首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Wedding Customs Around the World Wedding Ceremonies A wedding is celebrated with some kind of ceremony almost everywhere
Wedding Customs Around the World Wedding Ceremonies A wedding is celebrated with some kind of ceremony almost everywhere
admin
2013-04-08
67
问题
Wedding Customs Around the World
Wedding Ceremonies
A wedding is celebrated with some kind of ceremony almost everywhere in the world. The ceremonies vary greatly among different nations and different religions. But whatever the form of a marriage ceremony, it serves the important purpose of announcing to the community that a male and a female have been joined in matrimony(婚姻).
The wedding ceremony may be a religious one performed by a churchman. In Western societies it may be a civil ceremony performed by a civil official, such as a mayor or a judge. Or it may be only a couple’s declaration, before witnesses, of their intention to marry. In some places a transfer of property makes a marriage binding. In other places blood is drawn from the hands of the bride and groom. The blood is mixed, sealing the union. Among some people the marriage rite consists only of the bride and groom’s sharing the same food.
Marriage is one of the seven important religious ceremonies of the Catholic Church. The marriage is held in a church with the service conducted by the priest in the language of the country. The couple stand at the altar(圣坛). The priest asks each in turn, "Do you take
[name of partner] here present for your lawful wife/husband, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Church?" in turn, each answers, "I do." They then repeat the marriage vows after the priest. The priest blesses the union: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The priest sprinkles the couple with holy water and blesses the ring or rings.
Many traditional customs are observed at Jewish weddings, although they are not requiredby Jewish law. Usually the Jewish priest, the bride and groom, and their attendants stand under a decorated cover called a chupah (犹太教举行婚礼上用的彩棚). The present use of the chupah began during the Middle Ages among the Eastern European Jews. The Jewish priest conducts the service. During the ceremony the bride and groom make appropriate vows and take part in the ring ceremony. The Jewish priest blesses a cup of wine, from which the bride and groom both drink. The Jewish priest talks to the couple about the sacredness of marriage and responsibilities of the bride and groom. After the Jewish priest has pronounced them man and wife, a wine glass is often placed on the floor. The groom steps on the glass and breaks it. Scholars disagree about the symbolism of the custom, but many believe that the breaking of the glass recalls the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, reminding the couple that even at the moment of greatest joy, there may be sorrow.
The Muslim marriage is a civil and religious contract between the bride and groom. The religious ceremonies and celebrations vary with the customs of the country in which the marriage is held. People of wealth begin the celebrations two or three days before the wedding and continue for two or three days after. The bride is elaborately dressed in bright colors and wears her finest jewelry. The wedding takes place at the home of the bride. The service is performed by Muslim priest, before at least two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses and then the vows are exchanged.
Wedding Customs
Many of the customs associated with wedding ceremonies are based on neither church nor civil law. They developed from wedding customs of earliest times and come from many lands.
The wearing of a bridal veil dates back to early Greek and Roman times. The veil was thought to conceal the bride from evil spirits. The veil is also believed to have been worn as an indication of the bride’s innocence and purity.
The wedding ring is the most widely used symbol of marriage today, as it has been for centuries. The word "wedding" comes from the old English word "wed", which means "promise" or "pledge". During Anglo-Saxon times a promise to marry was sealed when the bridegroom-to-be gave his sweetheart a ring. The ring, a circle with no beginning or end, was considered a symbol of being eternal. The third finger of the left hand was chosen as the ring finger because of mistaken beliefs that a nerve runs from that finger to the heart.
The best man has been explained as a survival of the ancient practice of wife capture, in which the bridegroom’s friends helped him in his struggle to carry off a wife. The bride’s attendants were supposed to protect her from being captured.
The honeymoon, or holiday spent by the couple after marriage, may have had its beginnings in the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest. The word comes from the French phrase lune de mile, which means "moon of honey". It is believed that it was an ancient custom for a newly married couple to take a drink containing honey on each of the first 30 days of the marriage.
