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HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Traditional wedding characteristics of Laos in comparison with Viet Nam Faculty Oriental Studies Final essay Subject: Introduction to Southeast Asia Đặc trưng đám cưới cổ truyền của Lào trong sự đối sánh với Việt Nam
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITY Faculty of Oriental Studies Southeast Asian Studies FINAL ESSAY Subject: Introduction to Southeast Asian TOPIC: TRADITONAL WEDDING CHARACTERISTICS OF LAOS IN COMPARISON WITH VIETNAM Student’sname : Luu Thi Thu Ha Class : QH-2021-X-ĐNA Student code : 21030540 Teacher : Ph.D Ho Thi Thanh ABSTRACT Vietnam and Laos are two close neighbours, having a special relationship over the centuries During the course of history, the two countries have had economic, political and cultural exchanges between the two nations, especially in terms of culture In the cultural traditions of each ethnic group, marriage ceremonies are always highly valued and focused because it is an important issue of a person's life Therefore, this report will go into depth to learn, introduce and compare the characteristics of traditional weddings between Vietnam and Laos Therefore, this report uses the method of theoretical research, meta-analysis, information collection and comparison From there, it gives an overview of traditional cultural characteristics of Vietnam and Laos, in order to improve understanding of cultures in the region INTRODUCTION I Reason for choosing the topic Vietnam and Laos are two neighboring countries with friendly relations that have been attached for many centuries This special bond has been forged over generations and tested through hardship to become a wonderful and inseparable friendship In order to promote cooperation between the two countries, mutual understanding is essential, especially in terms of culture Studying Lao culture can not help but mention wedding customs - a rich ritual of the Lao people Along with time and the development of society, many wedding customs of the Lao people have also changed Weddings are becoming more civilized and simpler, but they not lose the traditional customs of the nation It is the preservation of those traditional elements that have created a unique and very typical culture of the Laotian As a student majoring in Southeast Asian Studies, learning about the traditional cultures of Southeast Asian countries is both a passion and part of my responsibility to improve my knowledge and capital That's why I chose the issue: "Traditonal wedding of Laos in comparison with Vietnam" - as the topic of my essay II History and scope of research Related to traditional wedding Vietnam, to date there have been many studies, typically can mention as the book "Đám cưới người Việt xưa nay"(Bui Xuan My, Publishing Culture Information, 2014); “Tìm sắc văn hóa Việt Nam” (Tran Ngoc Them, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House, 1997); “Văn hóa Việt Nam truyền thống: Một góc nhìn” (Nguyen Thua Hy, Information and Communication Publishing House, 2011) In these works, the characteristics of traditional Vietnamese weddings have been highlighted About Laos wedding can be mentioned as: "Siho and Naga Laos Textiles" ( Edeltraud Tagwerker, Peter Lang International Science Publishing House) These articles and studies have provided insights and the traditional cultural beauties of both countries However, these articles and studies have not compared and contrasted the traditional cultural features Therefore, this report aims to highlight the similarities as well as the unique differences, imbued with the national identity of Vietnam and Laos III Methodology The focus of the essay is to learn, introduce and compare the traditional wedding characteristics of Vietnam - Laos So I used methods of theoretical research, meta-analysis, gathering information, comparative to overview about the cultural characteristics of traditional Vietnam and Laos. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION I Reason for choosing the topic II History and scope of research III Methodology CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: THE ORIGIN OF WEDDING ORGANIZATION CHAPTER 2: COMPARING THE TRADIONAL WEDDING CHARACTERISTIC OF LAOS AND VIETNAM I The concept of the male-female relationship in the ancient times II The rituals in the traditional wedding CONCLUSION 10 REFERENCES 11 CONTENTS CHAPTER THE ORIGIN OF WEDDING ORGANIZATION Many ethnographic documents and folklore studies have proven that marriage and family have existed for a long time, but marriage appeared quite late During the period of human marriage, according to the norms of society at that time, when men and women reached adulthood, they had the right to freely mate Since human history turned to the period of conjugal marriage, there have been many changes, at this time the spiritual life of people has become more and more perfect, and the love relationship between man and woman has begun to flourish Volunteering is the foundation of your relationship With this form of marriage, as long as two people agree, they can live together, on the contrary, if one of them feels unsatisfied, they can break up It is because of this instability that a person can get married many times in his life, which is why a wedding cannot be born It can be estimated that: marriage was born in the transitional period from matriarchy to patriarchy With the steady consolidation of the monogamous form of marriage, the forms of marriage become more and more complex Centuries have passed, along with the development of production methods, young men and women have begun to attach importance to marriage and consciously wish that the love between husband and wife will last forever Therefore, someone wants to use some form to inform everyone, thereby creating conditions for the wedding to be born CHAPTER