Singapore American • December 2014
T h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n o f S i n g a p o r e ’s
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MCI (P) 178/01/2014
Since 1958
December 2014
Wedding Celebrations in Singapore By Amy Buchan and Raegen Siegfried
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wedding is one of the most joyous occasions in one’s life in any part of the world. Yet what happens when you are invited to celebrate such a momentous occasion in the region we now call home, Singapore, which is a melting pot of a variety of different cultures? We have heard so many stories from friends who were mortified because they weren’t aware of the traditions surrounding a culturally different wedding. Plain and simple, we’re trying to save you some humiliation and make sure that you are a well-informed, respectable wedding guest. Wedding traditions vary greatly based on ethnicity, region, religion and subcultures; therefore we chose a few representative cultures to share with you. While there are time-honored traditions that may be fulfilled, many modern couples modify traditional customs to suit their personalities. Wedding Gifts When invited to a wedding it is in good taste to bring a gift. At a Chinese wedding, you will most likely not be expected to give a “gift” as such, but rather a red packet which is a lucky red envelope filled with money. The amount of money you give is determined by the
closeness of your relationship with the couple. Although there is no limit on how much you can give in the red packet, if you have the extra money and feel like giving more, we’re sure it would be appreciated as red packet money goes to offset the cost of the wedding banquet. Also in the Chinese culture, the two major lucky numbers for red packet gifts are six and eight, because the word for six sounds like the Chinese word for “never ending” and the word for eight sounds like the Chinese word for “money.” Even if you are not able to give money that ends in a six or eight, monetary gifts should always consist of even amounts of money, as they represent pairs. The numbers zero, one and four are unlucky. Your gift should avoid them at all costs. When attending a Buddhist or Hindu wedding, gifts and money to the couple are common. However, gifts of cash should be given in a handmade gift envelope (Hindu) or a red envelope with gold lettering (Buddhist) and numbers ending in one are considered lucky. You may also gift a statue of the God Ganesha, the lord of beginnings, or Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, fortune and fertility. Never give a gift of leather, as Hindus
believe the skin of a dead animal, particularly a cow, to be sacrilegious. As a general rule of thumb, do not give any gifts in white as the color white in many regional cultures symbolizes death. Wedding Attire Of course it’s important to look dapper when attending a wedding but what will the couple of honor wear to their celebration? Unlike the traditional white gown that we see in many western weddings, the wedding gown for a bride in China is usually bright red, a color that symbolizes luck. (Although modern Chinese brides are adopting the western trend of white wedding gowns.) The bridal attire will likely also include the color gold, which signifies good fortune. A groom may wear a Hanfu or other formal wear. An Indian bride will typically wear a sari wrapped around the waist and then draped over the shoulder. The groom often wears a sherwani or nehru jacket that can be embroidered, quite colorful and even match the bride’s sari. In southern and eastern states the bride usually wears a red sari, but in northern and central states the chosen garment is usually a decorated lehenga or a Continued on page 19
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