In ancient times people drove off any unfriendly spirits around the bridal couple by making noises, lighting fires, and waving torches. Many practices that were supposed to prevent bad luck and bring blessings to the bridal pair have come down through the years. Throwing rice after a newly married couple is a very old custom. The ancients threw rice at the bride and groom to distract evil spirits. In many countries the bridal pair is showered with nuts, corn, or wheat. Tin cans or old shoes are sometimes tied to the car that carries the bride and groom away. This practice may have come out of the ancient belief that loud noises frighten bad spirits away. To assure good luck, brides often follow the old saying and wear for the wedding "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue".
Legal Requirements
Every society has its own laws and requirements governing marriage. There may be regulations concerning the ages at which a couple may marry, the procedures for a license to marry, the recording of the marriage, or the type of ceremony.
Each state in the United States sets its own minimum age at which a couple may marry. In most states, people must be 18 to marry without the consent of their parents. With parental consent, people may marry at 16 in most states. In most of Britain, 16 is the minimum age for marriage, and parental consent is required until the person is 18. India allows women of 14 and men of 18 to marry. The minimum age for marriage with parental consent in France is 15 for women and 18 for men, but people of 21 may marry without consent. In Italy the bride must be 14 and the groom 16. The minimum age for marriage in Japan is 16 for women and 18 for men.
A marriage license is required in the United States, Canada, and many other countries. In some countries a license to marry is not required, but after the marriage take place, it must be recorded with the state authorities. Most states in the United States require a medical examination and blood test before the license is issued.
Most states in ______ , require a medical examination and blood test before the license is issued.
选项
答案
the United States
解析
原文意思为:在美国大部分州,登记结婚都需要提供体检报告和血液检测证明,由此可得出答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/q7r7777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
Inadditiontotheiracademicwork,childrenintheUnitedStatesareofferedawiderangeofactivitiesintheafter-schoolhou
Inrecentyearsanewfarmingrevolutionhasbegun,onethatinvolvesthe【C1】______oflifeatafundamentallevel--thegene.The
A、Atanairport.B、Ataboatdock.C、Ataweatherstation.D、Atabeach.A由女士说的haveagoodflight可知男士即将乘飞机。所以对话最可能发生在机场,故A正确。
IntheUnitedStates,campaigns【S1】______everyelectionandoftenbeginmanymonthsorevenyearsbeforetheelection.Tolaunch
Thankstothegreatachievementsmadeinthedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,humanlifehasexperiencedamazingchangesi
A、Hehadadoctorexaminehisinjury.B、Hewillgotopracticetomorrow.C、Hedidn’tcallthewomanyesterday.D、Heaskedafrie
A、Tocoordinateworkamongpolicedepartments.B、Togetpoliceofficersclosertothelocalpeople.C、Tohelptheresidentsint
A、Tomakechildrenbuysomethingthemselves.B、Tomakechildrenlearntobeindependent.C、Tomakechildrenknowhowtoearnmon
Someanimalsbredinzoosarebeingtakenbacktotheirnaturalhabitatwheretheirspeciesmayhave______orbeenendangered.
SomeAmericansarealittlenervousaboutthenation’sfuture,butothersfeelsecure,knowingthatthemantheyconsiderthemo
随机试题
下列选项中是群落发育过程中良好发育这一阶段的主要标志的是()
下列各种建筑中,()可不设室内消防给水。
幂级数的和函数S(x)等于()。
按照国家与地方环境保护标准相关关系的有关规定,对于国家环境保护标准已做规定的项目,以下可由省级人民政府制定的地方环境保护标准有()。
在建筑结构体系中,因为砌体的抗压强度高而抗拉强度很低,所以住宅建筑最适合采用()结构。
信托公司的终止通常意味着信托公司()。
工作满意度、工作投入度和组织承诺是三个不同但又密切联系的概念,()是个体对整个组织的情感反应,体现了个体与组织的关系。
某民营科技公司工程师汪先生2011年除每月应税工资6000元之外,还有以下收入:(1)12月份取得2011年全年一次性奖金收入22800元。(2)3月份公司实施雇员持股激励机制,实行股票期权计划。3月8日,该公司授予汪先生股票期权30000股,授予价2
在团队用餐时,若有游客提出加菜或加酒水,一般可由地陪先垫付费用,事后再向游客说明上述费用须由其自行支付。()
下列关于道德与法律关系的说法中,正确的是()。
最新回复
(
0
)