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March 22, 2007 |
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| Ethnic traditions often part
of Catholic weddings |
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Retaining tradition is important in some cultures
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| Franciscan Sr. Emma Nunez congratulates Rigoberto and Heriberta Rojas after they and six other couples renewed their wedding vows during a ceremony at St. Patrick Church in Whitewater last September. One tradition in the Hispanic culture is placing a wedding rosary or lazzo around the couple, a symbol of their union. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Lucero) |
The wedding celebration that is a part of the Catholic celebration of marriage is often filled with customs that are echoes of the past, such as the veil, rice, flowers, unity candles, and old shoes, to bridesmaids and processionals. Although the substance of many traditions has been lost, old world customs are incorporated into weddings because they are traditional and ritualistic.
While the white bridal gown is considered the symbol of purity, it dates only to Queen Victoria’s marriage to her beloved Albert in 1840. Before the 1800s, most Roman Catholics wore blue, the color associated with the Blessed Mother.
A practice of throwing old shoes dates to ancient Assyrians, Hebrews and Egyptians who gave or traded sandals as a symbol of good faith when striking a bargain. In the case of marriage, the bargain was the transfer of a father’s authority over his daughter to her husband. The bride’s father would give the groom one of her old shoes and the groom would tap the bride over the head with it. That act symbolized the groom’s acceptance of his new responsibility.
Common threads among Catholic weddings are the Scripture readings, declaration of freedom to marry, exchange of vows, and the nuptial blessing. Most celebrations of the sacrament include ethnic or social customs that are significant to the couple.
Although many of today’s couples are enthralled with the lavish weddings, others are opting to downplay or completely bypass modern wedding accouterments in favor of the richness of their family’s history. Many are implementing ethnic rituals and observances in their wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Polish traditions
Polish Catholics may choose to celebrate with a three-day party that ends with a wedding. Festivities generally begin with a wieczor panienski or bachelorette party and a wieczor kawalerski, a bachelor party.
Although not all Polish-American Catholics participate in the traditions of their culture, some engaged couples follow at least a few rituals, according to Magda Poniakowski, secretary of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Milwaukee.
“In Poland, the groom comes to the bride’s house and her parents bless him; then they go to the groom’s house and his parents bless her and they go to the church together,” she said. “Just before the wedding, the bride’s mother puts the veil on her to kind of symbolize the last task that the mother does before she becomes a married woman. And once in the church, the bride and the groom walk up the aisle together instead of the father walking with the bride.”
At the reception, the parents of the bride and groom greet the newly-married couple with bread, which is lightly sprinkled with salt, a goblet of wine, and a silver coin.
“The bread is a sign that the couple may never go hungry, and the salt is to remind the couple to overcome the bitterness in life,” said Poniakowski. “And the silver coin is a blessing for the couple so that they may be wealthy and in good health.”
Drinking the wine is a reminder to enjoy the sweet things of life, and is a hope that the couple will never thirst. They wish that they have a life of good health and good cheer, and share the company of many good friends.
Hispanic traditions
The increasing Hispanic population in Walworth County has given area Catholics the opportunity to share in the richness of Spanish-speaking culture. According to Leslie Furio, secretary for Sr. Emma Therese Nunez and Fr. José German Zapata, coordinators of Caminardo Juntos, Walworth County Hispanic Ministry, while the wedding ceremony is nearly the same as that of Anglos, there are a few distinctive differences.
“When the couple is kneeling, a wedding rosary or lazzo is placed around the two of them, lassoing them together, which is a symbol of their union,” she said. “They also have a tradition of giving a dozen or so coins which symbolizes wealth and their wealth together as a couple.”
Due to the expenses associated with weddings, many Hispanic couples are opting to share their special day with other engaged couples.
“Fr. Zapata has been doing group weddings for a couple of years, just to cut down on the costs. A lot of Hispanics will marry civilly because they don’t have enough money to marry in the church, so this is a good way to have a sacramental marriage at less cost,” said Furio. “This gives the couples an opportunity to share in cost of the reception, parish fees, priest stipend and music.”
Retaining tradition is important to many Spanish-speaking Catholics as they struggle between Americanization and loyalty to their homeland, Furio admitted.
“A lot of times there are traditions that are lost or changed when they come here,” she said. “So when it is your big day, it can mean a lot to keep some certain aspects of the Hispanic heritage ... and it wouldn’t be the same ceremony without them.”
African-American traditions
While many African-American Catholics desire a wedding that reflects their native heritage, a bit of research must be done to determine the specific culture of their ancestors.
Oftentimes, when a bride desires an African-style wedding, she may be referring to the tradition of Yoruba, according to the “The African-American Wedding Planner,” by Harriet Cole. This very spiritual service reflects the depth of African family by the sharing of gifts and love.
The ceremony process may begin about a month before the wedding with a spiritual reading. Elements of the ceremony may include a libation — a prayer with an offering of water or liquor. This ritual calls upon and asks God’s blessing and the blessing of ancestral spirits. The groom verbally seeks permission from the bride’s mother to marry her daughter.
One of the most widely known African-American wedding tradition is “jumpin’ the broom” to signify their step into matrimony and the beginning of homemaking. This practice began in southern colonies of the United States during the days of slavery.
Hmong Catholics adapt
to western customs
Southeast Asian wedding traditions such as the Hmong generally require marrying at an early age and marrying someone of another clan, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Despite a significant population of Hmong Catholics at St. Michael Parish in Milwaukee, Mayhoua Moua, a volunteer with the parish and the Laotian Ministry, sees only a few Southeast Asian weddings among the community.
“It isn’t as much as I would like to see, but there are a few,” she said.
One reason for the lack of Catholic Hmong weddings may have to do with cultural issues dictating the type of marital arrangement, often arranged by the bride’s parents. Most American weddings customs are recent adaptations by the Hmong, according to Moua.
“Our vows are very similar to Anglo weddings, but that is because it is a new custom that we have adapted to,” she said. “The biggest difference is in the way we celebrate our receptions. One major difference is that we tie a white string called a baci on their wrists and it stands for wishing the new couple good luck and wealth.”
Rather than simply the bridal party, the head table is reserved for the bride and groom, their parents and aunts and uncles. Music is traditionally Hmong but the entire wedding celebration is a blending of western and Hmong culture, which Moua considers most meaningful.
“The blending of the western culture and the Catholic faith along with having traditional food, the baci and close friends supporting them is very important,” she said. “Hmong culture is very strong and it is important for all of us to maintain our identity and keep the ceremony meaningful.”
Whatever ethnic or western customs are included in celebrating the sacrament of matrimony, church ministers stress that those traditions cannot be the central focus. Ethnicity must only complement, not supplant, the call to the rich mysticism and spirituality of the faith. |
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