Strange marriage practices in different countries
A marriage is supposed to be an ecstatic event. Couples plan the ceremony to culminate a happily-ever-after romance. However, strange marriage laws sometimes make it impossible for the couple to fulfill their dreams. For the people who consider these marriage practices as law, it is imperative that they ensure that the law is followed because these are part of who they are. The laws are deemed necessary for the marital union to succeed and some of these laws follow.
In India,marriages are usually arrangedand couples can get married only when the woman pays or gives a dowry. That is why some parents go to the extremes of killing their female child inside the womb because she isperceived as a burden to the family. It is one custom in India that well-meaning individuals want to eradicate. Most people would even deny that it exists, but according to a TV program,Satyamev Jayate, hosted by Indian movie actor,Aamir Khan, female infanticide still exists even in supposedly urban areas such as New Delhi or Mumbai. It is believed by observers that one major cause is because of this strange Indian marriage law of the woman giving a dowry before marriage.
In the Philippines, there is no dowry paid, because the man usually pays for the wedding. When the woman has the financial means, then she would help out. The strange thing is thatdivorce is not recognizedin this 80 percent Christian country. It is strange because it is the only country in the world, except the Vatican, where divorce is considered illegal. This does not put a stop, though, to married couples separating from each other because of unresolved issues.
Polygamy is a general practicein Islamic families, as long as the man can afford to finance the needs of his wives. It is in Uganda, also, that female circumcision occurs where the clitoris is removed as a symbol of the child’s maturity to womanhood.Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, however, has moved to ban female circumcision. The death penalty is handed to people who perform the procedure if the woman dies because of it. The practice continues to be done, though, because the people believe that it will allow thegirl stay faithful to her husbandand will help her get a husband.
These are only some of the strangest marriage laws that people follow in their respective countries. These are customs, which are difficult to eradicate because these are traditions that are passed on from one generation to another.
