Khmer wedding (Photo: blogkhmer.blogspot.com/)
Cambodia traditional wedding lasted 3 for days:
Day 1: The mediator and an Achar (a priest) ask for a meeting with the parents to request permission to prepare the rituals for intering the wedding hall including the beating of the gong and the big drum to play music, dance and sing according to tradition.
Day 2: The morning session: The early morning Achar prepares a ritual to pray to the "Krong Pealei", the Deity who takes care of the earth, to seek recognition for the groom to be accepted as a new comer (family member) and offers best wishes and good luck.
It is the time for offering "Thorng Rong" (square betel container used in the wedding ceremony) which symbolizes the betel chewing. Following which, they perform the ritual of offering food to the spirits of the ancestors to inform the ancestors of the date of the wedding and to seek their blessings.
Afternoon session: At about 1 or 2 pm, it is the time for the groom's procession to the areca-palm tree.
This is the ritual of areca flower cutting, accompanied by the wedding music. Once the areca flower are gathered, the groom's procession returns to the wedding hall "the hall of the areca flower". Preparation of hair-cutting ritual.
Evening session: The ritual of "the monks' blessing". At midnight: The parents order the preparation of the ritual of "teeth staining".
Day 3: (Final Ceremony) The ritual of the married couple's greeting (Sampeas Phtum). This greeting ritual is a procession of the groom to bride's house. The couples go to the bride's house to pray to deceased ancestors. They also both show their respect to the living grandparents and receive their blessings for a happy and joyful life. This ritual includes several different small rituals as well.
Three days after the wedding, the new couple must goes to the pagoda to receive blessing from the monks.
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