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| Catholic
/ Christian Matrimonial |
One of the
largest religious communities in India is
that of the Christians (or the Catholics).
Therefore, Indian Christian matrimonials also
include the Roman Catholic Saraswat Brahmin
Marriages and the weddings of the Syrian Christians
of Kerala. According to the respective community,
the prenuptial ceremonies differ. However
the holy matrimonial ceremony in church remains
more or less similar. The matrimonial alliance
in both communities is held with great enthusiasm
and elaboration.
According to the Roman Catholic Saraswat Brahmin
wedding customs, the engagement is known as
the ‘Mudi’ where the bride and
the groom exchange rings blessed by a priest.
Both the families, promising the matrimonial
alliance on a certain date, sign a contract.
In the Syrian Christian community weddings,
after the matrimonial alliance (Kalyanamaurappa)
has been agreed upon, a date is fixed for
the nuptial knot to be tied. In this community,
the two eldest male members from each family
hold hands in a symbolic clasp of the matrimonial
alliance to be. An angavastram (white cloth)
covering their hands seals the contract. The
engagement is then announced to its community
in the respective churches of the bride and
groom for three successive Sundays.
The rituals on the day before the wedding
also differ slightly in accordance to the
community cultural requirement.
The ‘Roce’ is a ritual that takes
place according to the Roman Catholic Saraswat
Brahmin matrimonial rituals on the day ahead
of the wedding and includes the anointment
of the bride and groom with Roce (thick coconut
milk) by their families, in their respective
houses. The couple is not allowed to meet
until the next day, till the matrimonial alliance
takes place in the church.
Syrian Christian wedding has a similar ceremony
called ‘Madhuramvekal’, except
that the anointment is done by oil.
However with advent of time, the Catholic
/ Christian community has adapted to modernism
and it has been seen that common ceremonies
like ‘Bridal Shower’, ‘Bridal
Luncheon’ and the ‘Bachelors Party’
have been adopted. These parties generally
liven up the procedure of the matrimonial
alliance with a lot of singing, dancing and
drinking.
The ‘Bridal Luncheon’ and ‘Shower
Party’ includes the exchange of gifts
between the bride, cousins and her friends.
The ‘Bachelors Party’ includes
stag friends and cousins of the groom and
is held normally the night before the wedding
where the groom enjoys his last night being
a stag before the matrimonial ceremony to
be held at the next day.
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