Tag Archives: wedding traditions

PANDA KAAL MUHURTHAM

Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
Age: 50
Occupation: GENERAL PHYSICIAN
Residence: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Language: ENGLISH

TEXT

Panda Kaal Muhurtham is one of Tamil culture’s most significant pre-wedding rituals. It is a sacred ceremony that takes place before the actual wedding day and marks the beginning of the wedding preparations.  It is also referred to as “Panda Kaal Naduthal”.

CONTEXT:

Informant: AA is a 50-year-old woman born in India and living in London, UK for the last 25 years. She is my aunt. She is a General Physician practicing in London. 

Interviewer: What is your understanding of the words “Panda Kaal Naduthal”?

AA:  The word “Panda” means auspicious and “Kaal” means time. Therefore, Panda Kaal Naduthal is the auspicious time that is selected for the wedding ritual.  It is done usually 3 or 5 days before the wedding day.  This is based on the bride and groom’s birth chart, which is known as the “Jathagam” in Tamil.

Interviewer: Can you explain in detail who and how the auspicious time is determined?

AA: The date and time of the Panda Kaal Naduthal is suggested by a professional astrologer who takes into account the position of the stars, planets, and the moon.  The astrologer also considers other factors such as the date and time of birth of the bride and groom, their zodiac signs, and the alignment of the planets at the time of the wedding.

Interviewer: Can you elaborate on what happens during this ritual?

AA:  During this ceremony, a bamboo stick is first cleaned with water, milk, turmeric, and sandalwood paste.  It is then decorated with flowers, mango leaves, and turmeric powder. Typically 7 or 9 married women will hold the bamboo stick and the priest recites mantras and prayers, seeking the blessings of the gods and goddesses for a successful and happy wedding.  The bamboo stick is then placed in a pot filled with water and sand, symbolizing the start of a new journey for the couple.

Interviewer: Why do they use the Bamboo Stick?

AA: The bamboo stick is cut from a healthy bamboo plant, which is considered a symbol of strength, resilience, and longevity. The bamboo plant is also known for its ability to grow quickly, which is seen as a sign of prosperity and growth. 

Interviewer: How do you know all these?

AA: This ritual was performed during our wedding. Also, over the years, within our friends and family circle, I have attended more than 25 such rituals and learned this from elders, parents, and priests. 

ANALYSIS

In Tamil culture, the Panda Kaal Naduthal is considered very important, as it sets the tone for the entire wedding ceremony.  It is believed that if the Panda Kaal Naduthal is not performed at the right time, it could bring bad luck and affect the marriage in a negative way.  The bamboo stick is also considered a symbol of the groom, as it is believed that the groom represents the bamboo plant, which is strong, resilient, and able to withstand any challenge. The bamboo stick is therefore used to bless the groom and to ensure that he is successful in his life ahead.  It is believed that the bamboo stick will bring good luck and prosperity to the couple and protect them from any obstacles that may come their way.  The Panda Kaal Naduthal is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu and is an important part of the wedding ceremony.

Ewiha Chant (Zalghouta): Folklore Song/Gesture

Nationality: Lebanese
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 2/14/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Arabic

Text: Ewiha Chant (Zalghouta)

Context: AH’s relationship to this piece stems from his Lebanese culture which allows him to have various experiences as he heard this song/gesture within his childhood and early adult life. His relationship relates to his connection with his aunt as she is the specific woman in his family that is in charge of leading the performance. He typically hears this chant at weddings during the dinner portion of the event or after the ceremony. Within his family, they typically use this song/gesture as a Lebanese tradition as they wish good luck to the newly wed couple. Within the tradition, self-expression is evident as yells, screams, yodeling and ululations are present. AH interprets this tradition as a good luck charm and as a sign of felicitations as his family believes that if this song/gesture is not performed, it is considered bad luck on the newly wed couple.

Analysis: The overall cultural value within this song/gesture is based on the act of ululating (zalghouta) which is practiced all over the Middle East and in some parts of Africa. Given that this act stems from Lebanese tradition, it holds cultural values within women considering this song/gesture is typically done by women given they are the only ones that can perform an ululation which is a high-pitched tongue trill. I see this gesture/song as an overall expression of happiness, joy, and celebration. Considering that I have not experienced this tradition being performed, I believe that this song/gesture during family events is a momentous moment that is filled with positive affirmations as two families conjoin together where luck, love, and unity is emitted within the atmosphere.  

Jumping the Broom

MS is a 60 year old mother of five from the South. She is strongly connected to her African American heritage and has been to many weddings in her family and community where the newlyweds jumped the broom.

Context: Jumping the broom is a tradition that roots from slavery where the newlyweds would jump the broom to commence their marriage since slaves were not allowed to marry. This was collected after dinner sitting at the table.

