more in advance. However, what is most important about this action is that, the husband to be and the mother of the bride complete it. Unlike Christianity, the act of marriage in Judaism is completed after two different elements are successfully completed. Firstly, the Erusin ceremony has to be carried out. This is where negotiations take place, and one of the biggest changes this ceremony makes is the status between the two. They are now recognized as being engaged. Afterwards, the Chupah/ Nissu'in takes place, and this is when the marriage is legitimate. In the earlier years the Erusin and Chupah/ Nissu'in used to be completed separately; in fact, at least a year was waited before the final ceremony was initiated. Nevertheless, nowadays these two acts are completed in the surrounding of

For thousands of years, parents have chosen their children's spouses; hopefully with some success. Some countries still practice the tradition today. India turn most, if not all, of the wedding decision over to the Patriarchs of the groom. In other countries only a portion of the country's population practice it: even though the urban areas are controlled by the government many chinese dwelling in rural farming areas still practice arranged marriages. In the United States of America people have moved on to the idea of letting the young adults choose their own marriages, but do children make the same choices as their parents? It is often the idea that younger adults will make the wrong choices in marriage; however, marriage in today’s world

What is the definition of marriage? Over the years, the word marriage has been challenged from its current definition as listed in Merriam-Webster 's Dictionary as an act of marrying or being married between a man and a woman. Marriage can also be defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife. The word marriage becomes a special type of bond between two people that share the same desire to become the other person’s life partner. Marriage can be challenging between two people based on their current government state laws, in their religious and cultural beliefs as well as challenging to the word to be defined

Tina Turner once sang, “What’s love got to do with it?” Within the song, Turner’s answer to this question is to focus only on her feelings of attraction, thus rejecting any romantic feelings. The same question can be posed to the concept of marriage. Marriage might seem easily definable: a legal union of two people. However, the motivations behind marriage differ across cultures. In America marriage is often linked with the idea of love. However, the idea of marriage as a bond of love is specific to Western culture. Additionally, marrying for love is a fairly new idea. Historically various cultures, many European, used marriage as a political tool. In this way, marriage was about gaining

A quote from a famous American author, Mark Twain says “Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.” The definition of marriage varies with cultures and views. The most popular and idealistic notion is that it’s a result from the unconditional love of two people wanting to share it for the rest of their life, in a committed and long bonding way. For some, however, marriage is more of an economical arrangement, a pact for two people to help and catch each other when the other one fall. And for others, it is just a paper that one can throw away if not needed, or by simple saying, marriage is not important.

A quote from a famous American author, Mark Twain says “Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.” The definition of marriage varies with cultures and views. The most popular and idealistic notion is that it’s a result from the unconditional love of two people wanting to share it for the rest of their life, in a committed and long bonding way. For some, however, marriage is more of an economical arrangement, a pact for two people to help and catch each other when the other one fall. And for others, it is just a paper that one can throw away if not needed, or by simple

In this year’s essay, David Popenoe argues that long-term trends point to the gradual weakening of marriage as the primary social institution of family life. More Americans today are living together, marrying at older ages or not at all, and rearing children in cohabiting or solo parent households. Overall, the U.S. trends are following the far-advanced trends toward nonmarriage in Northwestern European nations, albeit at a slower and more uneven pace.

Cultures and countries around the world have differing views on many topics such as whether or not babies should be baptized, vaccinations, abortion and marriages. One topic that has been of controversy and is viewed differently in many countries is marriage and whether or not arranged marriages are better than love marriages. There are several different reasons why people in India believe that arranged marriages are the best; likewise, people in Western countries such as the United States believe that love marriages are best. Most westerners have a misconception on arranged marriages. An arranged marriage is a marital union where the groom and the bride are chosen by a third party, such as a mother, father, grandfather or grandmother. Most often confused with a forced marriage, which is where the bride and groom are chosen by a third party and are forced to marry each other or suffer the consequences. In western countries, marriages are considered “love marriages” where the bride and groom select each other and decide to get married based on their love and affection for one another. Even though arranged marriages and love marriages greatly differ from one another and each has advantages and disadvantages, neither one is better than the other in the long run.

Marriages in the United States are vastly different from those in India. In the U.S., most marriages are based on individualism; parents do not decide who their son or daughter is going to marry. In the United States, dating is one of the ways that

Marriage; a familiar concept that has existed since ancient societies, has not always been the same concept modern society deems it to be. We, in modern days, seem to instantaneously link love to marriage because it is a tradition that has been passed down to us from previous generations. Even though today we accustom love with marriage because that is how it is perceived, for most of human history, marriage was not exactly the “traditional tradition” as it is now.

Can you imagine a society where brides are sold to grooms and aren’t expected to date before they marry? In ancient India, this was proposed as the norm for marriages. Marriages were more commonly seen as a financial deal rather than the joining of two individuals who are in love. We may laugh and say, “How crazy were they back then?” but some of these ancient traditions still hold some value in India’s society today. Through ostentatious detail, ancient Indian weddings took a lot of time, money, and effort to produce.

Today the idea of arranged marriages is overlooked as a forced marriage from other society's point of views. Hindus arrange their children to meet partners they think are well suitable for them but this does not mean the son or daughter has to automatically marry this person they have been introduced to. They have a choice whether to go along with it or not. They are not forced at any point to marry this person. Years ago parents arranged their children marriages while their children were very young and even babies. They understood that if the kids grew up together over the years they will learn everything there was to know about each other and so everything will basically work out to their advantage. Even though the girl was practically married at a very young age she did not have to live with her husband until she was matured, until then she will just visit him and his family. The wedding will occur before puberty, so the girl will

It is only natural to seek for someone to spend the rest of our lives with. Love then comes marriage. Although the term marriage has changed over time, it has always been a social or legal gatherings. Not long ago the term marriage is generally reserved for two individuals of opposite sex, of consenting age, and of no blood relation. Varied by different ethnicity or race, class, gender, social and economic standing, the right to marriage is only reserve for man and woman. The purpose of marriage is for reproduction and to maintain human society itself (Darity 612).