Sunday, May 13, 2012

The marriage rite of the Lo Lo | Look At Vietnam

The marriage rite of the Lo Lo

May 13, 2012

Like other ethnic minorities, the Lo Lo people regard marriage as an extremely important event in an individual’s life.

According to Lo Lo custom, the groom’s family must select four match- makers – two men and two women -to officiate at the marriage proposal ceremony. Two happily married couples are usually chosen to carry out this duty.
After selecting an auspicious day, the four matchmakers will take two bottles of wine and other offerings to the bride’s house for the proposal of marriage. If the bride’s family agrees to the match, they will hold a feast at which the wine is drunk and the date of the wedding is set.
Wedding gifts must include both sticky rice and ordinary rice, pork and wine for consumption at the wedding party. Other gifts can include a skirt, blouse, bracelet and necklace for the bride and even a quantity of white silver.
The groom’s family normally brings their offerings to the bride’s house on the eve of the wedding day, making sure that the wedding day itself is an even-numbered day to symbolize the union of two people, in the hope that neither of them will ever be alone again.
The offerings are handed over to the bride’s uncle, who presents them to the head of the bride’s family. The wedding offering ceremony begins with the bride’s family worshipping their ancestors and reporting to them on the union.
After this they invite their relatives and friends to eat, drink and share their happiness. The bride is usually given gifts of scarves, shirts, money and other items by the guests. The ceremony involves much singing and takes place in a very intimate atmosphere. That night, members of the bride’s family will sing all night long to wish the bride and groom well.
The wedding takes place on the following day. After breakfast, the groom and his groomsman worship their ancestors and then kowtow to the bride’s parents, uncle and guests. The uncle then leads his niece from her bridal chamber and presents her to the groom’s family.
At this juncture all of the bride’s family cries to show their their attachment to her. The bride her- self is expected to cry the most, to show that she doesn’t want to leave her natural parents. Bridesmaids from both families accompany the bride out of her house.
Then the “bringing the bride home” party – comprising the four matchmakers, followed by the bride, the bridesmaids and the groom’s relatives – processes to the groom’s house.
The bride is welcomed at the groom’s house in much the same way that the groom was greeted at the bride’s house on the previous day, with drinking and singing by the four matchmakers. According to Lo Lo custom, when the bride steps into the groom’s house, the groom’s parents must temporarily hide themselves, because it is feared that their presence might overwhelm the bride’s soul, endangering her future health.
Soon after the bride’s party has arrived at the groom’s house, the bride’s uncle turns up with his niece’s dowry, which typically includes a pig, a chicken, a hoe, a pan, a knife, clothing for the bride, wine, meat and sticky rice. If the bride’s family is rich, he may even bring a cow.
The groom’s family then hosts the wedding party, at which they too must sing together all night long to wish the young couple happiness. When seeing the bride’s uncle back to his home, the groom’s family will reimburse some money to him as travel expenses and gifts, based on the amount of the bride’s dowry.
Three days after the wedding day, the couple returns to the bride’s house to visit and greet the whole family. They stay there for a few days but then they go back to live at the groom’s house.
VCW

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.