Transcript:

Collector: From your experience, what does it mean when a couple jumps the broom?

MS: Almost all of the weddings I have been to where the jumping the broom took place have been the same. What happens is, after the bride and groom kiss at the end of the ceremony, they turn towards the witnesses and the broom is placed before them. They first kiss the tips of their fingers and touch the broom. Then they hold hands and jump the broom together.

Collector: Since black people can legally get married now, why do you think African Americans continue to jump the broom?

MS: I think they still do it in honor of their ancestors and where they come from. Many southern folk keep the tradition going since slavery was especially prominent there. It also represents togetherness and is the first presentation of the couple as a unit, so it’s important.

Thoughts/Analysis: Traditions that come from historical adaptations are especially interesting. The tradition of jumping the broom was a result of the determination of African Americans to create and officiate their own families and lives. The way that African Americans today continue the tradition speaks to their continuous connection to their heritage. Heritage is not something one can simply adopt or take place in. The participants in this performance inherited it from elders in their family and will continue to pass it on. This is also a variation of jumping the broom, I have heard of this tradition before but never heard about the newlyweds kissing their hands and touching the broom.

Wedding Garter Toss Practical Joke

KS is a 56 year old father of five who grew up in and resides in Southern Maryland. He has been married for twenty years and has been to many weddings throughout his life.

Context: KS experienced this practical joke at a wedding of a good friend of his.

Transcript:

KS: You know the reception tradition of the groom going under the brides dress to take off her garter? Before it was time for my friend to take off his wife’s garter, he hid a pair of XXL bloomers in his pants pocket. When he went to take off the garter, he came out from under her dress with the bloomers instead of the garter. Everyone had a good laugh, the bride included. He went back though and took off the actual garter.

Collector: What do you think made him make that joke?

KS: Hmm. I think he wanted to take the pressure off of taking the garter off in front of his family, especially his parents. It can be hard to do things like that in front of them; I know some people who did not even like the idea of kissing their wife in front of the older folk. It definitely helped bond the families too. A good laugh can always do that.

Analysis: The tradition of the groom taking off the bride’s garter is similar to the bride throwing the bouquet to the bridesmaids. The way the groom throws the garter to the groomsmen is parallel to the bridesmaids catching the bouquet. It is seen mostly in American weddings. Originally, a piece of the bride’s dress was taken and thrown to all the guests for good luck.

For a variation of this practical joke/good luck charm and other similar wedding traditions, see:

Reade, Scarlett. “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something, Blue.” USC Digital Folklore Archives, May 18, 2021. http://uscfolklorearc.wpenginepowered.com/something-old-something-new-something-borrowed-something-blue-2/.

Armenian Wedding Money Dance

Nationality: Armenian
Age: N/A
Occupation: Student
Performance Date: 8 February 2021
Primary Language: English

Context: Matrimony is a special liminal, or transitional, period in a person’s life. In some cultures it marks the transition from a woman being owned by her father to owned by her husband. In some it marks the beginning of a monetary relationship between two families, like a mutual advancement in social class. Regardless, for cultures that have a tradition about the liminal event of marriage, most often the tradition is in regards to future prosperity, success, or fertility. Here, informant GG explains the Armenian wedding traditions, shedding light on similarities between them and the western traditions.

Main Text: Transcript:

GG: Armenian weddings are known to be really over the top. Parents, relatives, family- they really spare no expense in going all out with like the food, the entertainment…  One tradition is that the bride and groom, they get together… and then people will gather around and they’ll throw stacks of money into the air. It’s just like a constant stream of people… usually it’s the males of the families, and they’ll come up and they throw like a hundred bucks worth of ones in the air and it’s like flowing down. They create a circle where they throw it from all these different angles, and it’s supposed to signify wealth and abundance at the start of the marriage, and it gets intense sometimes. There’ll be like piles of cash on the floor or like little kids running around trying to grab some. Some people need… big ‘ol brooms by the end to sweep all the money up. 

HR: That’s amazing, that sounds hilarious! [Laughs] So lots of western traditions have wedding gifts. Is that like in lieu of a wedding gift, people just instead walk up and throw wads of cash at the bride and groom?

GG: They still do give gifts, but they’re not as big as in the west.

I continued to speak with GG about this tradition and found that he’d been apart of many money dances at Armenian weddings, not as the thrower or the groom but as a kid, running in and trying to snag money for himself! 

Thoughts: I think that the nature of liminal periods includes some kind of uncertainty about the future. When one makes the transition from one stage in life to another, they often turn to traditions regarding luck or guidance. The transition from single to married carries plenty of uncertainty, so the Armenian Money Dance tradition is a way of wishing the newly-weds monetary luck in the coming years.