Marriage

Arranged marriage is a norm practiced in Cambodia. Traditionally, marriage was arranged by parents who were the deciders of who would be the ideal spouses for their children. Knowledge and consent by children was unnecessary. Children, particularly daughters, were expected to do their utmost to maintain family’s honor, and rejecting a marriage arrangement was regarded as an enormous shame brought to the family. The Khmer love folk tale of Tum Teav which is a Cambodian version of Romeo and Juliet well portrays the authority parents had over their children’s marriage and the belief and practice was valued by the society. At the present, however, the authority to arrange marriage has lost some of its transcending position, especially in the urban parts of the country. Though marriage is still arranged, individuals are consulted, and more often rejection is tolerated.



Marriage, in the old days, was an arduous and lengthy affair. There were a number of rituals that needed to be performed, and the wedding ceremony itself lasted three days. To name a few, ceremony involves ritual hair cutting, tying cotton threads soaked in holy water around the bride's and groom's wrists, and passing a candle around a circle of happily married and respected couples to bless the union. Today, wedding is much simpler and less time consuming. Not all the traditional rituals are performed, and the wedding is shortened to one day.