Analysis of the Origin of the marriage rituals, traditions, practices Research Paper

Analysis of the Origin of the marriage rituals, traditions, practices of Jewish weddings in Orthodox communities - Research Paper Example Marriage is a social institution in which two individuals are united in holy matrimony. The institution of marriage, as we see it today, has grown over many centuries. Traditionally viewed as the union of a man and a woman, this concept has become more complex today owing to the increased sophistication and civilisation of modern societies. Thoroughly immersed in customs, traditions, religion and civil regulations, many of the conventional rites have perished over time to yield place for new ones. The rituals, traditions and practices of marriage differ greatly across diverse cultures, religions, countries, ethnic communities and social strata. Majority of the traditional marriage ceremonies comprise an exchange of nuptial vows by the couple, offering of gifts and a public announcement of the marriage by an authority figure. Some other commonly incorporated elements in a wedding ceremony are traditional music, recital of poetry, chanting of prayers or readings from religious texts. A ll of these marriage customs have their roots firmly embedded in the beliefs and customs of the society in which they are conceived. In Judaism, marriage is regarded as the ultimate state of mankind and a man without a wife or a woman without a husband are regarded as incomplete. As Isaac Klein quotes from Leviticus 34a in his book "A man who does not marry is not a complete person." (Klein, 1979, p. 381) It is also believed that "Any man who has no wife lives without joy, without blessing, and without goodness." (Garland, 2003, p.276) In Jewish literature, the term that denotes marriage is â€Å"kiddushin†, which in English means "sanctification".