custom, part four
Over the past month, I’ve been diving into George Monger’s encyclopedic Wedding Customs of the World, which collates information about hundreds of practices that make up wedding traditions. My goal is to consider what the historical origins, development, and contemporary uses of particular customs tell us about their original contexts and about the assumptions they reflect about identity and social relationships, but I’m especially interested in thinking about how these practices hold up today. I looked at different ways communities are involved in weddings before turning to the white wedding dress. Last week, I explored the roles of various accessories and jewelry. Next week, I’ll wrap up my reflection, but this week I’m exploring various practices that “seal” a marriage. No, not those magnificent pinnipeds that roam the waters. Seals are actions that signify or formally effect a change.
From a ritualist’s perspective, seals play a particularly important role in wedding ceremonies. On one hand, how a couple demonstrates their bond tells us something about the world they come from and the world they intend to create, starting with their home and the community surrounding them. In most cultures, the public declaration of marital commitment is demonstrated through some material, tangible, or kinesthetic practice that not only visibly effects a change — it adds layers of meaning from particular cultural contexts…
