MyStory :: Travelling Exhibitions :: Romance, Hopes & Dreams

We live in a multicultural society where the rich customs and traditions of the various communities in Singapore provide us with the privilege of celebrating each other's festivals, participating in celebrations such as weddings, birth, naming ceremonies and many other happy events. However, have you ever wondered about the commonalities that are shared by the different cultures?

This exhibition showcases the wedding ceremonies of the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians and highlights the commonalities amongst them. For example, cherished family values such as respecting one's elders and filial piety are evident in the role that elders play in wedding ceremonies. Customs such as offering tea to family elders in a Chinese wedding, the presence of the bride's father in the akad nikah ceremony in a Malay Muslim wedding and "giving away" the brides by their fathers in Indian and Eurasian weddings underscore the importance and respect that are accorded to them by the bridal couple.

Symbolism is also very rich in these elaborate ceremonies and they come in many forms, from food items to decorations, display of objects and even down to the sitting positions of the bride and groom.

Today, although the majority of marriages are love marriages with couples increasingly modern and influenced by world trends, important customs and rituals are still followed, though some may have been adapted. This is because in most Asian communities, couples have to go through the customary wedding ceremony to validate their marriages, even if they have registered their marriage legally.