COMPARING THE TRADITIONAL WEDDING CHARACTERISTIC OF LAOS AND VIETNAM I The concept of the male-female relationship in the ancient times Laos people's concept of the male and female relationship Vietnamese people think that contact between boys andgirls are like “fire and straw”, hence the saying "Fire near straw is also good for a long timesharp" But the Lao people thinkconcept of male and female issues like “sand and water”, sand and water naturally attract each otherthrough contact and communication Lao boys and girls get to know each other easily and openly Therefore, Lao girls aged sixteen and over are free to receive their boyfriends at home, can go with their boyfriends to festivals, fairs… The Vietnamese people's concept of the male and female relationship Vietnam is strongly influenced by Chinese culture, especially during more than 1000 years of Northern domination, so the concept of "Men and women are not born" is a familiar saying to indicate the behavior of men and women according to the concept of Confucianism For the ancient Vietnamese, if a man or a woman unintentionally touched the skin of the opposite sex, it was considered an improper gesture From a young age, family and society soon formed a gender gap for children Sub - Conclusion: Wedding is one of the important rituals of every culture Through the wedding rituals, it partly shows the concept and unique characteristics of each ethnic group The foundation of marriage is the relationship between a man and a woman The relationship between men and women in Vietnam is quite strict because Vietnamese culture is strongly influenced by Chinese culture and feudal rituals In contrast to Laos, it can be seen that the status of women has long been respected Each relationship between men and women is likened to "Sand and Water", sticking together II The rituals in the traditional wedding 1.Traditional Laos wedding rituals 1.1 News shooting ceremony Similar to the ceremony of proposal ceremory in Vietnam, the boy's parents asked his grandparents to bring the news to him the girl's parents about her intentions And though she's free and open, Laotian girl is also shy when her parentsdirectly ask if I "accept" or "no 1.2 Engagement ceremony After the two families meet and agree on the wedding of the young couple, the parents and families of the two sides will discuss and agree on the conditions, how to organize and more importantly, choose an auspicious date good to celebrate marriage In the past, the interrogation ceremony was considered an important ceremony in marriage, but according to the ritual, the groom's family had to prepare a number of gifts, including: Kha Khuon fee (offering to God Hoang, where the bride's family is staying) Kha Doong (wedding gift) is considered as a dowry to compensate for the effort of raising the girl's family It will be decided by the bride's family 1.3 Wedding ceremony Lao people have the custom of holding weddings from October to March according to the Laos calendar Since that time is the dry season, it is very convenient for the organization and implementation of the wedding ceremony activities and avoids the rainy season months Also according to the Buddhist calendar, Lao people abstain from getting married in the months of July, August, and September because this time is considered the "month of Buddha" Everyone is vegetarian and abstains from killing, drinking alcohol, holding festivals… A traditional Laotian wedding is usually held at the bride's house Weddings are usually held in one day, including the following procedures: 1.3.1 Groom procession Leading the groom's family to the bride's house is the groom in traditional Laos costumes The special thing is that on the way there is always a person, usually the groom's best friend, who will walk beside him holding an umbrella This image creates a connection with the ancient kings who always used umbrellas to cover the road, to increase the solemnity of the groom on the wedding day 1.3.2 Wrist threading ceremony Performing the Sukhoan ceremony to pray for the souls of "good ghosts" so that it always protects, brings good luck to people and prevents the encroachment of "evil ghosts" The ritual is usually held in the most solemn place in the house, usually the living room The celebrant took a white thread just long enough, tied one end to the groom's wrist, the other end tied to the bride's wrist, and signalled for the two of them to pull their hands and cut them in half 1.3.3 Wedding celebration The celebratory party will be held that evening at the bride's home or outside the hotel and usually lasts about four to five hours Regardless of whether they arrive early or at the invited time, the guests will wait until the time of the event before starting to eat (the host will welcome guests in about hour from the time indicated in the invitation) Traditional Vietnamese wedding rituals 2.1 Proposal ceremory Proposal ceremony, also known as Face - Seeing Ceremony After thoroughly researching herself and the girl's family background, considering and deciding, the groom's family asked a matchmaker to come to the girl's house to ask questions This is the first ceremony of the groom's family bringing betel nut to the girl's house to ask for the girl's name This ceremony aims to officially raise the issue of the marriage relationship of two families This is a job that the ancients attach great importance to, as well as considering whether the families of both sides have a "registration subject or not" 2.2 Engagement ceremony This is a ceremony in the traditional marriage customs of the Vietnamese people, which is official to go to the wedding, to announce the betrothal between the two families During the wedding ceremony, the groom's family brings gifts to the bride's house The bride's family receives the ceremony, that is, the main name recognizes the bride's marriage to the boy's