Dating and Engagement
When it comes to dating in Cambodia, parents are very open with who their children meet with. Parents find it partly their responsibility to find potential matches for their children. Their kids are allowed to reject set-up dates. Many people meet through school. During traditional dates, the couple is usually not alone. The girl may bring a cousin, sister, or friend along.
From a very young age, Cambodian girls are taught to appreciate their relationships and marriage, and boys are taught to be a good provider and a good husband. Long ago, Cambodian men used to marry Chinese women for their beauty, but nowadays Cambodians and Khmer people do not usually intermarry with other cultures or ethnic groups.
People get married around the ages of 16-25. People living in rural areas are the ones who get married in their teen years, but if you live in urban areas you may follow more modern traditions, where you don't get married until your mid-20s.
Boys are the ones who propose to the women. When a couple wishes to get engaged, the boy discusses it with his own parents, and if they approve, their whole family goes to the girl's house. At her house, the boy asks for her hand in marriage, and if the girl's parents approve of it, they have an engagement party and ceremony.
From a very young age, Cambodian girls are taught to appreciate their relationships and marriage, and boys are taught to be a good provider and a good husband. Long ago, Cambodian men used to marry Chinese women for their beauty, but nowadays Cambodians and Khmer people do not usually intermarry with other cultures or ethnic groups.
People get married around the ages of 16-25. People living in rural areas are the ones who get married in their teen years, but if you live in urban areas you may follow more modern traditions, where you don't get married until your mid-20s.
Boys are the ones who propose to the women. When a couple wishes to get engaged, the boy discusses it with his own parents, and if they approve, their whole family goes to the girl's house. At her house, the boy asks for her hand in marriage, and if the girl's parents approve of it, they have an engagement party and ceremony.
Marriage
Cambodian marriages are very big events. Traditional marriages usually last 3 days. Before it was traditional for the bride's family to arrange the marriage ceremonies and celebrations, but now each family shares the responsibility, and couple's can even arrange their own marriages if they want.
Marriage ceremonies usually take place at the bride's home, which is decorated in pink and gold silks. Guests and other people carrying gold and pink umbrellas offer fruits, vegetables, and money to the bride's parents. The number of guests can range from a few, to a few hundred. It depends on how wealth the family is, and if they can support such a large crowd. At the ceremony, the bride and groom exchange fruit. They cut each others hair with scissors that are said to have come from heaven. This is a common tradition which is said to bring wealth to the couple. The tea ceremony is where both the bride and the groom are requested to offer tea to the spirits of their ancestors. Cotton threads soaked in holy water are tied around the couple's wrists. After the ceremony, there is a large party with a lot of food, music, and joke-telling. After the traditional ceremonies, the couple goes to get their legal marriage certificate.
Marriage ceremonies usually take place at the bride's home, which is decorated in pink and gold silks. Guests and other people carrying gold and pink umbrellas offer fruits, vegetables, and money to the bride's parents. The number of guests can range from a few, to a few hundred. It depends on how wealth the family is, and if they can support such a large crowd. At the ceremony, the bride and groom exchange fruit. They cut each others hair with scissors that are said to have come from heaven. This is a common tradition which is said to bring wealth to the couple. The tea ceremony is where both the bride and the groom are requested to offer tea to the spirits of their ancestors. Cotton threads soaked in holy water are tied around the couple's wrists. After the ceremony, there is a large party with a lot of food, music, and joke-telling. After the traditional ceremonies, the couple goes to get their legal marriage certificate.