Pretty interesting piece on CNN on weddings that blend cultures and families. It documents some recent intercultural marriages. The slideshow (which cant’ be posted here) is great as is the article. I like how it demonstrates the way couples try to find commonalities to bind each other’s traditions:
For instance, both Hindu and Jewish traditions marry a bride and groom under a structure. In Judaism it’s called a chuppah, and in Hinduism it’s termed a mandap. Kavi and David Moltz married under a chuppah made from birch wood that was adorned with silk and fabric from both sets of grandparents. “Both Jews and Hindus get married under something,” David says. “It represents your first house.” One tradition that is common to the Jewish, Hindu and Greek Orthodox religions is the breaking of something at the end of the ceremony. Jewish couples break a glass with their feet, while Greeks drink a glass of wine and throw the glass. Hindus break a pot. Another common symbol that transcends various traditions is the exchanging of something during the ceremony. Indians exchange garlands, Jews and Christians exchange rings and Buddhists exchange white scarves. Finding commonality between traditions can make a ceremony meaningful, but make sure to have someone explain the symbolism to the wedding guests, or most will be in the dark, says Macomb. Also, she advises intercultural weddings can seem more cohesive if an officiant and readers incorporate some native languages into the ceremony as a nod to family members who have traveled from another part of the world.
