An Unusual Wedding Ceremony
Ever been to an unusual wedding ceremony? Perhaps not, because very rarelyhave we been invited to a wedding ceremony that is other than a formal and awell-mannered event. Our familiarization with the wedding ceremony, however, is insharp contrast with the traditional marriage ceremony of the Momna community, aminority group in eastern Pakistan from where I come. In this community, the marriageceremony lasts for two days, with rituals that are not only unique, but extremely amusing,interesting, and sometimes not very serious. The first part of the ceremony, called "pithi", is perhaps the most humorous of all.The bridegroom is lead by his mother from his room to a chair in the living room wherefamily members, relatives, and friends of the bridegroom are gathered to take part in thisritual. Traditionally, the father of the bridegroom does not participate in this event, so themother, being the next head of the family, initiates the pithi, placing a small block of sugarin the groom's mouth, furiously rubbing his face with a fa
Some of the groom's friends go to unpredictable lengths to excite the guests . cial scrub, and finally completingher run by taking uncooked rice from a plate under the groom's chair and passionatelyreleasing it above his head. After thegifts have been offered, the bride's friends usually ask the bridegroom for something inreturn for their gifts. This wedding ceremony isdrastically different from the formal and well-mannered marriage ceremony that many ofus have been to. As a part of this ritual, thebride's friends, relatives, and family members all offer gifts to the bridegroom. If opportunity is offered you to observe the wedding ceremonyof the Momna community, do not take it lightheartedly, for you might miss theexhilaration, the jollity, and the vigor of this community's unique tradition. Page 3 Wedding ceremony in the Momna community is very unique because it's rituals areamusing, interesting, and sometimes not very serious. Forexample, in a wedding ceremony that I attended last summer, the groom's friends sprayedshaving cream on the groom's face and tore off his T-shirt at the end of the ceremony. Every ritual of the wedding ceremony in the Momna community aboundswith excitement and joy. As the groom nervously looks about him tolocate his shoes, the bride and the couples' family members and relatives laughenthusiastically, for they know precisely why his shoes are taken away. In my cousin's wedding ceremony, forexample, the bride's friends became annoyed when they did not get anything in return fortheir gifts. One of the bride's friends said loudly to the bridegroom and his friends, "youpeople are parsimonious, and our friend( the bride) will be unhappy living amongst youafter marriage. Most often, to tease the bride's friends, the bridegroom is notallowed by his friends to fulfill the wish of the bride's friends, and so denies that he hasanything for them. Without due consideration, the bridegroom hurriedly but smilingly gives the money andthe bride's friends cheer, having won money from the groom. The groom'sfriends demand the friends of the bride to return the shoes, but the bride's friends, beingvery stubborn and knowing that they did not get anything in return for their gifts in dehes,order the bridegroom to give them a large sum of money before they return his shoes.
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