family In addition, the quality and quantity can be increased or decreased based on the family's economy The number can be even or odd but will usually be even with the implication of a pair having a pair The wedding offering is also to show the groom's family's gratitude for the bride's care 2.3.Wedding Ceremory Wedding ceremony is the most important, including many different small ceremonies, especially the custom of taking a bride The wedding day must be a good day Before that, a representative of the groom's family went to the bride's house to ask for a bride, bringing some gifts In a wedding, the bride has a bridesmaid and the groom has a groomsman According to traditional custom, the mother of the bride must stay at home and hide her tears because tears are a symbol of sadness Relatives and friends will escort the bride to her husband's house, which is also a way to protect and ward off evil spirits Finally, it is indispensable to have a lavish feast to entertain relatives and neighbours Sub-conclusion: Culture is inherently diverse, each region, country, and ethnic group has its own unique characteristics that make up its own tradition cultural relativity Wedding is a typical cultural beauty of all countries Within the framework of this thesis, the writer wants to compare to see the similarities and differences in the concept, customs, and traditional wedding organization forms in Vietnam and Laos The first obvious common point is the form of three rituals, including one auxiliary ceremony and two main ceremonies When conducting rituals, families must choose auspicious days and months In addition, there are unique characteristics of each country In Vietnam, there is a custom of taking a bride, but in Laos, it is a custom to bring a bridegroom Entering the modern era, under the 10 influence of Westernization, the rituals have also become simpler, but both countries still retain their unique cultural beauties and bring their own unique culture bold national identity CONCLUSION Cultlure is an important factor, the glue that binds economic - political social relations, creating the shape and identity of each nation Culture has existed along with human development That is why to learn about any country or people in the world, we must first come to culture Learning about traditional weddings placed in the comparison between Vietnam and Laos, we can see the typical characteristics of each country so that we can understand more and love more about each land As two ethnic brothers for many generations, Vietnam and Laos have acquired and exchanged cultures with each other and with major civilizations However, each ethnic group still retains its rich cultural identity Learning about the traditional wedding shows that it is not only a big day for the couple, but also the whole family and clan, reflecting the very unique lifestyles of each region Scientific research, clear research and analysis, I hope this report will help give a more general overview, and also contribute to building the spirit of preserving the national identity in each individual, especially It is for a country that follows the agrarian calendar that respects traditional culture like Vietnam and Laos in the era of modernization where traditional cultural values are in danger of disappearing 11 REFERENCES Bui, X.M , 2014, “ Đám cưới người Việt xưa nay”, Culture and Information Publishing House Jamieson, Neil L, 1995, “ Understanding Vietnam” , Univ of California Press Kalman, Bobbie, 2002, “Vietnam: Culture”, Crabtree publishing Mai, N.C., 1999, “ Văn hóa Đơng Nam Á”,Hanoi National University Publishing House Mansfield, Stephen, Magdalene Koh, and Debbie Nevins , 2017, “Laos”, Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC Nguyen, E., (2020) “ What you now about Vietnamese Wedding Ceremonies” https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/what-do-you-know-about-vietnamesewedding-ceremonies-21638.html Nguyen, T.H., 2011, “ Văn hóa Việt Nam truyền thống: Một góc nhìn”, Information and Communication Publishing House Ovesen, J (2002) Indigenous peoples and development in Laos: ideologies and ironies “Moussons Recherche en sciences humaines sur l’Asie du Sud-Est”, (6), 69-97 https://journals.openedition.org/moussons/2589 Pham, H.G., 2014, "Tìm hiểu phong tục cưới hỏi dân tộc Lào” 10 Patnaik, P P (2012) “Rice, rituals and modernisation: a case study of Laos” by Phout Simmalavong: New Delhi, Palm Leaf Publications, 2011, 247 pp., Rs 895 (hardcover), ISBN 81-909914-3-4 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19472498.2012.639530? journalCode=rsac20 12 11 Rakow, Meg Regina, 1992 “Laos and Laotians”, Center for Southeast Asian Studies with the School of Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Sudies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa 12.Teerawichitchainan, B., & KNODEl, J (2012) Tradition and change in marriage payments in Vietnam, 1963–2000. Asian population studies, 8(2), 151172 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17441730.2012.675677 13.Tagwerker, Edeltraud, “ Siho and Naga Laos Textiles”, Peter Lang International Science Publishing House 14 Tran, N.T., 1997, “ Tìm sắc văn hóa Việt Nam”, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House 15 http://archive.pov.org/betrayal/wedding-ceremony/ 13 ... the issue: "Traditonal wedding of Laos in comparison with Vietnam" - as the topic of my essay II History and scope of research Related to traditional wedding Vietnam, to date there have been... Water", sticking together II The rituals in the traditional wedding 1 .Traditional Laos wedding rituals 1.1 News shooting ceremony Similar to the ceremony of proposal ceremory in Vietnam, the... CHAPTER 2: COMPARING THE TRADIONAL WEDDING CHARACTERISTIC OF LAOS AND VIETNAM I The concept of the male-female relationship in the ancient times II The rituals in the traditional wedding CONCLUSION