Collective marriage in Brazil.

A collective wedding or mass wedding is a marriage ceremony in which several couples are married at the same time.

History

In 324 BC Alexander the Great married Stateira II, the eldest daughter of Darius, the king of Persia. In the same ceremony, he wed many of his leading officers and outstanding soldiers to other Persian women, about 80 couples in all.[1] Today, these ceremonies are now performed in places such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kurdistan, Palestine, South Korea, The Philippines and Yemen.

Financial considerations

Mass weddings are sometimes preferred for economic and social reasons, such as the reduction of costs for the venue, officiants, decorations, as well as the celebrations afterwards which can sometimes be shared between multiple families.[2] In 2011 a collective wedding ceremony in India involved 4,000 couples, including Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, and Adivasi. Many of them were the children of poor farmers.[3]

In the Philippines, mass civil or religious weddings are a common phenomenon, and are often sponsored by government and charitable groups as a form of public service.[4] Local politicians and sometimes celebrities participate as common wedding sponsors at such mass rites, which enable couples (and by extension their children) to benefit from formal state recognition of their unions.[5] Parish churches also regularly offer collective Nuptial Masses for their low-income congregants, at times in partnership with the secular government of that predominantly Catholic nation.[6]

Rasme Saifee

Since 7 November 1960 (18th Jumada al-awwal 1380), under the guidance of Syedna Taher Saifuddin, Dawoodi Bohras have been conducting mass marriage events, at several venues, called Rasme Saifee (Arabic: الرسم السيفي).[7] Currently the largest event is held two days after the birthday of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin in Mumbai. The first such mass marriage was held in Jamnagar. The event is now professionally looked after by the community organisation, International Taiseerun Nikah Committee (I.T.N.C).

Iranian state

The office of supreme leader in Iranian universities and office of deputy of women of Iranian president has begun a student wedding program.[8][9] سازمان اوقاف و امور خیریه oghaf and charity organization has organized mass wedding too for deaf people.[10] Minister of Islamic Culture and IRGC organizes these easy weddings just as well.[11][12]

Unification Church

The Unification Church is known for holding collective weddings, which for some couples are marriage rededication ceremonies.[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ Arrian of Nicomedia describes this event in section 7.4.4-5.6 of his Anabasis. Archived 2016-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ McBee, Randy D. (2000). Dance hall days: intimacy and leisure among working-class immigrants in the United States. New York: New York University Press. pp. 222–228. ISBN 0-8147-5620-4.
  3. ↑ Thousands marry in big Indian wedding, AFP, February 2, 2011
  4. ↑ Clapano, José Rodel (17 January 2013). "Erap plays 'ninong' at Tondo mass wedding". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Thousands tie the knot in Philippines mass wedding". CNTV English. China Central Television. 15 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Rosero/KG/HS, Earl Victor L (12 October 2012). "Half of married Pinoy Catholics did not get married in church". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  7. ↑ http://www.taiseerunnikah.org/rasme.php Archived 2015-02-24 at the Wayback Machine?
  8. ↑ "برپایی جشن بزرگ ازدواج دانشجویی در دانشگاه اصفهان + تصویر- اخبار اصفهان - اخبار استانها تسنیم | Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  9. ↑ "تلاش خیرین در ترویج سنت حسنه ازدواج قابل تقدیر است » اصفهان امروز آنلاین". اصفهان امروز آنلاین (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  10. ↑ "برگزاری جشن پیوند آسمانی ۱۰۰ زوج ناشنوا در مقبره علامه مجلسی(ره) اصفهان » اصفهان امروز آنلاین". اصفهان امروز آنلاین (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  11. ↑ "جشن ازدواج ۱۱۰ زوج اصفهانی برگزار شد". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2023-06-21. Archived from the original on 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  12. ↑ "مراسم جشن ازدواج آسان در اهواز برگزار شد". www.irna.ir. Archived from the original on 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  13. ↑ Despite controversy, Moon and his church moving into mainstream Archived 2006-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Tribune, April 11, 2006.
  14. ↑ At RFK, Moon Presides Over Mass Wedding Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, November 3, 1997
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