In recent times, it is considered fashionable to have a unique date on one’s certificate of marriage. August 8, 2008, 08/08/08, was probably one of the most desired wedding dates, more so in Asian countries and especially among the Chinese.
The number eight, 8, ‘ba’, sounds like ‘fa’, which means wealth or prosperity in Chinese. 08/08/08 has three ‘8’s, which bodes a prosperous start to a newly wedded couple’s life. Moreover, having the date of the Beijing Olympics on the marriage certificate is also something that a Chinese national can be proud of. In 2009, one of the favourite dates for weddings was September 9 of that year, 09/09/09. The number nine, 9, ‘jiu’, means everlasting in Chinese, and is seen as an auspicious sign for long-lasting marriages.
Language is a part of communication that can influence the way we think and act, as shown by the large number of marriages in China on 08/08/08 and 09/09/09. If ‘eight’, ‘nine’, ‘everlasting’ or ‘prosperity’ is pronounced differently, there probably would not have been as many marriages specially scheduled for these particular dates.
In the article ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ dated September 9, 2009 featured on The Straits Times website, 366 couples tied the knot in Singapore, compared to a daily average of 64. This phenomenon was also observed in China where the number of weddings hit a record high again this year repeating the 2008 trend.
The Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on having weddings on auspicious dates, and many Chinese couples take into consideration the corresponding dates in the Lunar and Gregorian calendar.
If not for 09/09/09 happening to be during the seventh lunar month, also known as the Ghost Month, the number of couples who got married in Singapore on that day would have been much higher. For many South-East Asian Chinese, the seventh lunar month is not seen to be an auspicious time for weddings and should be avoided if possible. While a one-day record for marriages was broken in China on 09/09/09, the number of weddings in Singapore for the same day fell to 366, almost half of that in 07/07/07. Such is the impact due to slight differences in cultures between China and South-East Asia.
By taking beliefs and attitudes from cultural traditions, we view and understand what is shown to us differently. The younger generation tends to be less superstitious than the older generation but in Asian cultures, the elderly are viewed to be more experienced and respected and tend to have the final say on the choice of wedding dates.
However, as the world becomes more cosmopolitan, the boundaries between cultures will eventually become blurred. Also, an auspicious date may give a good start but how the marriage will work out ultimately depends on the parties involved.
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Credits:
1. ‘08/08/08 – A special date’
(http://theweddingplannerireland.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/080808-a-special-date/)
2. ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ By Ng Xiao Yan and Ess Aubrey Gabrelyn
(http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_427318.html)
3. Lucky "999" day sees tens of thousands Chinese wed
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/09/content_12023487.htm)
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Interesting insight to the Chinese and South east Asian tradition of marriage. I know that for some people the number 666 is a bad omen because it is a devil's number.
ReplyDeleteBut I reckon that special wedding dates add a layer of perceived happiness and assurance that marriages will last (kinda like a placebo effect! If they are assured that their marriage has good luck then it becomes a lucky, happy and longlasting marriage).
Perhaps that's why the length of marriages are becoming less and less because people are becoming more skeptical about everything!!
Although the younger generation are less tight down to cultural practices, it is still very much prevalent in the things that we do. Like the way we dress. We may prefer the dark colours say, black, but will try to have a someting bright to go with it, like a gold accesoory. It looks good yet have some link to our culture. The dark colour signify, something sad, but the gold is to indicate good or bright. This will to some extend try to neutralise and balance the bad and the good. In the chinese culture the balance of yin and yang is essential, to ensure that harmony is maintain.
ReplyDeleteGenerally,although the younger generation would like to declare that they free from the "shackles" of traditions, but the doing is still very much influence by the past, an inheritance of cultural.
While it is true that many young people no longer care about superstitions & the like, there are definitely still people who consult fengshui masters & fortune tellers just to 'make sure' that nothing will go wrong on their special day. Like what Nina wrote, they do this to make their wedding day seem even more unique & joyous, so that their love will last (hopefully!).
ReplyDeleteIn a way, it shows that culture & tradition will remain an important aspect of society. Those who still place importance on traditional rituals want to hold on to their ancestors' culture, while those who do not follow them are perhaps creating a new, 21st-century culture.
Respect of traditions should be taught to the younger generations. It is the fabric that leads us to our roots. The supposed supersitious belief is also a link to our traditions and culture of the past. It is also the foundation of our current existence. The evolution of our being and our current postion.
ReplyDeleteI think having culture and tradition in our lives make our lives more vibrant and interesting. When people from different cultures interact, though their differing backgrounds can sometimes cause misunderstandings, the interaction is also enriched by these differences. Something significant about we Chinese is that language plays quite an important role. During Chinese New Year, many dishes and snacks that we eat have names whose phonemes sound like some auspicious terms. For eg we have fish dishes because the Chinese idiom for abundance sounds like "yu" which is the same pronunciation as fish in Mandarin. Other cultures have less use of language in terms of superstitions and traditions like this, more of employing objects that signify something rather than just names which sound alike.
ReplyDeletePreviously, doing something might be considered superstitious or traditional. Nowadays, it is considered fashionable.
ReplyDeleteHow does one handle the "clash of culture" in the modern world? How would you handle this when confronted with traditions and modeern sciences?
ReplyDeleteAs an educated man/woman, will you be a strong believer in "feng shui"?
Cultures and traditions evlove over time.
ReplyDeleteImprovements or improvisation are slowly introduced or accepted by elders of the family or community to meet the current days environment.
For eg Some Singaporean has a habit to take holiday overseas when there is a long break. This include during the Chinese New Year. However, under the Chinese tradition, it would be unheard of for family not to have a reunion dinner together with the family (extended if possible and to be around to visit relatives during this time, in the old days. This practice of going away is much the way of life now for some Singaporen and over time will be a tradition.
Today practices may one day be tomorrow culture and traditions