TODAY

 Marriage ceremonies are celebrated on a grand scale in Myanmar. Foreign visitors paying a visit to our country show keen interest in marriage ceremonies which are usually held at prominent hotels like Sedona, Traders, Chattrium and

Inya Lake. Putting up at these hotels they turn up at the wedding reception to take the bridegroom and brides’ photograph and to record the whole wedding reception with video cameras.

In olden days the Myanmar men and women married at young ages, especially in the rural areas. When the young man and young woman fall in love with each other, they meet at the late hours of the night. The young man usually sets out to meet his lover in the compound of her house in the presence of young woman’s sister or aunt. When they meet at the rendezvous, they simply chat and discuss the matter relating to their marriage with the consents of both parents.

If the parents of the young man are poor, the young woman’s parents do not agree to let their daughter marry him. At this juncture they find no alternative but to elope. After a few days of elopement the relatives of both parents, Thugyi (the headman of the village) and the village elders intervene and persuade the parents of the bride to accept the couple. They come back to their parents’ houses but they live apart temporarily. Within a few days both parents arrange a marriage ceremony at a monastery or at the bride or bride groom’s house and build a mandat (pandal).

The parents and relatives offer soon to the monks (members of the Sanghas) at the pandal. The offering of soon to the Buddhist Monks is called ‘Mingalar Soon’ (food offered to monks to bless a marriage).

On the wedding day the village headman leads the marriage ceremony and announces the couple to be husband and wife in the presence of both parents, relatives and invited guests. The bridegroom and bride in their bright attires are seen outstanding among their friends. The bride’s friends tease her and praise her newly wedded life. A large crowd of invited guests in the village gather at the pandal and

are served abundantly with htamin (cooked rice), pork and chicken curries, sour flavoured thin soup, boiled or pickled vegetables and a sauce of fish paste. A music troupe organised by the villagers entertains the invited guests with Myanmar classical songs or folk songs. A group of local young men or village lads ask for pocket

money which is customarily given on the occasion of a marriage.

Before the Second World War the marriage ceremonies in Myanmar were held more traditionally at the bride’s house. The parents of both sides strictly followed the old marriage customs. Before the wedding day they built a mandat (pandal) where the marriage ceremony would be held splendidly. On the wedding day the invited guests brought the wedding gifts and in turn received paper fans, big cheroots and aluminium food carriers as presents from the bridegroom and bride.

On the stage the Brahmin, standing up at the back of the bridegroom and bride who were seated on the cushion, sprinkled a few drops of scented water on their heads and recited a few words of blessing. Then a couple of the distinguished guests held palms of the bridegroom and bride and placed one palm upon another. The couple should be those who have been married since their younger days and both for the first time. The Brahmin then blew a sea-shell to mark the successful conclusion of the ceremony.

A woman among their relatives came out from the audience and scattered coins and pop-corn from the silver bowl on the audience just to let them know the successful ending of the marriage ceremony. On this occasion the bride and all the women attending the ceremony were very attractive with beezadourns on their heads. Afterwards, the guests were served with tea or coffee, cakes and ice cream. An amateur music troupe entertained the guests with popular songs all the time.

An anyein pwe was staged at night to entertain the newly married couple and their guests. An anyein is the non-dramatic performance where a female dancer dances and sings to the accompaniment of light music and is usually supported by comedians.

Nowadays in metropolitan places like Naypyitaw, Yangon and Mandalay the marriage ceremonies are strikingly in contrast with the old-fashioned marriage ceremonies in the rural areas. The well-to-do families of birdegroom and bride choose the best hotel to celebrate their son and daughter’s marriage ceremony. Before the marriage the birdegroom and bride have to pass through the process of engagement. An engagement party is usually held at the bride’s house or at a hotel in the presence of both parents, distinguished guests and relatives. Both parents request one of the – distinguished guests to speak a few words of admonitory advice (a few propitious words). A small crowd of the invited guests attend the ceremony and are served with lunch.

Before the wedding day soon offering ceremony to the Buddhist Monks is made by both parents at the bride’s house inviting the relatives and friends to the ceremony. “

On the wedding day the reception hall at the  hotel is decorated grandiosely with beautiful flowers, ribbons and coloured plastic balloons. The names of bridegroom and bride together with their qualifications are inscribed on the white spongy board attached to the wall. The bridegroom wears goung-boung (silk hat), Myanmar silk jacket and sick longyi. The bride is pretty and quite attractive with beezadoun (knotted hair) on her head. Her beezadoun is adorned with flowers, diamond hairpins and diamond comb. She wears valuable htain mathein ingyi (hip length jacket) and silk or brokade htamane (skirt or sarong). She also wears jewelry on her neck and diamond bracelets on her hands. Her face is painted with a high quality make-up.

The invited guests in their bright attires bring valuable wedding gifts to the wedding reception. When they are seated in the hall, the popular vocalists and the music troupe start to entertain the audience with popular songs. Soon the ‘invited guests are seated to the full capacity in the reception hall.

When the invited guests are in full attendance, the master of ceremony on the stage invites the bridegroom and bride to come to the stage. The bridegroom and bride in company with the parents of both sides, bestman and brides maid walk very slowly along the red carpet of the passage in harmony with the tune of an especially composed song sung by a popular vocalist. Now the audience pay full attention to the bridegroom and bride.

When they take seats on the cushion the master of ceremony declares the ceremony open and he continues to speak about the education and qualification of the bridegroom and bride. At this moment the music band ceases to play. He then invites a couple of the distinguished guests (may be minister or the deputy minister and their wives) to marry the couple. The bridegroom and bride stand up just to pay respect to the dignitaries who are going to marry them. The distinguished guest and his wife hold palms of the bridegroom and bride and then place one palm upon another. The master of ceremony again invites another couple of the distinguished guests to put on the wedding rings to the bridegroom’s and bride’s fingers and to place garlands of flower on their necks.

The wedding ceremony is over.

On behalf of the married couple and their parents the master of ceremony requests the guests to enjoy the eatables and drinkables like coffee or tea, cakes and snacks and ice cream. The music troupe continues to entertain the audience with popular songs through the amplifier. Finally the audience depart the reception hall. At the entrance to the reception hall the married couple together with their parents stand up in line to accept the guests’ congratulations and compliments. The married couple with smiling faces express their gratitude individually to the guests for coming to the ceremony.

The cameramen are busy with the work of recording the whole’ wedding ceremony with their cameras and video cameras.

The whole wedding ceremony comes to an end and lasts about nearly two hours.

Maung Khine Zaw