Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor's noisy party than being there.
-Franklin P. Jones
Last month my dear friend Sara got engaged. When I first heard I was surprise because she had not mentioned him before and I had no idea it was going to happen.
As I talked with her about him I learned that Sara didn’t really know Allen. He was from her village and her father had arranged the engagement with his father. She had a picture and had talked with him in a room full of her relatives when she said yes to the engagement.
In a traditional marriage the parents choose their son or daughter's future spouse with only a little input from the soon to be newly-weds. If either the son or daughter refuse the choice, the parents tend to respect their wishes, and will find someone else.
Two weeks later she had her engagement party. It was held at the Mataam, or religious community center, in her village. Women from her family sang blessings for several hours. People ate and congratulated the bride. I sat in wonder watching the young bride sit and hold hands with her groom for the first time.
Last month my dear friend Sara got engaged. When I first heard I was surprise because she had not mentioned him before and I had no idea it was going to happen.
As I talked with her about him I learned that Sara didn’t really know Allen. He was from her village and her father had arranged the engagement with his father. She had a picture and had talked with him in a room full of her relatives when she said yes to the engagement. In a traditional marriage the parents choose their son or daughter's future spouse with only a little input from the soon to be newly-weds. If either the son or daughter refuse the choice, the parents tend to respect their wishes, and will find someone else.
1 comment:
This is a very foreign concept for us Americans, but one our friends tend to be pretty comfortable with...Great post Mel!
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