Assignment 6: Marriage

According to the reading by Julian Sanchez pp: 313-320 in your Risman text:
1) Identify one of the examples of ancient marriage described by the author and discuss how it differed from the "one man, one woman idea" of marriage
Ans: An example of the one of the ancient marriages described was that traditionally in Tibet prior to the Chinese occupation, about a quarter of marriages involved brother sharing one wife. To this day the Na people in southwestern China live not in couples but sibling clusters with groups of brothers and sisters collaboratively raising children conceived by the women during evening rendezvous with visitors. This differed from the “one man one woman idea” of marriage in that it had two brothers and one women joining together in union. So it was a marriage of more than two people.


2) Among which two groups has postponing marriage become the most likely? Why?
Poor women and middle class couples are postponing marriage because they want to be settled economically, begin their careers, and finish schooling before marriage. It is also mentioned that in particular, poor women have a fear of being economically dependent.

List all the wedding traditions in the clip.
Wedding Traditions included:
• Smashing of glass
• Signing of the ketubah
• Long white wedding dress for women
• Tradition of bad luck if the groom see’s the bride before the wedding in her dress.
• Man wears black tux
• Man sliding ring onto women’s finger


Choose one tradition and do a little research on-line - what is the history behind that tradition.
Write about a paragraph about the origin of the tradition and whether you will include this in your own wedding - if you plan on having one.
The breaking of the Jewish wedding glass is at the end of the Jewish wedding ceremony when the groom stomps on a glass to crush it and the guests shout, "Mazel Tov!" or "Siman Tov!"
There various interpretations of why breaking glass in Jewish wedding tradition came from. Here are a few of the most popular explanations:
• Temple: Breaking of the Jewish wedding glass is a reminder of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem.

• Superstitious: A loud noise is thought to drive away evil spirits.

• Sadness/Joy: A reminder that even in times of great joy that there is sadness. That life will bring sadness as well as joy.

• Hymen: A breaking of the glass represents symbolically the breaking of the hymen, and the consummation of the marriage.

• Fragile: The glass symbolizes the love and relationship of the couple and is fragile, so it must be cared for and not broken.

• Broken World: A reminder that although the couple came together as a single union, the world as a whole is broken and needs mending.

• Marriage is Forever: A broken Jewish wedding glass is forever changed, likewise, the couple are forever changed by the marriage and take on a new form.

• Be Fruitful: A hope that your happiness will be as plentiful as the shards of glassesor that your children will be as plentiful as the shards of glass.


I wouldn’t include this tradition in my wedding because I don’t really like some ideas in traditional weddings so I can see myself trying to do something away from tradition and more unique to my own style,taste, and preference. Another reason I wouldn’t break glass at my wedding is because I am not Jewish.